Photo: CAMS
Australian Formula 4 organiser CAMS has announced that the championship will not return in 2020 due to low grid numbers.
The series began in 2015 and has struggled for entries with only two teams, AGI Sport and Team BRM, lasting the full five seasons. This year, only six drivers entered all six rounds.
?There are many drivers who competed in F4 who excelled and have gone on to make a name for themselves in a host of different senior categories,? said CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca.
That list includes several drivers in Australian Supercars’ primary feeder Super2, W Series’ Caitlin Wood and Red Bull junior Liam Lawson.
?However, it is fair to say the category has not lived up to our expectations when it comes to the number of competitors we expected to see on the grid.
“Ultimately, our market was not able to sustain consistently high grid numbers and the inevitable appeal for young Australians to go directly overseas and compete in championships with much higher grid numbers was always an issue.
?While it?s disappointing the category won?t continue in 2020, there may be a possibility for it to return depending on future interest and support for the category.”
CAMS are now looking to create a driver development programme for 2020 to nourish upcoming Australian talent.
?We know how important it is to invest in motorsport?s future to ensure our sport thrives and our talented junior competitors are given every opportunity to excel,? added Arocca.
?We want to find the next Daniel Ricciardo or Jamie Whincup and help foster growth in the participation of the sport at junior levels.”
Further details of the development programme will be announced in the coming months, following an industry-wide consultation.
There has since been calls from Ian Richards, the boss of the unassociated Australian Formula 3, for an independent investigation into the demise of the series and CAMS itself.
?If any good is to be gained from this unfortunate saga a full independent inquiry into the CAMS handling of the Formula 4 experiment is required,? Richards said to Speedcafe.com.
Both Australian F3 and Australian Formula Ford are without CAMS national championship status, but have consistently had stronger grids than F4.
Australian F4 went above 13 entries for the first time with its Australian Grand Prix support slot this year – where 18 car turned up. After that it averaged 7.2.
All-time Australian F4 statistics
| Starts | Wins | Poles | Fastest laps | Podiums |
| R Suhle 59 | J Ojeda 15 | Rowe 11 | Ojeda 17 | Suhle 35 |
| N Rowe 51 | J Lloyd 12 | Suhle 10 | Rowe 15 | Rowe 34 |
| L Leeds 45 | Rowe 10 | Randle 8 | Lloyd 11 | Leeds 25 |
| A Love 42 | Leeds 10 | Leeds 8 | Leeds 9 | Shields 23 |
| T Everingham 39 | T Randle 7 | Shields 6 | Shields 7 | Brown 20 |
| H Hayek 39 | Brown 7 | Ojeda 6 | Suhle 7 | Lloyd 18 |
| W Brown 38 | Suhle 7 | Lloyd 5 | Brown 5 | Ojeda 18 |
| L Hughes 38 | C Shields 6 | Brown 5 | Randle 5 | A Love 16 |
| J Walls 38 | L Lawson 5 | Hayek 2 | Hayek 5 | Randle 15 |
| S Fallon 36 | J Love 4 | J Love 2 | J Denton 4 | Hayek 14 |