Former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger was appointed as the FIA Single-Seater Commission president to oversee the creation of the category. This initiative was a response to declining interest in national Formula 3 championships due to rising costs and alternate pathways to Formula One, such as the then Formula Renault and GP2 and GP3 Series, which had seen several national Formula 3 championships discontinued. In place of the expensive categories, a number of separate categories running under the Formula 4 name had been created, such as the British-based former BRDC Formula 4, though there was no commonality between the cars from country to country.
These Formula 4 championships started in 2014 as a single-make category before the regulations were opened up to multiple chassis and engine manufacturers. Each championship uses a single make of engine, with regulations mandating a 1,600 cc (1.6 L) capacity and capping the maximum power output at 160 bhp (119.3 kW). The engines are equalized so that no one Formula 4 championship is faster than the others, with the long-term intention being to bring the cost down to under €100,000 per year to compete.
In practice, costs for competitors considerably exceed this goal. The cost of participating in the 2022 French Formula 4 series, including all equipment, was €118,000, excluding tax. Costs in other F4 championships can be considerably higher, with one estimate for a realistic attempt at the now-defunct German F4 series championship exceeding €350,000.
To be eligible for FIA Formula 4, the chassis must meet FIA homologation requirements respecting technical and commercial regulations. Four chassis manufacturers have been approved by the FIA: Tatuus, Mygale, Dome, and Ligier. For an engine to be eligible, it must meet homologation requirements, last at least 10,000 km, and have a maximum purchase price of €14,000. FIA Formula 4 technical regulations permit only four-cylinder engines. Both normally aspirated and turbocharged engines are allowed, with an absolute maximum power output of 140 kW. Engine displacement is unlimited. Currently, seven engines are homologated for use in FIA Formula 4.
Formula 4 is the first step out of karting on the FIA Global Pathway and, by design, has the least performance of any of the cars in it. Compared to road-legal supercars, Formula 4 cars are less accelerative and have a much lower top speed of approximately 240 km/h; most modern supercars are capable of exceeding 300 km/h. F4 cars have far superior braking and cornering capabilities, particularly in high-speed corners where the aerodynamic downforce of the Formula 4 cars has the most effect.
According to official information from the F1 Academy, the Tatuus race car (virtually identical to the one used in some F4 series) has a peak lateral cornering acceleration of about 2.0g, far exceeding a typical (non-sporting) road car which peaks at less than 1g, but considerably less than Formula 3 cars (which peak around 2.5g).
To give some idea of the gap between F4 and F1 performance levels, the fastest qualifying lap for a 2023 F4 round at the Silverstone GP circuit was 2:01.651; the pole lap in the 2024 British Grand Prix in an F1 car was 1:25.819. However, F4 cars still lap considerably faster than most production-derived racing categories. The F4 pole time is about 2 seconds faster than the Porsche Carrera Cup lap record and about 10 seconds faster than the TCR Touring Car lap record.
As of 2025, the FIA recognizes thirteen F4 championships. These championships adhere to Formula 4 regulations and are approved by the FIA as national Formula 4 series. Drivers participating in these series can receive FIA Super Licence points, which are required to drive in Formula One. For a series to be eligible for Super Licence points, a season must be held over at least five events at a minimum of three circuits, according to FIA Appendix L. While titled national series, some series are contested at tracks in multiple countries.
A Formula 4 race forms part of the FIA Motorsport Games, a biennial event featuring a variety of motorsport disciplines including karting, drifting, rallying, and e-sports, as well as circuit racing.
A number of active championships follow current and former F4 specifications but are not considered official F4 championships by the FIA.
The BRDC Formula 4 Championship was an entry-level motorsport series based in the United Kingdom which began in 2013. Run by the British Racing Drivers' Club and MotorSport Vision, the series initially used identical cars built by Ralph Firman Racing and engines from Ford, before switching to FIA Formula 4 regulations in 2015, using the Tatuus F4–T014 chassis. Although run to the FIA's regulations, it was not recognized by the FIA as an official Formula 4 championship. In 2016, the series was upgraded and renamed the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, now known as GB3, which runs to Formula Regional specifications.
The Fórmula Academy Sudamericana, previously known as Fórmula 4 Sudamericana, was a Formula 4 racing class that debuted in 2014. The class used the same Signatech chassis and Fiat engines previously used in the Brazilian-based Formula Future Fiat. The series folded after the 2019 season.
The ADAC Formula 4 Championship was held from 2015 to 2022. On December 3, 2022, ADAC announced that ADAC Formula 4 would not be organized for the 2023 season, with the focus on placing German junior drivers in the French F4 Championship instead. The main reason for the decision was the low number of participating drivers due to the high costs compared to other Formula 4 championships.
Other former or non-FIA sanctioned championships include Canada CASC Formula 4, which was based on non-FIA formulae and used 750cc motorcycle engines with locally produced chassis. Formula Beat, created in 1993 as JAF Japan Formula 4, was renamed in 2023 and continues to run but does not follow F4 specifications, allowing competitors to use Formula 3 chassis. A single season of the F4 Argentina Championship was held in 2021. Formula Academy Finland, which uses the same Tatuus-Abarth FIA Formula 4 car as ADAC Formula 4 and Italian Formula 4 Championship, is not approved by the FIA and as of 2020 has run alongside older F3 chassis as part of the Finnish Championship Series' category Formula Open Finland. The Fórmula 4 Chile series, which planned to use the Tatuus FA010 chassis from the Formula Abarth, was never created.
Gallery · 4 related images
