The British Formula Ford Championship was an entry level
single seater motor racing
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...
category, designed to give racing drivers their first step into car racing after
karting. Drivers from around the world were attracted to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
to compete in the series, and successful
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
drivers such as
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in , , and . Senna is one of three Formula One drivers from Brazil to win the World Championship and ...
and
Jenson Button
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver. He won the 2009 Formula One World Championship when he drove for the Brawn GP team. After his F1 career, he became champion of the 2018 season of the Super G ...
won their first single-seater titles in the championship. The championship was run to various
Formula Ford
Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...
regulations over the years, based on the engines provided for the championship by
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
. These engine based regulations/specifications include the
Ford Kent engine
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia, it is an in-line four-cylinder pushrod engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.
The Kent family can be divided into th ...
,
Ford Zetec engine
Ford Motor Company used the Zetec name on a variety of inline 4-cylinder automobile engines. It was coined to replace "Zeta" on a range of 1.6 L to 2.0 L multi-valve engines introduced in 1991 because Ford was threatened with legal acti ...
,
Ford Duratec engine
Duratec is a brand name of the Ford Motor Company used for the company's range of gasoline-powered four-cylinder, five-cylinder and six-cylinder passenger car engines.
The original 1993 Duratec V6 engine was designed by Ford and Porsche. Ford ...
and in the final years the
Ford EcoBoost engine
EcoBoost is a series of turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engines produced by Ford and originally co-developed by FEV Inc. (now named FEV North America Inc.). EcoBoost engines are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with th ...
.
From the 2015 season onwards, the championship was replaced by
MSA Formula
F4 British Championship (full name ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA, formerly known as F4 British Championship certified by FIA — powered by Ford (2016–21), MSA Formula (2015)) is a single-seater motorsport series based in ...
, which conforms to the FIA's new
Formula 4
FIA Formula 4, also called FIA F4, is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers. There is no global championship, but rather individual nations or regions can host their own championships in compliance with a universal set of r ...
regulations. Many of the teams and drivers which competed in the final season of British Formula Ford moved to the new series.
History
Although the first British Formula Ford Championship was not held until 1976, Formula Ford's roots are firmly situated in the British racing scene. The first Formula Ford race was held at
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
in 1967 and was the precursor to the birth of the domestic championship. The first British Formula Ford Championship, held in 1976, was the original Formula Ford Championship which gave birth to many others over the years, including successful championships in
Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
The championship started out with the 1600cc
Ford Kent engine
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia, it is an in-line four-cylinder pushrod engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.
The Kent family can be divided into th ...
and continued to use it until
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
introduced its newer, more powerful 1800cc
Ford Zetec engine
Ford Motor Company used the Zetec name on a variety of inline 4-cylinder automobile engines. It was coined to replace "Zeta" on a range of 1.6 L to 2.0 L multi-valve engines introduced in 1991 because Ford was threatened with legal acti ...
. Although this engine change didn't affect the other technical regulations, which still called for steel
space frames which were much more economical to build and run compared to their
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
counterparts, the increased engine power accelerated chassis development, causing many of the smaller manufacturers to stop producing cars, resulting in fewer constructors represented in the championship.
The Zetec regulations lasted only 12 years up until the
Ford Duratec engine
Duratec is a brand name of the Ford Motor Company used for the company's range of gasoline-powered four-cylinder, five-cylinder and six-cylinder passenger car engines.
The original 1993 Duratec V6 engine was designed by Ford and Porsche. Ford ...
was introduced in 2006, providing better handling and power due to its lighter weight even though the specification had returned to 1600cc engines.
[
The biggest changes to the championship came in ]2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
when the latest Ford EcoBoost engine
EcoBoost is a series of turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engines produced by Ford and originally co-developed by FEV Inc. (now named FEV North America Inc.). EcoBoost engines are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with th ...
and specification was adopted as the main championship. The EcoBoost car marks a substantial change in the direction of Formula Ford racing as it introduces both smaller capacity Turbocharged petrol engines Turbochargers have been used on various petrol engines since 1962, in order to obtain greater power or torque output for a given engine displacement.
Most turbocharged petrol engines use a single turbocharger; however, twin-turbo configurations are ...
and for the first time a sequential gearbox
A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditional ...
.[
]
The car
The championship currently allows two specification of Formula Ford
Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. Formula For ...
car to race: the current generation EcoBoost car and the previous generation Duratec car. The championship is multi-chassis, featuring manufacturers such as Van Diemen
Van Diemen International, Ltd. was a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, United Kingdom. The company had a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Fo ...
and Mygale
Mygale Racing Car Constructor (Mygale SARL) is a French racing car manufacturer that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. It is most notable for its Formula Ford chassis. Mygale also produces the chas ...
. To help keep costs low, cars are made from steel, as opposed to the more exotic carbon fibre commonly found in higher categories of racing. The Duratec cars were introduced in 2006, when all the cars in the series were required to use the 1600cc Naturally aspirated Ford Duratec engine
Duratec is a brand name of the Ford Motor Company used for the company's range of gasoline-powered four-cylinder, five-cylinder and six-cylinder passenger car engines.
The original 1993 Duratec V6 engine was designed by Ford and Porsche. Ford ...
which replaced the Ford Kent engine
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia, it is an in-line four-cylinder pushrod engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.
