FORMULA 4 LATEST
The new BRDC Formula 4 Championship gets underway this weekend on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit (27/28 April), and is set for a brilliant start with a full grid of 24 cars expected. The 21 drivers already confirmed come from eight different nations, with the remaining three due to be announced in the next few days.
The BRDC F4 Championship is the brainchild of MSV Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer, who was increasingly concerned at the spiralling costs and declining grid sizes in UK junior single seater racing. MSV spent nearly a year carefully establishing exactly what car specification and championship structure would be required to totally revitalise first step single seater racing in this country - and F4 was the result. The BRDC fully embraced the concept, being equally concerned that Britain’s young drivers should have an affordable but highly desirable formula in which to learn and showcase their talent. BRDC President Derek Warwick has been most supportive and actively involved in the evolution of the final concept.
The 24 MSV F4-013 cars have been built to a single specification by RFR, the company headed by Ralph Firman, who founded the legendary Van Diemen operation. The F3-style cars feature an advanced spaceframe chassis compliant with the latest FIA Article 277 safety standards, a Ford 2.0 litre Duratec engine producing 185bhp with its Cosworth engine management system, a Sadev 6 speed paddle shift gearbox and Yokohama tyres. All 24 cars were sold within less than a month.
F4 Series Director Jonathan Palmer said “I am thrilled that the BRDC F4 championship is getting off to such a superb start. To go from zero to a full grid of 24 cars for its first race proves just how much demand there was out there for the right single seater series. Our Operations Director Giles Butterfield and the rest of our MSV engineering team have worked incredibly hard with Ralph Firman to produce a stunning car that has great performance yet has slashed purchase and operating costs – that’s the challenge so many industries have to meet today.
“It is so exciting to see so much ambition amongst our F4 teams and the driver line up is incredible – F4 certainly has the greatest driver quality and numbers of any junior single seater series which means our champion will be someone very special. We clearly have an intensively competitive season ahead of us.”
All 24 races will be broadcast on ITV4 and ITV4HD in a prime time slot on the Sunday evening after each of the 8 events.
BRDC Formula 4 Championship - entries as of 22 April:
2. Malgosia Rdest, Douglas Motorsport
3. Sennan Fielding, Douglas Motorsport
5. Raoul Hyman, HHC Motorsport
6. Matthew Graham, Sean Walkinshaw Racing
7. Jake Hughes, Lanan Racing
8. Daniel Headlam, Lanan Racing
12. Pietro Fittipaldi, Mark Godwin Racing
13. Diego Menchaca, Mark Godwin Racing
14. Jake Dalton, Mark Godwin Racing
22. James Greenway, Private entry
23. Zou Sirui, Sean Walkinshaw Racing
25. Struan Moore, Hillspeed
27. Falco Wauer, Team KBS
31. Seb Morris, Hillspeed
32. Ross Gunn, Motionsport
53. Matt Bell, MattRBell Racing Team E-Lites
55. Charlie Robertson, HHC Motorsport
66. Jack Barlow, Sean Walkinshaw Racing
72. Rahul Raj Mayer, Hillspeed
77. Simon Rudd, Motionsport
TBA. Gustavo Lima, HHC Motorsport
TBA. TBA, Chris Dittmann Racing
TBA. TBA, Chris Dittmann Racing
TBA. TBA, Comtec
Silverstone timetable:
Saturday 27 April:
10.40: Qualifying
14.40: Race 1
Sunday 28 April:
11.55: Race 2
15.05: Race 3
2013 BRDC Formula 4 Championship calendar:
27/28 April – Silverstone GP
17/18/19 May – Brands Hatch Indy (supporting DTM)
15/16 June – Snetterton 300 (supporting British F3/GT)
6 July – Oulton Park International
27/28 July – Brands Hatch GP
17/18 August – Silverstone GP
7/8 September – Snetterton 300
28/29 September – Donington Park GP
To find out more about the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, visit the official website www.formula4.com
