The questions posed by British F4's imminent shake-up

It’s been a long time since there’s been so much change to the top rungs of junior single-seaters in the UK at the same point. The developments for 2022 mark arguably the greatest upheaval since 2013, when British Formula Ford broke with tradition and became a slicks-and-wings category as it returned to the British Touring Car support bill and Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision organisation launched BRDC F4, which proved to be a hit at a time when the original British F3 was in its final, ailing throes and Formula Renault UK had recently met its demise.

Change was always on the cards for next year with the second-generation FIA F4 machines finally coming on stream. But the alterations are far more extensive than just a new car for British F4 – the series that emerged from British FFord.

GB3, the new name for what was once BRDC F4, is also getting a new car and then GB4 is a new series on the scene, created by Palmer to offer a more affordable option for young drivers using the now-redundant current FIA F4 Tatuus machinery. Got all that?

It is far too early to say exactly what the final picture will be from this web of changes. Instead, this column is looking at the situation in British F4, which – while keeping the same name – is in effect going to be a new championship from 2022.

Out is long-standing promoter RacingLine, engine supplier Ford (and its sizeable cash injection), organising club the British Racing and Sports Car Club, and chassis supplier Mygale. Instead, in comes British motorsport governing body Motorsport UK as organiser, Abarth as engine supplier and Tatuus as the car provider.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, such a vast altering of the landscape has caused frustration in some quarters, particularly at the way it was handled. For example, BRSCC chairman Peter Daly has described a lack of communication over the ending of his club’s involvement as being the “height of bad manners”.

Significant changes are coming next year that extend beyond the change of chassis and engine supplier

Photo by: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Now, it must be stressed that it is great to see the governing body taking a more proactive approach to one of the most significant categories in this country. It’s also very sensible that Motorsport UK has used the introduction of the new car as a catalyst to assess other aspects of the British championship to try to make it the undisputed number one destination for aspiring F1 racers, rather than categories in Italy and Germany.

And it was a shrewd move to put Karun Chandhok in charge of that evaluation as someone who moved to the UK to compete, has a vast understanding of the different levels of motorsport and a well-stocked contacts book.

And, yes, it does make sense for the British championship to align with its European counterparts and adopt the popular Tatuus-Abarth combination. But that comes at a price – and not just an increase in costs for drivers.

There is also some unease about the governing body entering the sphere of championship organisation and, in effect, pitting itself against clubs. It has to be noted that, in many countries, the governing body is indeed the promoter of leading categories. But the UK’s national racing scene is not like that of ‘many countries’

With no Ford investment, it is imperative that Motorsport UK now finds a commercial partner to plug some of the funding shortfall. CEO Hugh Chambers says “the elite pathway does fuel UK motorsport” and he is right that the trickle-down effect from the top levels to the grassroots is significant.

But does that mean UK licence holders should be underwriting a championship that has no direct relevance to a hillclimb competitor, for example? They certainly should not be putting all the money in and that is why it’s so important external funding is found.

There is also some unease about the governing body entering the sphere of championship organisation and, in effect, pitting itself against clubs. It has to be noted that, in many countries, the governing body is indeed the promoter of leading categories. But the UK’s national racing scene is not like that of ‘many countries’. The enormity of the number of competitors and series means clubs play a significant role and that should not be overlooked.

But the most significant issue currently is the lack of information surrounding the new series. Over a month has passed since the announcement of Tatuus and Abarth but, since then, there has been nothing. And that is not a conducive environment for a series Chambers wants to be the “best F4 championship in the world”.

MSUK's Chambers is excited by F4 project, but there are still some key missing details

Photo by: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Autosport is aware of several teams set to join the party next year, but others are hesitant to commit when there is so little confirmed information. And there is simply no excuse for this – after all, generation two of F4 has been on the cards for a long time.

Chambers talks of the key building blocks of the TOCA package, chassis/engine partner and the technical team, but the significant parts go far beyond these. It is also worth remembering that, when F4 first came to Britain, 12 teams bought cars – and even more put down deposits.

Overall, there may be uncertainty, but this is still a time of great potential. There are some intriguing plans for the series, not yet announced, and a greater focus on links with F1 academies and the karting community could yield some very strong results. Chambers himself describes the revamp of British F4 as “the most exciting” of the projects he is working on.

However, Motorsport UK still has some convincing to do to prove, as one team boss has put it, that it is not being “naive” over its new role.

MSUK has yet to win over all quarters as it prepares to take over the series' promotion next year

Photo by: Jakob Ebrey Photography