The Kent family can be divided into th ...
that had been used since the championships inception. Beginning in 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, the EcoBoost class was introduced to run as the premier class alongside a secondary class for the aging Duratec cars. The EcoBoost class utilises Ford's latest EcoBoost engine which provides greater power thanks to the introduction of a Turbo Charger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
. The chassis however remains a steel space frame rather than the carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
Monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
found in other formulae.[
From 2015 onwards, the MSA Formula will use ]Formula 4
FIA Formula 4, also called FIA F4, is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers. There is no global championship, but rather individual nations or regions can host their own championships in compliance with a universal set of r ...
regulations. Mygale
Mygale Racing Car Constructor (Mygale SARL) is a French racing car manufacturer that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. It is most notable for its Formula Ford chassis. Mygale also produces the chas ...
will continue to provide the carbon-fibre monocoque chassis (As opposed to the Tatuus
Tatuus is an Italian chassis manufacturer for a series of formula racing series, being first founded in 1980. The company is known for its association with Renault Sport for its production of the Formula Renault chassis.
History
The Tatuus c ...
supplied chassis used in BRDC F4. The engine will be a Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
1.6L EcoBoost
EcoBoost is a series of turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engines produced by Ford and originally co-developed by FEV Inc. (now named FEV North America Inc.). EcoBoost engines are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with thos ...
engine as used in the more modern Formula Ford cars, tuned to a maximum of 160 PS. All engines will be tuned by the same race engine preparer, in an attempt to reduce costs. Similarly, all tyres will be provided by Hankook
Hankook Tire & Technology (; , also known simply as Hankook and stylised ), is a South Korean tire company. Based in Seoul, Hankook is the seventh largest tire company in the world.
History
Hankook Tire was established by Jae Hun Chung's grandf ...
. Sadev will provide the sequential paddle shift transmission and data logging system.
The Championship
From 2013, the championship is composed of 30 rounds held at ten events in support of the British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as ...
. Both EcoBoost and Duratec classes compete in the same races as each other. Drivers who have competed in less than 4 junior formula races in the past are eligible to compete for the Rookie Cup, whilst both Teams and Constructors have separate championships for themselves. The Nations Cup is awarded to the highest placed registered driver from each country excluding UK. In 2015, the series will again run 30 rounds at ten events in support of the BTCC
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as ...
, despite becoming the MSA Formula
F4 British Championship (full name ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA, formerly known as F4 British Championship certified by FIA — powered by Ford (2016–21), MSA Formula (2015)) is a single-seater motorsport series based in ...
.
Weekend Format
A 20-minute qualifying session is used to decide the grid for all the weekend's races. The drivers fastest lap decides the grid for race one, their second fastest time decides the grid for race two and their third fastest time, the grid for race three. All three races will be run over 15 miles.[
]
Points system
Current points system
Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race as well as the driver setting the fastest lap using the following system:
Champions
Other UK Championships
Such was the popularity of the formula in the UK over its history; there is an abundance of second hand chassis from previous generations of the championship. This has led to the formation of several other national and club level championships within the UK catering for legacy chassis, engines and cars.
*BRSCC
The British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) is one of the major organisers of motorsport events in the United Kingdom. The club currently runs around forty track racing championships for cars as diverse as Caterham, BMWs and Mazda. Formed in B ...
Formula Ford Duratec
Duratec is a brand name of the Ford Motor Company used for the company's range of gasoline-powered four-cylinder, five-cylinder and six-cylinder passenger car engines.
The original 1993 Duratec V6 engine was designed by Ford and Porsche. Ford ...
Championship - Created at the end of 2012, the proposed championship will give a home to the previous generation Duratec class Formula Fords after the British Championship switched solely to the new EcoBoost class.
*Formula Ford 1600 Championships - Operated by the BRSCC
The British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) is one of the major organisers of motorsport events in the United Kingdom. The club currently runs around forty track racing championships for cars as diverse as Caterham, BMWs and Mazda. Formed in B ...
, this championship caters for cars built to the Kent specification, utilising the Ford Kent engine
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia, it is an in-line four-cylinder pushrod engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.
The Kent family can be divided into th ...
. Consisting of two regional and one national championship, it give opportunities for a range of drivers to showcase their talents. A two class structure based around the construction year of the chassis allows a range of different chassis to remain competitive.
*Several Club level championships are also arranged. Of note include the Monoposto Racing Club Championship'
the 750 Motor Club
750 Motor Club is a motor racing club in the UK. It was founded in 1939 to promote the sporting use of the Austin 7. '750' refers to the near-750cc Austin 7 engine. It later led to racing and the 750 Formula where specials are raced. Famous membe ...
Formula 4 championshi
the Castle Combe Circuit, Castle Combe Formula Free championshi
and the Classic Formula Ford Championship'
Formula Ford Festival
The Formula Ford Festival is an annual meeting of Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
powered Formula racing, single seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at the Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
motor racing circuit in the county of Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, in Southern England
Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes ...
. The events are held over the course of a weekend and although various classes of past and present Formula Fords are present, the high point for many is the championship in which young but skilled drivers from Ford competitions in Europe and beyond race against one another. Often it is a rare chance to compare the skills of drivers who take part in different Ford competitions around the world. The event is administered by the British Racing and Sports Car Club
The British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) is one of the major organisers of motorsport events in the United Kingdom. The club currently runs around forty track racing championships for cars as diverse as Caterham, BMWs and Mazda. Formed in B ...
.
References
External links
Official Parts Suppliers
BRSCC Formula Ford 1600 Championship website
*
{{Motorsport in the UK
Recurring sporting events established in 1976
Defunct auto racing series
Defunct sports competitions in the United Kingdom