The winner of the 2015 BRDC F4 Championship will receive an outstanding prize package worth £90,000, comprised of £35,000 cash, a GP3 test drive with the highly successful ART team at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year, and a special Pirelli award of €50,000 if they graduate to GP3.
This year’s BRDC F4 Champion will additionally become a BRDC SuperStar (if British) and receive a major award presented at the BRDC Annual Awards.
The 2015 BRDC F4 Champion is also very likely to be selected as a McLaren Autosport BRDC Award (MABA) finalist. Three of the six 2014 MABA finalists were current or former F4 racers, with 2014 BRDC F4 Champion George Russell winning the award plus the £100,000 cash prize and McLaren F1 test that goes with it.
Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of BRDC F4 promoter MSV, commented: “We created BRDC F4 to provide young drivers targeting F1 without access to big budgets the most affordable series in which to learn with the greatest equality, so they can showcase their ability. Funding is clearly crucial for the most successful to progress and I’m pleased that we have again been able to increase our prize package to provide the best reward of any series at this level for the champion.
“I am thrilled that our new tyre partner Pirelli shares our commitment to reward the best and is providing a huge prize for the champion if they graduate to GP3, a likely next step. When current F4 Champion George Russell had his GP3 test at Abu Dhabi in November, he adapted quickly to the car’s much greater performance and was the sensation of the official test. I’m sure our next F4 Champion can do the same and indeed perform well in a GP3 season.”
Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, commented: “We’re delighted to further strengthen our new role as tyre supplier to BRDC F4. Pirelli has a company-wide philosophy of providing young drivers with opportunities to progress in motorsport, all the way to the very highest levels of competition. Giving a €50,000 Pirelli award to the BRDC F4 Championship winner if they contest a season in GP3 is perfectly in line with our strategic objectives.”
The ART team won the GP3 teams’ championship every year from 2010 to 2013 inclusive and the drivers’ championship in 2010 with Esteban Gutierrez and in 2011 with Valtteri Bottas. ART has also won the GP2 teams’ and drivers’ titles three times, with Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hülkenberg.
Frédéric Vasseur, ART Team Principal, said: “As a successful team in GP3 and GP2, we’re always looking out for the most talented young drivers who will be the stars of the future. We will follow BRDC F4 with added interest this year to see who is likely to win the test with us, and we will do everything we can to help the winner make the most of this great opportunity.”
The 2015 BRDC F4 Champion and his team will additionally be in contention for the Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup and David Poole-Warren Team Pole Position Cup, whose prize funds amount to another £5,400.
