Where to for Ambitous Young Oz Drivers?

I see where CAMS in their utter wisdom has cut Formula Ford from their national series programmes.

What path does that leave any ambitious young drivers?

Does that end Australian drivers succeeding on the international stage?

Regards

I heard they're introducing Formula Renault 1600.

As an open wheeler fan  I hope they do something, because this is a disaster for guys with aspirations to get to F1.  Drivers here already think the pinnacle is v8 Supercars..... While they are apparently going to retain state level Formula Ford, it would be a massive jump to then go to Europe to race.  CAMS are saying that since the withdrawal of funding by Ford for the series that it is too expensive to manage.  I hope your rumour about Formula Renault is correct but unless Renault would be financially supporting this I can't see it happening.

I read the headline, too.

Sounds to me that the influx of more or less commercially-exploited lower-tier racing categories — e.g. Euro F3, at the cost of British F3, and GP3 at the cost of almost everything at that level — are influencing the entry-level categories as well. I remember seeing something about Formula Ford in general being in a troublesome state, not just Oz.

If there is going to be a Formula Renault 1600 replacement, then that's a reasonable alternative, I'd say... although they might want to consider having a wing-less variant of the cars to tap into Formula Ford's long-standing achievements. After all, where are young drivers going to learn, dare I say, proper car control that's not influenced by the use of wings?

If there is going to be a Formula Renault 1600 replacement, then that's a reasonable alternative, I'd say... although they might want to consider having a wing-less variant of the cars to tap into Formula Ford's long-standing achievements. After all, where are young drivers going to learn, dare I say, proper car control that's not influenced by the use of wings?

Although, unless you're the next Grosjean or Maldonado, learning car control not influenced by wings is not really a skill that is of much use in the later Formula classes.

... learning car control not influenced by wings is not really a skill that is of much use in the later Formula classes.

Well, if you put it that way, this has harly been the case for the past, say, 40 years... which makes it rather miraculous that Formula Ford even survived this long.    

Well, if you put it that way, this has harly been the case for the past, say, 40 years... which makes it rather miraculous that Formula Ford even survived this long.    

Just saying it doesn't necessarily have to do with wings or not.

BTW, almost forgot, but there's still Formula Vee.

Formula Ford teaches a basic understanding of mechanical setup and how it influences car behavior. Which allows them to build on this base knowledge with aero setup.

Formula Ford teaches a basic understanding of mechanical setup and how it influences car behavior. Which allows them to build on this base knowledge with aero setup.

What he said.

Exactly why I suggested that Formula Renault 1600 should want to have a wing-less car if it were to act as a Formula For replacement.

Well, we're in trouble in the UK then, because Formula Ford is now a slicks and wings formula so where will ambitious Pommie drivers go?  Or is the whole rationale for a wingless series no longer valid?  After all, the youngsters have all had ten years in wingless karts to learn car control.

Pretty much all open wheel series cars up to something like star mazda or F3 aren't as grippy as people might think. Even though they have aero they are still very dependant on mechanical grip and slide around a lot.