Latest news with #RegionalTrophy
Scoop
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Dates Confirmed
The new look format – with the championship's regular 15 races being run over four weekends instead of five – was signed off by the FIA's World Council of Motorsport recently. The championship trail will begin over the weekend of January 9-11 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park and a week later heads further south for Round 2 at the Taupo International Motorsport Park January 16-18 as part of the Historic GP weekend at the circuit. The first two rounds in New Zealand's North Island will then be followed by two rounds in the South Island with Round 3 at Teretonga Raceway just outside of Invercargill January 23-25 and the final weekend the 70th New Zealand Grand Prix meeting, to be staged for the third successive year at the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell over the weekend of January 30-February 1st. Formats for each weekend are set to be confirmed but it is likely that the extensive mileage available to drivers taking part in the New Zealand series will remain, and therefore allowing it to retain its global appeal as the best winter training ground for serious northern hemisphere single seater prospects. 2025 championship winner Arvid Lindblad is already being touted for a seat this season in Formula One. From 2026, the FIA will introduce a Regional Trophy concept for all Formula Regional and Formula 4 categories. These new formats provide organisers and promoters with unprecedented flexibility to choose between a traditional championship format lasting over a longer period or concentrating their competitions – under the 'Trophy' title - within a shorter timeframe with fewer events. This is the framework adopted for New Zealand's premier single seater championship. 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
FIA Backs Changes To Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
The new look format – with the championship's regular 15 races being run over four weekends instead of five - has been signed off by the FIA's World Council of Motorsport and will be introduced for the 2026 season. From 2026, the FIA will introduce a Regional Trophy concept for all Formula Regional and Formula 4 categories. These new formats provide organisers and promoters with unprecedented flexibility to choose between a traditional championship format lasting over a longer period or concentrating their competitions – under the 'Trophy' title - within a shorter timeframe with fewer events. This will preserve the status of championships certified by FIA by offering an alternative which still answers the FIA's overarching goals of increasing global participation and making motor sport more accessible for all. The New Zealand championship will be the first to adopt the 'Trophy' profile and retains its FIA Championship status. It will be the 21st season of New Zealand's premier single seater championship – which remains highly regarded as a major international junior formulae not only by the FIA, but also by F1 and Indycar teams as well as driver development programmes. The support from the FIA and the World Council means that the New Zealand-based championship can start in early January after the Christmas and New Year holiday period, but complete its schedule – which culminates with the New Zealand Grand Prix - without any clashes with pre-season testing in the northern hemisphere. Clashes with both US Indy and IndyNxt testing in the US and FIA F2/F3 and other European championships have prevented a number of top line rising stars completing or even taking part in the championship in recent seasons. The FIA was keen to work with New Zealand organisers TOYOTA GAZOO Racing NZ to ensure that its flagship winter championship was accessible to all rising global single seater stars. 'We have long appealed to emerging single seater stars around the world,' explained TGRNZ Motorsport Manager Nicolas Caillol. 'That's not only because of the value for money we offer as an international championship, but also because of the testing mileage, the intensity of the qualifying and racing, the variety of highly challenging circuits the drivers experience and the professionalism of the teams involved,' 'Our most recent champion, 2025 winner Arvid Lindblad, is already one step away from Formula One and we like to think that his 2025 season in New Zealand has indeed played its part in that process. 'With the way now clear for more European drivers, and USA drivers, to come to New Zealand we have no more obstacles preventing the championship becoming even more important as a pathway for the world's best motorsport prospects. 'We will announce our 2026 calendar, and the revised format for each weekend imminently.'
