For over 50 years British motorsport has led the field when it comes to nurturing young talent from around the world. Single-seater racers from Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia have all plied their trade in the UK with the very best reaching the summit of Formula 1.
In 2022, the UK will again be the main destination for the stars of the future, as the F4 British Championship undergoes an exciting overhaul with a new chassis and engine partner in Tatuus and Abarth. With a new vision for the series, underpinned with promotion and organisation by Motorsport UK, the championship will continue the long-established tradition of attracting the best talent from around the world.
When Emerson Fittipaldi first came to England in the late 1960s, it started a trend for international drivers to race on UK shores. In subsequent decades, future Formula 1 World Champions Ayrton Senna from Brazil, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen from Finland and Grand Prix winners Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia), Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) all left their homeland to compete against the very best young talent.
With an influx of drivers from around the world, the UK racing scene quickly established itself as the primary goal for aspiring racers who learnt from the experts in the art of setting-up a race car in the junior formulae and competing on some of the most challenging circuits on the globe.
With the new-look F4 British Championship certified by FIA awarding 12 Super Licence points to the overall winner, it will ensure the UK continues to lead the way for future champions seeking to progress up the globally recognised FIA single-seater ladder.
With 30 races over 10 weekends as part of the British Touring Car Championship package, the revamped F4 British Championship will be headed-up with leading teams and drivers, boosted by high-profile, live television coverage.
With the brand-new Gen2 Tatuus chassis, complete with FIA-mandated safety halo and 180hp Abarth engine, tuned by specialists NBE, the new-for-2022 F4 car will be one of the most competitive machines for karters wishing to graduate into single-seaters. In addition, the F4 British Championship is the only single-seater series open to 15-year-olds.
Motorsport UK will organise the F4 British Championship for the next three years. With the introduction of the second-generation Formula 4 car, the series is perfectly positioned to be an affordable and recognised step between karting and the FIA Formula Regional Championships leading to F3, F2 and the prize goal of Formula 1.
As the F4 British Championship is certified by the FIA, as well as offering 12 Super Licence points, the champion will also by presented with their title-winning trophy at the FIA Prize Giving Gala, which includes all the other FIA championships at the end of the year.
In addition, Motorsport UK will work closely with stakeholders and Young Driver Academies within the motorsport industry and in Formula 1 to ensure entrants have real prospects for progression in the sport and into higher-level international series. The question now is which driver on the 2022 F4 British Championship grid will become a future legend in the world of international motorsport?
