SMP F4 Championship

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SMP F4 Championship
SMP F4 Championship logo.png
CategoryFIA Formula 4
CountryRussia and Finland
RegionNorthern Europe
Inaugural season2015
ConstructorsTatuus
Engine suppliersAbarth
Tyre suppliersHankook
Drivers' championRussia Pavel Bulantsev
Official websitesmpf4championship.com
Motorsport current event.svg Current season

The SMP F4 Championship (also known as the F4 NEZ Championship by SMP Racing) was a racing series regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations. It was based in the FIA's North European Zone and the Netherlands, and was only open to drivers from these countries. The inaugural season was the 2015 SMP F4 Championship.

After the 2019 season SMP Formula 4 Championship lost FIA certification. The series was relocated to Russia as a support series for the Russian Circuit Racing Series. The drivers competes for Cup of Russian Automobile Federation.[1]

History[]

Gerhard 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 One more transparent. Besides sporting and technical regulations, costs are regulated too. A car to compete in this category may not exceed €30,000 in purchase. A single season in Formula 4 may not exceed €100,000 in costs. The SMP F4 was the one of the second phase Formula 4 championship to be launched. The first phase championships was the Italian F4 Championship and the Formula 4 Sudamericana which started in 2014. The SMP championship was launched by SMP Racing, the Russian Automobile Federation, Koiranen GP and AKK-Motorsport on 22 July 2014.[3] Italian race car constructor Tatuus was contracted to design and build all the cars.

The championship expanded out of the FIA North European Zone for its second season. Following the failure to establish a separate Formula 4 championship in the Benelux region, it incorporated two rounds in the Netherlands, and awarded a Dutch Formula 4 Trophy for these two rounds plus a standalone Formula 4 Festival.[4] MP Motorsport also operated cars alongside Koiranen GP, which ran all drivers in the inaugural season. The championship split, with Koiranen GP leaving from 2019. Koiranen GP creating Formula Academy Finland in 2018,[5] continues as the promoter Formula Academy Finland. SMP F4 Championship continue operate SMP Racing, the Russian Automobile Federation.

Car[]

See also: Tatuus F4-T014

The championship featured Tatuus-designed and built cars. The cars were constructed out of carbon fibre and featured a monocoque chassis. The engine was a 1.4 turbo Abarth. This is the same engine as in the Italian F4 Championship.

Champions[]

Season Driver Team Poles Wins Podiums Fastest laps Points Clinched Margin
2015 Finland Niko Kari N/A[note 1] 4 7 19 9 449 Race 18 of 21 153
2016 Netherlands Richard Verschoor N/A[note 2] 10 11 16 9 339 Race 17 of 20 69
2017 Denmark Christian Lundgaard Netherlands MP Motorsport 7 10 14 10 292 Race 18 of 21 74
2018 Finland Konsta Lappalainen Finland Kart in Club Driving Academy 4 7 15 4 316 Race 21 of 21 41
2019 Russia Pavel Bulantsev Russia SMP Racing[note 3] 9 5 11 5 254 Race 13 of 13 30

Notes[]

  1. ^ The championship had not official dividing for the teams.
  2. ^ The championship had not official dividing for the teams but it is understood that his car had got a technical support from MP Motorsport.[6]
  3. ^ 2019 SMP F4 Championship all cars are run by Russian team SMP Racing and technical support from SMP Racing

Circuits[]

Number Countries, Circuits Years
1 Russia Sochi Autodrom 2015-2017
2 Russia NRING Circuit 2018-2019
3 Russia Smolensk Ring 2017-2019
4 Finland Ahvenisto Race Circuit 2015-2018
5 Russia Autodrom Moscow 2018-2019
6 Russia Moscow Raceway 2015-2019
7 Finland Alastaro Circuit 2015, 2018-2019
8 Estonia Auto24ring 2015, 2017
9 Netherlands Circuit Park Zandvoort 2016
10 Netherlands Assen Circuit 2017-2018
11 Sweden Anderstorp Raceway 2016
12 Russia Kazan Ring 2019
13 Russia Grozny Autodrom 2019

References[]

  1. ^ "СМП РСКГ-2019: БОЛЬШЕ ГОНОК, БОЛЬШЕ ПИЛОТОВ!". 8 April 2019.
  2. ^ "FIA reveals Formula 4 plan". Autosport. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. ^ Allen, Peter (22 July 2014). "Koiranen announces new F4 series for North Europe". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  4. ^ Allen, Peter (8 January 2016). "Dutch F4 concept to form part of SMP series from 2016". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  5. ^ Wood, Elliot (14 February 2018). "SMP trio named among first drivers for 2018 F4 NEZ season". formulascout.com. Formula Scout. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. ^ "RICHARD VERSCHOOR KIEST VOOR SMP F4 NEZ MET KNAF EN MP MOTORSPORT". knaf.nl. Dutch. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2018.

External links[]

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