The FIA Formula 4 concept was developed by Gerhard Berger and the FIA Singleseater Commission in March 2013, with the goal of creating a transparent, affordable ladder to Formula One. Italy moved fastest: ACI-CSAI formally launched the championship on December 12, 2013, making it the inaugural FIA-certified Formula 4 series anywhere in the world. WSK Promotions, already prominent in kart racing through the WSK Euro Series, was contracted alongside original promoter ACI Sport to organise the championship.
The series replaced the Formula Abarth, which had served as Italy's premier junior single-seater formula since 2010. Many elements carried over, including the engine manufacturer and constructor, maintaining continuity for Italian teams and driver development programs.
Italian race car constructor Tatuus was contracted to design and build all cars for the series, as it had done for the Formula Abarth before it. The chassis is a carbon fibre monocoque, engineered to FIA Formula 4 safety standards.
Power comes from a 1400cc Fiat-FPT engine — the same unit used in the Formula Abarth between 2010 and 2013 — but detuned to 160 hp (120 kW) to comply with FIA Formula 4 regulations, down from the 180 hp (130 kW) it produced in Abarth trim. From 2022, the championship transitioned to the newer Tatuus F4-T421 chassis, replacing the original T014 that had served the series since inception.
When the series was conceived, the FIA aimed to keep total per-season costs for competitors under 100,000 euros. That benchmark has not been sustained: by 2022, estimates placed the cost of competing in the Italian championship at upwards of 250,000 euros, making it one of the most expensive Formula 4 series in the world. The costs of competing in feeder series are typically met by competitors' families or wealthy benefactors rather than commercial sponsors, reflecting the pre-professional nature of the category.
Alongside the main championship standings, the Italian F4 series runs several concurrent classes. The Trophy is contested by drivers over the age of 18, providing an additional competitive framework for older entrants. A Woman Trophy caters specifically to female competitors. The Rookie Class has its own separate standings, with wins and points tracked independently to recognise the best newcomers to the formula.
A Winter Trophy has also been a feature of the calendar, giving drivers additional track time outside the main season.
The Italian F4 Championship has become one of the most fertile nurseries for Formula One talent in the world. A remarkable number of its alumni have progressed directly to the top level of the sport: Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, Mick Schumacher, Jack Doohan, Zhou Guanyu, Ollie Bearman, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Arvid Lindblad have all contested Formula One Grands Prix. Beyond Formula One, numerous Italian F4 graduates have built professional careers across other international single-seater and touring car series.
The concentration of future F1 drivers in a single national series underlines the championship's status as a genuine global benchmark for junior single-seater racing, despite — or perhaps because of — its Italian domestic structure and relatively contained calendar.
As the first FIA Formula 4 championship ever held, the Italian series established the template that the FIA and national organisations would replicate in other countries. Its success in producing Formula One talent gave credibility to the entire Formula 4 concept globally and encouraged the proliferation of national F4 series across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The championship continues to attract an international grid, with drivers from across Europe and beyond travelling to Italy to compete in one of junior motorsport's most prestigious stepping stones.