AU4 Australian Championship (formerly known as the Formula 4 Australian Championship) is an Australian motor racing series for open-wheel cars complying with FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural championship, known as the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship, was organised from 2015 to 2019. The series was revived by a new promoter in 2024, and renamed after another change of promoter in 2025.
Formula 4 was developed and certified by the FIA as the first step out of karting in the FIA Global Pathway from Karting to Formula One; as such, the category is designed for junior drivers seeking a professional career in motorsport.
History In November 2013, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) announced that it would introduce the FIA Formula 4 category to Australia. This was followed on 12 March 2014 by the official launch of the Australian F4 Championship. Australian F4 cars were to use the French Mygale chassis and Ford EcoBoost engine, and the series would comprise seven rounds in conjunction with V8 Supercars events. Cameron McConville was the original Category Director, with Karl Reindler as Driver Coach and Driving Standards Observer for the championship.
Australian recreational vehicle manufacturer Jayco was confirmed as the championship's naming rights sponsor in December 2014 as part of a three-year agreement from 2015 onward.
The first round was held at the Reid Park Street Circuit, Townsville on 11 July 2015. AGI Sport's Will Brown was the category's first race winner, with Team BRM's Jordan Lloyd claiming the overall round victory.
Lloyd would then go on to secure the inaugural championship and a $150,000 prize courtesy of Jayco's Road To The World initiative, which assisted Lloyd in securing a USF2000 seat in 2016. Lloyd also received a European Formula 3 test courtesy of Carlin Motorsport.
The series struggled for grid numbers from the outset. The first round had 13 cars and that grid size would not be exceeded until 2019 and then only once. The 2018 season never had more than eleven cars and all bar one round of the 2019 season had only eight cars. On the 4th of September 2019, it was announced that the series would not be contested in 2020 but there was a possibility it could continue in the future. Jack Doohan and Oscar Piastri, the two Australian racing drivers who have reached Formula One who started racing during this period, chose to race in overseas F4 championships rather than locally.
On 28 November 2023, it was confirmed that China-based Top Speed, which promotes the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, Formula Regional Asian Championship and Formula 4 championships in the Middle East and South East Asia regions, will promote the revived Formula 4 Australian Championship. The revived series will be a Southern Hemisphere autumn to winter series (May to September) as the cars will be sourced from the other series organised by Top Speed. This will allow either the Middle East or South East Asia champions to participate and gain further Superlicence points under FIA policies. Four rounds will be held in Australia, with a spring final in Malaysia.
For 2025, the championship will be promoted by AGI Sport, an Australian-based company that has run the team of multiple Australian F4 champions. The new name for the series, the AU4 Australian Championship, was announced in February 2025.
Car The original championship featured Mygale designed and built cars constructed of carbon fibre and featuring a monocoque chassis. Power is provided by a 1.6-litre turbocharged Ford EcoBoost engine.Test driving F4: the new pathway to Formula One Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 21 December 2015
The revived championship used the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis with the Abarth engines.
For 2025, there will be two series, one for the Mygale and one for the Tatuus, in separate categories. The Tatuus drivers will participate in the overall championship, and there will be a separate championship for Mygale cars. Unlike the United States Formula 4 and Ligier Junior Formula Championships, which are run as separate races, the two series will jointly participate in one race.Australian Formula 4 calendar confirmed Auto Action 18 November 2024
Champions Drivers Season Driver Team Races Poles Wins Podium Fast lap Points MarginsFormula 4 Australian Championship 2015 Jordan Lloyd Team BRM 21 5 12 18 11 441 54 2016 William Brown Team BRM 18 4 6 13 4 316 45 2017 Nicholas Rowe AGI Sport 21 7 8 16 11 378 78 2018 Jayden Ojeda AGI Sport 21 5 14 17 15 412 58 2019 Luis Leeds AGI Sport 18 8 9 17 8 365 99 2024 James Piszcyk AGI Sport 12 6 9 10 8 256 81AU4 Australian Championship 2025 Noah Killion AGI Sport 15 29 101131034
Rookie Season Driver Team 2015 William Brown AGI Sport 2016 Simon Fallon Dream Motorsport 2017 Ryan Suhle Zagame Motorsport 2018 Lochie Hughes Team BRM 2019 Luis Leeds Team BRM 2024 Seth Gilmore AGI Sport
Gen 1 Season Driver Team Races Poles Wins Podium Fast lap Points Margins 2025 Jensen Marold AGI Sport 12 6 12 12 11 317 39
Circuits
Bold denotes a circuit will be used in the 2026 season. Italic denotes a future circuit will be used in the 2027 season.
Number Circuits Rounds Years1 Sydney Motorsport Park92015–2019, 2024–present2 The Bend Motorsport Park82019, 2024–present3 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit72015–2019, 20254 Queensland Raceway52015–2018, 20265 Sandown Raceway42015–20176 Surfers Paradise Street Circuit32015–20177 Winton Motor Raceway32018, 20268 Symmons Plains Raceway22016, 20189 Reid Park Street Circuit12015 Homebush Street Circuit12015 Wanneroo Raceway12017 Pukekohe Park Raceway12018 Albert Park Circuit12019 Sepang International Circuit12024 Dubai Autodrome12024
Notes
References
See also 2023 Australian Formula Open Series - Formula 4 class run in that series. 2024 Australian Formula Open - Formula 4 class run in that series.
External links