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Explanation of Super Formula 1 License Rule 1


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image: Mark Thompson (beautiful pictures)

You need a lot of things to race in Formula 1 – money, sponsorship, skills, a lifetime investment to perfect the racing profession. But when it comes to logistics, there’s really only one thing you absolutely yes to have: A super license.

Basically, a super license is the competition license you need to race in F1. Understandably, the method of obtaining a super license is incredibly complex – that’s what we’re currently seeing as AlphaTauri pursues IndyCar driver Colton Herta for 2023. Herta doesn’t qualify for a super license, however. granted under the current points system, has sparked a lot of discussion on social media about whether he should be exempted.

That’s a discussion for another time – and one that’s largely based on personal interpretation. Today, we’re going to look at the basics of a super license so you can make your own calls.

(Welcome to Racing explanation, series where we break down the rules and concepts of racing in a way that is easy to understand for all beginners. If there’s something in the race that you’ve always wondered about, or something that never made sense, leave your thread in the comments or email me at eblackstock [at] jalopnik [dot] com.)

What is a Super License?

Quite simply, a super license is like a driver’s license, but instead of allowing you to drive on public roads, it allows you to compete in a Formula 1 race. The problem is that only drivers are allowed. Competitive racers are entering an F1 race.

Super licenses have existed for decades in some form or fashion, and they’ve been the subject of debate many times before. In fact, the addition of new, unwanted clauses in a driver’s super license contract led to a drivers’ strike at the 1982 South African Grand Prix.

Who Qualifies for a Super License?

The most recent iteration of super license eligibility rules was introduced ahead of the 2016 season and includes the following clauses:

  1. The driver must be 18 years old at minimum when they contest their first F1 race.
  2. They must already hold an International Grade A competition license.
  3. They must have a valid driver’s license.
  4. They must pass an FIA theory exam that tests the driver’s knowledge of regulations and F1 sporting codes.
  5. They must have completed 80 percent of two seasons of any single-seater Championship that awards super license points (more on that below).
  6. They must have accumulated a total of at least 40 super license points in the previous three seasons of competition (again, more on that below).

Now we get into the nitty-gritty. Many FIA championships and non-FIA-sanctioned top-level racing series are eligible for super license points, based on a driver’s finishing position in the overall championship of their respective series. For example, if you win the W Series championship, you earn 15 super license points. If you win in IndyCar or Formula 2, however, you get all 40 points you’d need to apply for a super license.

To make things a little easier, the FIA allows drivers to combine points from the previous three years. So, if you won a championship in Formula 4 one year, took a championship in W Series the next year, and then won the Super Formula championship in your third year, all of those finishes would count toward your points total, and you’d be able to apply for a super license. If you waited another year, during which you failed to place well in any championship, only the points you scored in the W Series and Super Formula would be eligible.

Further, a series has to feature at least 10 full-time drivers in order to be eligible for super license points. Drivers can also score one super license point by competing in a Formula 1 Free Practice session.

The full list of eligible series and their respective points offerings is available on the FIA website.

Why all the rules?

While it was never exactly easy to get the super license, it got even more difficult after Red Bull fast-track teen Max Verstappen arrived in Formula 1 in 2015 to fill a vacancy on his secondary Toro Rosso team . At the time, Verstappen had just started competing in Formula 3; Before that, his only experience was going karts. While Verstappen has proven to be a competent driver, super license points regulations have been implemented to prevent future extremely young drivers from entering F1 too quickly.

Are There Waivers or Terms?

As with most hard rules, there are waivers that can help other ineligible drivers get a super license – or that can reduce the price for normally qualified drivers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe delays, cancellations or modifications of racing series around the world. As a result, the FIA ​​is now allowing drivers to count their top three championship finishes over the previous one. four years of racing resulted in their super license, instead of the standard three.

The FIA ​​also gives itself the ability to award a super license to drivers who do not have 40 super license points based on “cases beyond their control or for force majeure reasons”.

That “force majeure” provision is keeping Herta’s super-license hopes alive right now. Currently, Herta’s 2018 Indy Lights season does not count for super-licensing points because fewer than 10 full-time drivers compete in the series; he needs those points to qualify for a super license. Theoretically, the FIA ​​could decide that those 2018 results Candlestick counting – it all depends on the opinions of those who will ultimately make that decision.

Why do some championships carry more weight than others?

In theory, weight rankings for super licenses exist as a way to gauge a driver’s readiness for Formula 1. That’s why open wheel racing series like Cong E or higher-ranked IndyCar, such as the IMSA GTD Pro or NASCAR Cup Series. There was a more consistent transfer of skills from that open-wheel series to F1.

Regarding Herta’s situation, there is a great debate as to why IndyCar – a leading professional racing series – earns fewer super license points than Formula 2. The FIA ​​has not released any statements. Official reply to why that is, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind. First, these points were developed almost a decade ago, during which time IndyCar is still recovering from a messy split and unification of the series. While the FIA ​​intends to update the scores it awards certain series to more accurately reflect the competition within those series, it has yet to do so.

Second, Formula 2 is a series of F1 feeders, so the organizers naturally see this as the penultimate leg on the road to F1, more than IndyCar. Ultimately, the FIA ​​is judged to be more prestigious than other FIA lines, simply because they race by the same general rules regarding things like paying points for race victories. Because IndyCar is not sanctioned by the FIA, it runs on a different set of rules.

Cost and Other Considerations

Nothing in this world is free, not even super licenses. Drivers with a super license must pay an annual fee. In 2012, it cost €10,000 (or $12,800 at the time) to get a super license. Drivers who compete in F1 and renew their license also have to pay an additional €1,000 for each championship point they scored the previous year.

It’s unclear if those fees will still be the same, as F1 and the FIA ​​are notoriously tight-lipped about their finances. However, if that’s the case, Max Verstappen will have to pay €405,510 (or around $400,855 based on today’s exchange rates) to maintain his super license. Some drivers have paid a one-time fee of more than $1 million to renew their super license.

Criticimessage

Like any set of rules, super license regulations are complex, imperfect, and always in need of a refresher – although the exact nature of the “proper” fix will depend on the user. you request. Someone from an open wheel base in Europe might not feel there’s anything wrong with the current point payout for IndyCar versus Formula 2; An American open-wheel fan might feel differently. Some might think that IndyCar’s relevance is too low due to the high level of competition in the series; others may feel it’s overcredited because the series is not and has never been designed to serve as a stepping stone to Formula 1. It’s important to remember that, no matter what else happens, motorsport is not exactly a precision mode nor is it a super license system.



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