The FIA has announced a switch to Formula Regional cars from the F3 machinery from 2024 Macau GP onward to make it more accessible.
Formula Regional cars are set for debut in the FIA’s most prestigious single-event competition in junior single-seater racing, the FIA FR World Cup, traditionally held at the renowned Guia Circuit as part of the Macau Grand Prix.
From this year onwards, the FIA’s single-seater competition held as part of the event will be reserved for Formula Regional cars, making the event even more accessible than ever, opening it up to a broad pool of potential drivers competing at regional level.
Launched in 2018, Formula Regional bridges the gap between various national Formula 4 series and the global FIA Formula 3 Championship, which is held on the support bill of selected Formula 1 grands prix.
There are currently five different FIA-certified Formula Regional series being held around the world (Americas, European, Japanese, Middle East and Oceania) and there are approximately 92 Formula Regional drivers racing worldwide in 2024.
Formula Regional cars will co-headline the 71st running of the Macau Grand Prix along with GT3 machinery taking part in the FIA GT World Cup in an event held from 14-17 November at the famous 6.120-kilometre street circuit.
FIA-sanctioned races returned to the renowned Asian street circuit in 2023 after a three-year hiatus and following a three-way agreement between the FIA, Macau’s FIA member club, Automobile General Association Macao-China (AAMC), and the Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee.
Francois Sicard, FIA Single-Seater Strategy & Operations Director, said: “Bringing Formula Regional cars to Macau for the FIA World Cup is a natural consequence of the evolution of the junior single-seater landscape over the last couple of years and is a logical step in the pyramid. Macau’s Formula 3 race has built its legendary reputation as an event that gathered the best junior racers from national series around the world at what is the world’s most challenging street circuit. A move to Formula Regional machinery very much revives that spirit and is an optimal long-term solution for the FIA-sanctioned single-seater competition in Macau.”
[Note: The story is as per press release]