Australian Formula 4 Championship
| Category | FIA Formula 4 |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Inaugural season | 2015 |
| Constructors | Mygale |
| Engine suppliers | Ford |
| Tyre suppliers | Hankook |
| Drivers' champion |
 Jordan Lloyd |
| Official website | Official website |
 Current season | |
CAMS Australian Formula 4 Championship is an Australian motor racing series for cars complying with FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural championship was contested in 2015.
History
In November 2013, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) announced that it would introduce the FIA Formula 4 category to Australia. This was followed on September 17, 2014[1] by the official launch of the Australian F4 Championship. Australian F4 cars were to use the French Mygale chassis and Ford EcoBoost engine,[1] and the series would comprise seven rounds in conjunction with V8 Supercars events.[2]
This was a highly controversial move by CAMS, which elected to own and promote F4 and the national series, including 20 complete cars for hire by local race teams, for the first time in its 62-year history. The uproar after the initial announcement was compounded in August 2013, when CAMS announced that the Australian Formula Ford Championship would be demoted to the lesser 'Series' status in 2014, while F4 was to enjoy 'Championship' status in its 2015 debut season.
Undeterred, the Formula Ford Association decided to move its national series from the high-profile V8 Supercars program to the second-tier Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.
Leading Australian Formula Ford competitors, teams and the Association itself, were bitterly disappointed at what they saw as CAMS' attempt to try to replace their long-established category with one that they believed was inferior in terms of performance and value-for-money.
The principal anti-F4 arguments were that CAMS:
- had a conflict of interest in promoting what it described as an 'entry level' openwheeler category in direct competition with Formula Ford, which was organised and promoted by one of its affiliated competitor-based associations;
- was jeopardising a substantial amount of members' funds (believed to be more than $A1M) by underwriting an unproven new category;
- failed to consult the membership, let alone obtain its approval, before embarking on a radical departure from CAMS' traditional administrative role;
- was attempting to kill off Australian Formula Ford, and even Formula 3, by creating a new category that would be likely to canibalise entries from both existing categories;
- shouldn't be seen to favour any category over another.
Car
The championship features Mygale designed and built cars constructed of carbon fibre and featuring a monocoque chassis. Power is provided by a 1.6-litre turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine.[3]
Champions
| Season | Champion | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Jordan Lloyd |
Team BRM |
References
- 1 2 "CAMS confirms Formula 4 format for 2015". CAMS. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ↑ http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/championship/cams-announces-exciting-new-formula-4-teaming-with-v8-supercars
- ↑ Test driving F4: the new pathway to Formula One, www.smh.com.au Retrieved 21 December 2015
External links
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