SMP F4 Championship

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

SMP F4 Championship
CategoryFIA Formula 4
CountryRussia and Finland
RegionNorthern Europe
Inaugural season2015
ConstructorsTatuus
Engine suppliersAbarth
Tyre suppliersHankook
Drivers' champion Pavel Bulantsev
Official websitesmpf4championship.com
Current season

Since 2019 season SMP Formula 4 Championship lost the FIA certification. The series is relocated to Russia as support series for 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 will be 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 will incorporate two rounds in the Netherlands, and will award a Dutch Formula 4 Trophy for these two rounds plus a standalone Formula 4 Festival.[4] MP Motorsport will also operate cars alongside Koiranen GP, which ran all drivers in the inaugural season. The championship split 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 features Tatuus designed and built cars. The cars will be constructed out of carbon fibre and feature a monocoque chassis. The engine is 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 Niko Kari N/A[note 1] 4 7 19 9 449 Race 18 of 21 153
2016 Richard Verschoor N/A[note 2] 10 11 16 9 339 Race 17 of 20 69
2017 Christian Lundgaard MP Motorsport 7 10 14 10 292 Race 18 of 21 74
2018 Konsta Lappalainen Kart in Club Driving Academy 4 7 15 4 316 Race 21 of 21 41
2019 Pavel Bulantsev 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 Sochi Autodrom 2015, 2016, 2017
2 NRING Circuit 2018, 2019
3 Smolensk Ring 2017, 2018, 2019
4 Ahvenisto Race Circuit 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
5 Autodrom Moscow 2018, 2019
6 Moscow Raceway 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
7 Alastaro Circuit 2015, 2018, 2019
8 Auto24ring 2015, 2017
9 Circuit Park Zandvoort 2016
10 Assen Circuit 2017, 2018
11 Anderstorp Raceway 2016
12 Kazan Ring 2019
13 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.
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