Koiranen GP have announced that they will also be launching a Winter Junior Challenge in the build up to its first season promoting the F4 Spanish Championship.
The series will take part at back to back weekends with the first round at the Circuito de Jerez on the 4th to 6th December. The second round will be in Portugal at the Portimao Circuit on the 9th to 11th.
The series will run like any normal weekend with two free practice sessions, a qualifying and three races over the course of the weekend. However; Sunday will also involve a second qualifying and the final two races.
“Creating this championship is giving the chance to young drivers to train and learn before getting into a full championship where the competition will be very hard. They will have, on top of their winter testing program, the possibility to have real races to prepare themselves,” said Afa Heikkinen, Koiranen GP CEO.
“We have the same single-operation system as in our different F4 Championships. Drivers only come with their racing gear and we take care of the rest” said Marko Koiranen, the Chairman.
As to help them feed onto the upcoming F4 Spanish season, the winner will be given €75,000 (£55,350) to encourage them to continue with the format. However; it will cost €49,000 (£36,150) for each driver to enter.
While this can be more expensive than some full seasons in Formula 4 it is cheaper than the recently announced Winfield Racing School which will cost € 89,500 (£66,000). Even considering that the Winfield School will compete over three weekends and not two, the Winter Junior Challenge is still less per event.
Both will struggle to compete financially with a full series though, with French F4 proudly displaying that a full season, will cost € 76,200 (£56,000) VAT included, which works out at about £8000 a round. While a seat at one of the top BRDC Formula 4 teams will cost around £100,000 for eight rounds (£12,500 each round).
