New Formula Regional Australia championship coming in 2025
There will be another open wheel option for young racers with Formula Regional Australia arriving in 2025.
Formula Regional Australia has been given the green light by Motorsport Australia to begin next year.
The current Australian Formula Open promotor Tim Macrow has teamed up with Formula Regional Oceania organisers in New Zealand to ensure current-spec TRS FT-60 cars can race on both sides of the Tasman.
The cars are currently seen competing in the Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship held in New Zealand each summer, which has been won by the likes of Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Matt Payne and Thomas Randle.
No calendar is confirmed, but the cars will be available in Australia from February to October before returning to New Zealand.
The majority of the current spec cars are coming from Highlands Motorsport Park, while two Tatuus T318 cars are already in Australia owned by Tim Macrow Racing. Others from around the world are eligible to enter.
Local teams already expressing interest include Tim Macrow Racing, Volante Rosso, Gilmour Racing, EvansGP and Team BRM
An Invitational Class will also form part of the FRA platform for earlier generation Formula Regional and Toyota Racing Series (TRS) racecars, like the FT-50 currently competing in AFO2.
The current spec TRS FT-60 cars are powered by either a Toyota 8AR-FTS, two-litre, turbocharged, direct injection, 285hp or ATM AR-F3R –270hp, 1742cc, 4-cylinder turbocharged Alfa Romeo 1750 TBi.
The Australian championship will receive support in the form of technical advisors supplied by Alfa Romeo and Toyota NZ.
Formula Regional Australia promises to provide aspiring young open-wheel racers around the country with another opportunity in the pathway system.
It follows the return of the Australian F4 Championship, which was brought back to life this year, while the Australian Formula Open has been taking place for four seasons.
Formula Regional is the second step on the FIA Global Pathway from karting to Formula 1 behind Formula 4 and now both of those first options are available in Australia from 2025.
“When the Australian F3 Championship ended in 2022, there was nowhere for them to race so we created AFO so as a home for any driver with an open-wheeler to compete because we believe in formula racing,” said Macrow.
“But if we’re to support young drivers in getting the best start to a career overseas, with the best safety standards and technical support, moving to a platform like Formula Regional is what drivers and their parents, plus our partners are asking for.
“We’re grateful for the alliance with Formula Regional Oceania which believes in what we’re trying to do for young drivers in Australia. It works out perfectly logistically and operationally for both series to work together and it maximises the opportunities for drivers in this part of the world to get relevant race miles before progressing further internationally.”
Some race teams such as Volante Rosso and Gilmour Racing have already welcomed the news.
“It’s great to have a clear ladder structure now in junior open-wheel racing in Australia and FRA will be perfect for the development of young drivers here,” said Papadopoulos.
“From karting through F4 to FRA, drivers will be able to develop their race craft further than ever before, before heading to the USA or Europe or even going up classes still in Australia.
“We’re excited to see Formula Regional Australia come to fruition. Having experience from everything between karting and F1, I personally see great potential in FRA among the Australian motorsport landscape.”
“We’ve always been huge supporters of open-wheeler racing in Australia and we will continue to support any category that can help develop young driver talent in this country,” said Matt Gilmour.
“Gilmour Racing is supportive of FRA in 2025 and we’ll certainly use the opportunity in our pathways options as another useful tool for driver development here on home soil.”
Further category information including calendar and entry fee structure will be available in the coming weeks. To register interest email [email protected]
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