This year brings the launch of the Motorsport Australia AU4 Championship, a rebranded open-wheel racing series designed to provide young talent with a clear pathway to the pinnacle of Formula car racing.
This category replaces the Formula 4 Australian Championship, offering a fresh approach to nurturing the next generation of drivers.
2025 introduces a split-grid format that caters to drivers as young as 14, dividing the drivers into two classes.
Drivers aged 14 and above will race in first-generation 2015 Mygale-Ford F4 cars, previously driven by F1 stars like Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan.
Drivers aged 15 and above will race in the second-Generation 2022 Tatuus-Abarth F4 Cars, the same Formula 4 cars driven in Europe.
Adam Gotch, AU4 Championship series manager and founder of AU4 series promoter AGI Sport, explains how this change addresses a critical gap in Australian motorsport.
“AGI Sport has been focused on developing young Australian and New Zealand drivers on local circuits before taking them overseas to compete in Europe and the USA,” Gotch said.
“But it’s not the same as competing in a national-level championship. Our best talent has had to leave the country at a young age to gain this experience. The AU4 Championship changes that.”
Gotch also shares his enthusiasm for this new era of Formula 4 in Australia.
“With drivers such as Oliver Bearman and Kimi Antonelli progressing from the Tatuus-Abarth to seats in 2025 Formula 1, the Formula 4 pathway is vital for young Australian drivers aspiring to the world stage, and the earlier they can gain experience in competition, the better,” Gotch said.
This season will feature five rounds, with drivers competing at Sydney Motorsport Park, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and Shell V-Power Motorsport Park.
The 2025 Motorsport Australia AU4 Championship begins with pre-season testing on March 6, followed by Round 1 on March 22-23, both at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Australian Formula 4 Championship 2025
Official pre-season test day:
Sydney Motorsport Park
6 March 2025
Round 1: Sydney Motorsport Park
22-23 March 2025
Round 2: Shell V-Power Motorsport Park
4.95km International layout
23-25 May 2025
Round 3: Shell V-Power Motorsport Park
3.41km West layout
12-13 July 2025
Round 4: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
6-17 August 2025
Round 5: Sydney Motorsport Park
26-28 September 2025
Motorsport Australia acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present.