Photo: FRAC
The FIA has confirmed that the inaugural Formula Regional World Cup in Macau will be exclusively for Tatuus T-318 cars running Autotecnica-built Alfa Romeo engines.
The Macau Grand Prix was first held in 1954, and for 38 years was a race for Formula 3 cars. Formula Libre, Formula Pacific and Formula 4 are the other single-seater categories which have been given grand prix status for races on Macau’s Guia Circuit in the past, and FRegional will take on that mantle going forward following a decision made by the FIA last month.
In a follow-up announcement, the FIA has now detailed how this year’s event on November 14-17 will take place.
The usual format of two qualifying sessions, a 10-lap qualification race on Saturday and a 15-lap main race on Sunday will be retained, with the main race determining the grand prix and world cup winner.
The entry list will be capped at 27 cars, which would be the biggest for the grand prix since the 2019 FIA F3 World Cup attracted 30 drivers. Last year’s event had a 26-car grid. Interest competitors have until July 24 to file their entry.
There are four different FRegional chassis in use across the world – Tatuus’s T-318 and FT-60, Ligier’s JS F3 and Dome’s F111/3 – and Alfa Romeo, Honda, Renault and Toyota supply engines. But the FIA’s decision to make the grand prix a spec event rather than a category masterpiece means teams from its American, European, Japanese and Oceania championships, and those from the Ultimate Cup Series, will be unable to take part unless they can source the correct chassis and engine.
FRegional European Championship did use Alfa Romeo engines before 2021, and five of its teams still have those power units in their workshops as they put them in their cars when racing in FRegional Middle East during the winter.
Despite a wide array of category mainstays being ruled ineligible for entry, the FIA Single-Seater Committee’s new president Emanuale Pirro said he is “anticipating a great deal of interest from teams and drivers from across the global network of FRegional championships, certified by FIA and beyond”.
“The FIA FRegional World Cup represents the ultimate test for drivers on the junior single-seater ladder, Macau is a dream circuit and the ideal location for such a one-off event,” he added.
“The entry process will be rigorous, and we will ensure that the brightest emerging talents are the ones who take to the track in Macau in November. The drivers will love it.”