The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) reaffirmed in a statement on Friday that a new car specification – Formula Regional (FR) – “will take to the streets for the 2024 Macau Grand Prix” (MGP).
Friday’s statement was issued two days after the international motorsports body’s announcement that the MGP’s long-running Formula 3 (F3) would be replaced by the FR World Cup from this year.
The FIA said it issued Friday’s second statement on the change from F3 to FR because it wanted to “take a closer look at the FIA FR World Cup and how it will shape the history of one of motor sport’s legendary races.”
The statement said that “the unique essence of the Macau Grand Prix has always been to bring the top junior drivers from around the world together to compete in a one-off ultimate challenge.
“The event has historically been a rite of passage for some of the sport’s greatest talents, and in 2024 the next chapter of that history will be written in the FIA FR World Cup.”
According to the statement, “the switch to Formula Regional cars has been driven by a number of key factors that relate to the global landscape of junior single-seater racing. Today, the position of FIA Formula 3 has changed in the wider framework of championships, and now within the FIA single-seater pyramid the Formula Regional category essentially occupies the same position as Formula 3 Championships have done in the past.
“Formula Regional Championships – Certified by FIA, are a high-level platform that represent a key step for young drivers who are gearing up for global competition, while FIA Formula 3 now occupies a space above as an international series that supports Formula 1 races and has one consistent grid of cars.”
The statement also said that “Formula Regional has already cemented itself as a vital stepping stone for future stars.
“Former champions such as Frederic Vesti, Dino Beganovic and Kimi Antonelli have already gone on to great success in more senior categories, and a host of Formula 1 driver development programmes feature the category in their progression pathways, including the Alpine Academy, Ferrari Driver Academy, McLaren Driver Development Programme, Mercedes Junior Team, Red Bull Junior Team, Sauber Academy and Williams Driver Academy.
“With such attention from the very pinnacle of motor sport, there’s no doubting the importance the FIA FR World Cup will hold in the landscape of junior competition.”
The FIA also said in its statement that “when looking at maximising the appeal of the FIA FR World Cup, we considered the benefit that there are multiple Formula Regional competitions taking place across Asia, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East and Europe, providing a wider pool of potential drivers and teams who could compete in Macau.
The statement concluded that “finally, in terms of car performance, Formula Regional cars are well suited to the challenges of Macau’s incredible Guia Circuit.
“They are similar in performance to the FIA Formula 3 cars of the previous homologation cycle – there have of course been many different iterations of junior single-seater cars that have raced in the Macau Grand Prix, and we are confident that the FIA FR World Cup will provide another thrilling spectacle when the cars take to the track in November”.
The FIA announcement has resulted in a mixed bag of reactions in Macau. For instance, local racing driver Charles Leong Hon-chio told public broadcaster TDM last week that the switch from F3 to FR cars was the right one as the new generation of F3 cars was too fast and, consequently, too dangerous for the Guia Circuit, while local Patua playwright-cum-lawyer Miguel de Senna Fernandes told the broadcaster that the switch was a “hard blow” to Macau. He also said the FIA decision had downgraded the international motor-racing image of the MGP from a “diamond” to a “glass ring”.
Formula 3 racers fighting it out during last year’s 70th Macau Grand Prix.
– Photo: Rui Pastorin
