The French F4 Championship will switch to the Mygale M14-F4 chassis for the 2018 season after the FFSA agreed to become an FIA Formula 4 series. The move comes four years after the FIA F4 concept was proposed, with thirteen international championships already up and running around the globe.
It’s an interesting time for the series to change as well, having introduced their new F4 Signatech car this year and regularly maintaining over 16 drivers throughout their current incarnation which started in 2011.
While the switch was arguably done as a cost-saving measure by the FFSA, but the series itself already had FIA F4 approval that the championship winners would collect Super Licence Points. Similar to BRDC British F3 Championship in which drivers collect points, though not being an official series.
“The French F4 Championship is a key element of our high-level circuit policy,” said Nicolas Deschaux, President of the FFSA, in a French statement.
“Organized through our federal training center based in Le Mans, this championship benefits from the loyal support of Renault and has seen the evolution of many famous drivers, who today compete internationally. Unique in its genre, combining financial accessibility and sporting equality, our French F4 Championship continues its momentum by acquiring the F4 FIA for next season.”
The series itself will be slightly rebranded to be called the F4 French Championship. While the switch to Mygale, puts it in line with the British, Australian and recently set-up Danish series, as opposed the Italian, Spanish, North European Zone (NEZ) and German series which all use the Tatuus F4-T014.
Once part of the Formula Renault 1.6L category, the series will move away from the Renault Sport sphere of influence, though will likely race with a Renault F4R 2.0L engine next year and will still offer a place in the Renault Sport Academy for one of the top three in the championship.
