Starting in 2027, Germany will once again enjoy its own national Formula 4 championship, in a series of seven events organized by Gedlich Racing in collaboration with the German Motorsport Federation (DMSB).
Gedlich Racing aims to leverage the growing success of its Formula Winter Series, which has been held since 2023 as a preseason alternative to F4 UAE. Unlike the Formula Winter Series, the German championship will have FIA certification, becoming the 14th in the world.
Robin Selbach, managing director of Gedlich Racing, expressed his gratitude for the support received from the DMSB in making this project a reality. “We are deeply grateful for the collaboration with the DMSB and the FIA during this long period of work,” he stated.
The seven competitions will predominantly take place as part of the DTM support package. However, according to Stefan Lehner, head of competition series at Gedlich, some additional events will be added within the framework of the ADAC Racing Weekend.
The initial calendar plans for six events at German circuits, starting in Hockenheim and passing through Lausitzring, Norisring, Oschersleben, Nurburgring, and Sachsenring. A seventh event will take place at a circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, or the Red Bull Ring, with a definitive calendar to be announced in September. All races will be broadcast live.
Each round will consist of three races and two qualifying sessions. In addition to earning points for the super license, drivers will compete for cash prizes of 500,000 euros, which will be paid unusually in gold.
The F4 Germany championship will draw inspiration from the model of other European competitions, except in France, with multiple teams using Tatuus chassis, Abarth engines from Autotecnica Motori, and Pirelli tires. This structure will facilitate teams competing simultaneously in other championships, such as those in Italy, Central Europe, Spain, or the United Kingdom.
Currently, the F4 category presents very healthy participant grids across Europe, with the Italian and Central European championships competing in series with eliminations and finals to manage the high number of entries, indicating a demand for a new series.
The previous ADAC championship existed from 2015 to 2022 but disappeared due to rising costs and the increasing dominance of Italian F4, leaving a void in the single-seater formula landscape in the country.
During its prime, the ADAC F4 competed with Italy to be the strongest championship in Europe, with prominent drivers such as Theo Pourchaire, Oliver Bearman, and Kimi Antonelli among its champions.
The president of the FIA Single-Seater Commission, Emanuele Pirro, has welcomed this new initiative: “There was an obvious gap between Germany’s active karting scene and the international single-seater pyramid. The FIA-certified German F4 Championship closes this gap.”
The return of F4 to Germany will help revive a tradition that has produced many champions in the past and foster the new generation of talent in the motorsport world.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI