SMP F4 Championship

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.

SMP F4 Championship
CategoryFIA Formula 4
CountryRussia and Finland
RegionNorthern Europe
Folded2019
ConstructorsTatuus
Engine suppliersAbarth
Tyre suppliersHankook
Last Drivers' championRussia Pavel Bulantsev
Official websitesmpf4championship.com

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] There is a plan to revive the championship in 2023 with three stages.[2]

History

Gerhard Berger and the FIA Singleseater Commission launched the FIA Formula 4 in March 2013.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] 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,[6] 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.[7]
  3. 2019 SMP F4 Championship all cars are run by Russian team SMP Racing and technical support from SMP Racing

Circuits
Number Circuits Rounds Years
1 Russia Moscow Raceway 8[lower-alpha 1] 2015–2019
2 Finland Ahvenisto Race Circuit 4 2015–2018
3 Russia Sochi Autodrom 3 2015–2017
Finland Alastaro Circuit 3 2015, 2018–2019
Estonia Auto24ring 3[lower-alpha 2] 2015, 2017
Russia Smolensk Ring 3 2017–2019
7 Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort 2[lower-alpha 3] 2016
Netherlands Assen Circuit 2 2017–2018
Russia NRING Circuit 2 2018–2019
Russia Autodrom Moscow 2 2018–2019
11 Sweden Anderstorp Raceway 1 2016
Russia Kazan Ring 1 2019
Russia Fort Grozny Autodrom 1 2019

Notes
  1. Moscow Raceway hosted 2 rounds in 2015–2017.
  2. Auto24ring hosted 2 rounds in 2015.
  3. Circuit Zandvoort hosted 2 rounds in 2016.

References
  1. "СМП РСКГ-2019: БОЛЬШЕ ГОНОК, БОЛЬШЕ ПИЛОТОВ!". 8 April 2019.
  2. "Календарь СМП РСКГ Формула в 2023 году состоит из трех этапов". 9 February 2023.
  3. "FIA reveals Formula 4 plan". Autosport. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  4. Allen, Peter (22 July 2014). "Koiranen announces new F4 series for North Europe". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  5. Allen, Peter (8 January 2016). "Dutch F4 concept to form part of SMP series from 2016". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  6. Wood, Elliot (14 February 2018). "SMP trio named among first drivers for 2018 F4 NEZ season". formulascout.com. Formula Scout. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  7. "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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