Superleague Formula is gearing up for a huge leap forward in 2010 with a prize fund totalling €5 million, a Formula 1 test drive for the champion, and an expansion in the schedule from six race weekends to 12.
The football-themed championship enters its third season by announcing these exciting initiatives at the Racing Car Show at Autosport International, at Birmingham’s NEC, on Thursday January 14.
Superleague Formula Competition Director Robin Webb will reveal a season-end prize structure of €1 million, €500,000 and €250,000 to the top three in the championship. That will be in addition to prizes at each of the 12 rounds in the winner-takes-all Super Final of €100,000, €75,000, €50,000, €30,000, €20,000 and €10,000 to the top six finishers. The Super Final is the end-of-day race in which the top six points scorers from each weekend’s two Superleague Formula championship races compete.
It will therefore be theoretically possible for a championship victor who wins all 12 Super Finals to win €2.2 million!
“It is the biggest prize fund in European motorsport,” said Webb. “Starting at Autosport International, we are going to be inviting entries and applications for the championship. The person who holds the entry – and that could be a driver, a race team or a third party, which could be a football club – will receive the prize money.
“We already have football clubs on board, but we are open to people approaching us with a new club.”
The F1 test drive is planned to take place soon after the finish of the Superleague season. “We have spoken to two F1 teams who are both interested,” said Webb.
Eleven of the 12 race weekends have been confirmed. These include venues new to Superleague Formula: British circuit Brands Hatch (near London); the Ricardo Tormo circuit near Valencia in Spain; Oschersleben in Germany; Italian track Adria (near Venice); and British Grand Prix venue Silverstone, which opens the schedule on April 4.
“Silverstone have been fantastic to us and we are really pleased to be starting our season on the famous Grand Prix circuit,” said Webb. “But, bearing in mind it takes place in April, we are hoping the weather is kind to us!
“Brands Hatch is another superb addition. Tottenham Hotspur is not far away and they are really getting behind their car, and the circuit does excellent promotion.
“Some of the races remain provisional as we are still looking at one or two non-European rounds at the end of the year. We are getting offers from outside of Europe, and our two major targets are the Middle East and South America.”
SUPERLEAGUE FORMULA CALENDAR 2010
April 3/ 4 Silverstone UKMay 15/16 TBAMay 22/23 Magny-Cours FranceJune 12/13 Jarama SpainJuly 3/ 4 Oschersleben GermanyJuly 17/18 Zolder BelgiumJuly 31/August 1 Brands Hatch UKSeptember 4/5 Adria ItalySeptember 18/19 Estoril PortugalOctober 2/3 Monza ItalyOctober 16/17 Valencia SpainNovember 13/14 Jerez Spain
