Italian Formula 4 Championship is the first formula racing series regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural season was the 2014 Italian F4 Championship, effectively replacing the Formula Abarth.
 | |
| Category | FIA Formula 4 |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Europe |
| Inaugural season | 2014 |
| Constructors | Tatuus |
| Engine suppliers | Abarth |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion |  Freddie Slater |
| Teams' champion |  Prema Racing |
| Official website | Official website |
 Current season | |
The Italian F4 championship is regarded as amongst the most competitive of the national/regional F4 championships.[1] Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, Mick Schumacher, Jack Doohan, and Zhou Guanyu have since driven in Formula One, and numerous Italian F4 drivers have had professional careers in other series.
History
editGerhard Berger and the FIA Singleseater Commission launched the FIA Formula 4 in March 2013.[2] The goal of the Formula 4 is to make the ladder to Formula 1 more transparent.
The Italian Formula 4 was the first FIA Formula 4 championship to be launched. The Italian championship was launched by the ACI-CSAI on December 12, 2013.[3]
WSK Promotions, well known for its kart races in the WSK Euro Series e.a., was contracted to promote the championship.[4]
Cars
editItalian race car constructor Tatuus was contracted to design and build all the cars.[5] Tatuus had also built all the cars for the Formula Abarth. The chassis is a monocoque made of carbon fibre.
The engine is a 1400cc Fiat-FPT.[6] This is the same engine used in the Formula Abarth between 2010 and 2013. It is detuned to fit the FIA Formula 4 regulations to 160 hp (120 kW), down from the original 180 hp (130 kW).
Starting from 2022, Tatuus F4-T421 have been used instead of Tatuus F4-T014.
Costs
editThe original goal of Formula 4 was to keep total costs for competitors under 100,000€ (in 2014) per season, but as of 2024 typical costs in the Italian championship far exceed this figure. One 2022 estimate put the season cost of competition at "upwards of 250,000€", one of the most expensive F4 series globally.[7]
The costs of competition in feeder series are typically met by either competitors families or wealthy benefactors, without an immediate commercial return for any funds provided.[8]
Champions
editDrivers
edit| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 331 | Race 15 of 21 | 94 | ||
| 2015 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 331 | Race 18 of 21 | 108 | ||
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 231 | Race 20 of 21 | 15 | ||
| 2017 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 283 | Race 19 of 21 | 36 | ||
| 2018 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 303 | Race 21 of 21 | 21 | ||
| 2019 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 9 | 369 | Race 18 of 21 | 136 | ||
| 2020 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 284 | Race 18 of 21 | 76 | ||
| 2021 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 343 | Race 18 of 21 | 111 | ||
| 2022 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 362 | Race 18 of 20 | 104 | ||
| 2023 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 315 | Race 20 of 21 | 35 | ||
| 2024 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 383 | Race 17 of 21 | 161 |
Teams
edit| Season | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 31 | 303 | Race 15 of 21 | 58 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 7 | 339 | Race 19 of 21 | 35 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 9 | 439.5 | Race 19 of 21 | 43.5 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 565 | Race 18 of 21 | 89 | |
| 2018 | 13 | 12 | 28 | 8 | 667 | Race 19 of 21 | 187 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 12 | 24 | 10 | 576 | Race 21 of 21 | 28 | |
| 2020 | 15 | 6 | 24 | 8 | 596 | Race 21 of 21 | 101 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 13 | 23 | 4 | 585 | Race 18 of 21 | 102 | |
| 2022 | 19 | 16 | 38 | 19 | 800 | Race 18 of 21 | 289 | |
| 2023 | 10 | 12 | 40 | 9 | 791 | Race 17 of 21 | 245 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 16 | 30 | 12 | 763 | Race 17 of 21 | 221 |
Winter Trophy
edit| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins (Trophy) | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2 | 1 (2) | 2 | 1 | 38 | Race 1 of 2 | 0 |
Trophy
editIn the concurrent Italian F4 Trophy for drivers over the age of 18.
| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins (Trophy) | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 8 | 6 (17) | 17 | 6 | 406 | Race 12 of 21 | 176 | ||
| 2015 | 0 | 9 (21) | 17 | 1 | 337 | Race 17 of 21 | 28 |
Woman Trophy
edit| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins (Trophy) | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 343 | Race 17 of 21 | 112 | ||
| 2016 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 400 | Race 11 of 21 | N/A | ||
| 2019 | 0 | 17 | 19 | 0 | 400 | Race 13 of 21 | 271 | ||
| 2020 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 375 | Race 12 of 21 | N/A | ||
| 2021 | 0 | 11 | 20 | 0 | 437 | Race 21 of 21 | 43 | ||
| 2022 | 0 | 18 | 20 | 0 | 400 | Race 20 of 20 | 91 | ||
| 2023 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 310 | Race 20 of 20 | 9 |
Rookie Class
editThe result of the championship was decided by different standings. Wins and points of the rookie standings are present in brackets.
| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins (rookie) | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points (rookie) | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | 1 (8) | 7 | 3 | 140 (247.5) | Race 20 of 21 | 40 | ||
| 2017 | 0 | 1 (19) | 2 | 4 | 185 (400) | Race 16 of 21 | 107 | ||
| 2018 | 0 | 0 (11) | 6 | 3 | 182 (365) | Race 18 of 21 | 22 | ||
| 2019 | 1 | 2 (9) | 8 | 0 | 226 (348) | Race 18 of 21 | 87 | ||
| 2020 | 8 | 4 (6) | 12 | 2 | 284 (318) | Race 19 of 21 | 67 | ||
| 2021 | 0 | 1 (6) | 4 | 0 | 103 (240) | Race 21 of 21 | 1 | ||
| 2022 | 14 | 13 (14) | 15 | 14 | 362 (378) | Race 18 of 20 | 97 | ||
| 2023 | 4 | 6 (8) | 10 | 3 | 263.5 (322.5) | Race 18 of 20 | 15.5 | ||
| 2024 | 1 | 0 (10) | 6 | 0 | 176 (343) | Race 21 of 21 | 15 |
Drivers graduated to F2
edit- Bold denotes an active Formula 2 driver.
- Gold background denotes Italian F4 champion.
Circuits
edit- Bold denotes a circuit will be used in the 2024 season.
| Number | Circuits | Rounds | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15[a] | 2014–present | |
| 2 | 12[b] | 2014–present | |
| 3 | 11 | 2014–present | |
| 11 | 2014–present | ||
| 5 | 10[c] | 2015–present | |
| 6 | 5 | 2014–2018 | |
| 7 | 4 | 2019–2022 | |
| 4 | 2018, 2021, 2023–2024 | ||
| 9 | 2 | 2022–2023 | |
| 10 | 1 | 2014 | |
| 1 | 2019 | ||
| 1 | 2024 |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Series, Feeder (2023-02-25). "From F4 to F1: The feeder series ladder explained". Feeder Series. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "FIA reveals Formula 4 plan". Autosport. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "The Italian Formula 4 Championship at the starting blocks". ACI-CSAI. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "WSK to promote the Italian F4 Championship". Italian Formula 4 Championship. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Formula 4 to feature a Tatuus chassis". Italian Formula 4 Championship. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Formula 4 powered by Abarth". Italian Formula 4 Championship. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ Gascoigne, Roger (2022-01-07). "The new F4 series aiming to boost single-seater racing in central Europe". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ Series, Feeder (2022-03-15). "Scholarship solution for broken feeder series ladder? Prema and Trident bosses answer". Feeder Series. Retrieved 2024-12-11.