After announcing their partnership in May, iRacing and the FIA take things to the next level with their Formula 4 collaboration: Starting with Season 4 of 2023, the F4 Esports Regional Tour makes its debut, drawing inspiration from the real regional series.
Image credit: iRacing/FIA
Since its introduction in 2014, the real Formula 4 hosts numerous national and regional championships around the world. Six chassis and six engine manufacturers are homologated for F4 machinery, with equalization applied to ensure a level playing field for competitors.
The new iRacing format will be divided into four regions, two for Europe, and one each for the Americas and the Asia/Pacific region. Servers will be hosted in their corresponding regions, but racers are free to join any of the events they like. They are limited, however: Races will take place each Wednesday and Thursday, using 7, 9 and 11 pm time slots in a time zone of a respective region.
iRacing and the FIA take their Formula 4 collaboration to the next level with the FIA F4 Esports Regional Tour. Image credit: iRacing
Likewise, FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis is looking forward to the series: "It Is great to see that the collaboration between the FIA and iRacing is continuing to develop. The FIA F4 Esports Regional Tour will bring virtual and real-world racing even closer together, and encourage the global development of new talents through close competition, which is exactly wha the Formula 4 Championships are doing."
Alongside Kern County, a current-day version of Zandvoort is on its way for Season 4. The Dutch Grand Prix venue is one of the oldest European tracks in iRacing, so the much-needed modernization brings the circuit up to an appropriate standard while also introducing changes like the banked final turn that were implemented ahead of Formula One's return in 2021.
What do you think about the F4 series and the Kern County video? Let us know in the comments below!
Image credit: iRacing/FIA
Since its introduction in 2014, the real Formula 4 hosts numerous national and regional championships around the world. Six chassis and six engine manufacturers are homologated for F4 machinery, with equalization applied to ensure a level playing field for competitors.
The new iRacing format will be divided into four regions, two for Europe, and one each for the Americas and the Asia/Pacific region. Servers will be hosted in their corresponding regions, but racers are free to join any of the events they like. They are limited, however: Races will take place each Wednesday and Thursday, using 7, 9 and 11 pm time slots in a time zone of a respective region.
iRacing and the FIA take their Formula 4 collaboration to the next level with the FIA F4 Esports Regional Tour. Image credit: iRacing
"An Amazing Step"
iRacing President Tony Gardner is excited about the prospect of the F4 Esports Regional Tour: "It is an amazing next step in our collaboration with the FIA Around the Formula 4 platform. We have always shared the FIA's vision of giving the next great racers an approachable platform to learn the skills they need to excel in real-world motorsport."Likewise, FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis is looking forward to the series: "It Is great to see that the collaboration between the FIA and iRacing is continuing to develop. The FIA F4 Esports Regional Tour will bring virtual and real-world racing even closer together, and encourage the global development of new talents through close competition, which is exactly wha the Formula 4 Championships are doing."
Kern County Looks Ready to Go
In addition to the Formula 4 announcement, iRacing also shared a preview video of the upcoming Kern County Raceway that is set to join the service for Season 4 2023. The video showcases all four of the included layouts, which sees the dirt and asphalt ovals being joined by their respective smaller versions that make partial use of their front straights.Alongside Kern County, a current-day version of Zandvoort is on its way for Season 4. The Dutch Grand Prix venue is one of the oldest European tracks in iRacing, so the much-needed modernization brings the circuit up to an appropriate standard while also introducing changes like the banked final turn that were implemented ahead of Formula One's return in 2021.
What do you think about the F4 series and the Kern County video? Let us know in the comments below!