 | |
| Category | Single seaters |
|---|---|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Inaugural season | 1976 |
| Folded | 2014 |
| Constructors | Mygale, Sinter |
| Engine suppliers | Ford |
| Tyre suppliers | Dunlop Tyres,Hankook |
| Last Drivers' champion |  Jayde Kruger |
| Last Teams' champion | JTR |
TheBritish Formula Ford Championship was an entry-levelsingle seatermotor racing category, designed to give racing drivers their first step into car racing afterkarting. Drivers from around the world were attracted to theUnited Kingdom to compete in the series, and successfulFormula One drivers such asAyrton Senna andJenson Button won their first single-seater titles in the championship. The championship was run to variousFormula Ford regulations over the years, based on the engines provided for the championship byFord Motor Company. These engine based regulations/specifications include theFord Kent engine,Ford Zetec engine,Ford Duratec engine and in the final years theFord EcoBoost engine.
From the 2015 season onwards, the championship was replaced byMSA Formula, which conforms to the FIA's newFormula 4 regulations. Many of the teams and drivers which competed in the final season of British Formula Ford moved to the new series.
Although the first British Formula Ford Championship was not held until 1976, Formula Ford's roots are firmly situated in the British racing scene. The first Formula Ford race was held atBrands Hatch in 1967 and was the precursor to the birth of the domestic championship. The first British Formula Ford Championship, held in 1976, was the original Formula Ford Championship which gave birth to many others over the years, including successful championships inAustralia andNew Zealand.[1]
The championship started out with the 1600ccFord Kent engine and continued to use it untilFord introduced its newer, more powerful 1800ccFord Zetec engine. Although this engine change didn't affect the other technical regulations, which still called for steelspace frames which were much more economical to build and run compared to theircarbon fiber counterparts, the increased engine power accelerated chassis development, causing many of the smaller manufacturers to stop producing cars, resulting in fewer constructors represented in the championship.[2] The Zetec regulations lasted only 12 years up until theFord Duratec engine was introduced in 2006, providing better handling and power due to its lighter weight even though the specification had returned to 1600cc engines.[1]
The biggest changes to the championship came in2012 when the latestFord EcoBoost engine and specification was adopted as the main championship. The EcoBoost car marks a substantial change in the direction of Formula Ford racing as it introduces both smaller capacityTurbocharged petrol engines and for the first time asequential gearbox.[2]
The championship currently allows two specification ofFormula Ford car to race: the current generation EcoBoost car and the previous generation Duratec car. The championship is multi-chassis, featuring manufacturers such asVan Diemen andMygale. To help keep costs low, cars are made from steel, as opposed to the more exotic carbon fibre commonly found in higher categories of racing. The Duratec cars were introduced in 2006, when all the cars in the series were required to use the 1600ccNaturally aspiratedFord Duratec engine which replaced theFord Kent engine that had been used since the championships inception. Beginning in2012, the EcoBoost class was introduced to run as the premier class alongside a secondary class for the aging Duratec cars. The EcoBoost class utilises Ford's latestEcoBoost engine which provides greater power thanks to the introduction of aTurbo Charger. The chassis however remains a steelspace frame rather than thecarbon fibreMonocoque found in other formulae.[3]
From 2015 onwards, the MSA Formula will useFormula 4 regulations.Mygale will continue to provide the carbon-fibre monocoque chassis (As opposed to theTatuus supplied chassis used inBRDC F4. The engine will be aFord 1.6LEcoBoost engine as used in the more modern Formula Ford cars, tuned to a maximum of 160 PS. All engines will be tuned by the same race engine preparer, in an attempt to reduce costs. Similarly, all tyres will be provided byHankook. Sadev will provide the sequential paddle shift transmission and data logging system.
From 2013, the championship is composed of 30 rounds held at ten events in support of theBritish Touring Car Championship.[4] Both EcoBoost and Duratec classes compete in the same races as each other. Drivers who have competed in less than 4 junior formula races in the past are eligible to compete for the Rookie Cup, whilst both Teams and Constructors have separate championships for themselves. The Nations Cup is awarded to the highest placed registered driver from each country excluding UK.[3] In 2015, the series will again run 30 rounds at ten events in support of theBTCC, despite becoming theMSA Formula.
A 20-minute qualifying session is used to decide the grid for all the weekend's races. The drivers fastest lap decides the grid for race one, their second fastest time decides the grid for race two and their third fastest time, the grid for race three. All three races will be run over 15 miles.[3]
Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race as well as the driver setting the fastest lap using the following system:
| Main Class, Teams Cup & Nations Cup points systems.[5] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | Others | Fastest lap | ||
| 30 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Scholarship Class points system.[5] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | Others | Fastest lap | ||||||||
| 20 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Constructors Cup points system.[5] | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |||||||||||||
| 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||
Such was the popularity of the formula in the UK over its history; there is an abundance of second hand chassis from previous generations of the championship. This has led to the formation of several other national and club level championships within the UK catering for legacy chassis, engines and cars.
TheFormula Ford Festival is an annual meeting ofFord poweredsingle seat racing cars which is held at the end of the British racing season, at theBrands Hatch motor racing circuit in the county ofKent, inSouthern England. The events are held over the course of a weekend and although various classes of past and present Formula Fords are present, the high point for many is the championship in which young but skilled drivers from Ford competitions in Europe and beyond race against one another. Often it is a rare chance to compare the skills of drivers who take part in different Ford competitions around the world. The event is administered by theBritish Racing and Sports Car Club.
