Motorsport Australia backs shock Formula 4 return

In a move likely to raise the ire of existing local single-seater series, Motorsport Australia is shortly to announce it has given its blessing and support to a five-round FIA Formula 4 series in Australia next year.

China-based company Top Speed, which promotes the FIA UAE Formula 4 Championship (which runs across January and February) is believed to be behind the plans to ship its fleet of F4 cars to Australia for a five-round series, expected to kick off in April.

AUTO ACTION understands that three of the rounds will be at The Bend in SA, the other two at a single venue – reportedly Sydney Motorsport Park – with, as is the norm in regional F3/4 series, significant test days. With the required five-race minimum being achieved, the series will be able to offer FIA Superlicence points.

AGI Sport will be one of the teams taking part in the new FIA Formula 4 Australia Series having tested new cars at Sydney recently.

AUTO ACTION can confirm a number of Australian based open-wheeler teams have been approached to run cars, including AGI Sports, which is set to run a four to five car team.

FIA Formula 4 last contested a national championship series in Australia from 2015 to 2019. The Confederation of Australian Motorsport (as it was then, now trading as Motorsport Australia), called for commercial tenders to invest in its introduction – but none were forthcoming. So CAMS itself undertook the purchase of a fleet of cars and the investment in the series.

In what is seen as the organisation’s biggest mistake ever, F4 never really took off. At the end of 2019, the cars were sold off – some overseas, some local – with an overall loss of $3million said to have been incurred by CAMS’ investment.

Australian James Piszcyk racing at Thruxton in British F4. Photo by JEP / LAT Images

Now it is set to return, this time using another organisation’s cars – but with the endorsement of Motorsport Australia.

At a time when Australian single-seater categories such as S5000, the low-cost (earlier model F3/F4/TRS) Formula Open series, and even Formula Ford, need the support and backing of the governing body, the re-birth of FIA Formula 4 – especially given the past experience – supporting an overseas promoter, is likely to prove contentious.

It was the creation of the UAE FIA F4 series, on a clashing timeline, which led to a fall in overseas interest in NZ’s long-standing and previously very successful TRS series (now known as Regional F3) earlier this year.

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