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Formula Renault BARC

From Alfawiki
British Formula Renault Championship
Company typeMotorsport championship
IndustryAuto racing
Founded1989
Defunct2014
FateDiscontinued
Area served
United Kingdom
ParentBritish Automobile Racing Club (BARC), Renault Sport UK

British Formula Renault Championship denoted two distinct Formula Renault competitions held within the United Kingdom. The foremost series was the Formula Renault 2.0 UK championship, managed by Renault Sport UK from 1989 until 2011, commonly regarded as the definitive British Formula Renault championship. In March 2012, it was declared that the Formula Renault UK series would not take place that year, with the championship concluding permanently by September 2012. A secondary competition, organized by the British Automobile Racing Club and known as the Protyre Formula Renault Championship, was active continuously from 1995 through 2014. After the main series ceased, this became the sole remaining Formula Renault 2.0 championship in Britain but was discontinued following the 2014 season.

History

The British Formula Renault Championship was established in 1989 by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC), with organizational duties transferring to Renault Sport UK in 1990. In 2005, the championship officially adopted the title "Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship." Between 1995 and 2011, two championships operated simultaneously: a professional UK series and a largely amateur BARC series featuring older chassis in its Club Class division. Both received support from Renault Sport UK. The year 2000 saw Tatuus introduce a new chassis design that contributed significantly to shaping the modern one-make racing format now standard in series such as GP2 Series, GP3 Series, and Formula Renault 3.5 Series.

Several distinguished Formula One drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta, and Heikki Kovalainen, participated in this championship. Notably, 2000 champion Kimi Räikkönen made his successful F1 debut the subsequent year. Both Räikkönen and Hamilton went on to claim Formula One World Championship titles in and , respectively, establishing this series as a critical stepping stone for aspiring single-seater drivers across Western Europe.

In March 2012, due to a decline in entries—only six confirmed—the Formula Renault UK season was cancelled; participation costs were nearing £200,000 annually. Although initially intended as a one-year suspension with plans for revival in 2013, the championship was ultimately terminated permanently by September of that year.

A revival plan proposed in 2014 by BARC and promoter Grovewood sought to reintroduce Formula Renault UK as a two-tier competition combining modern Tatuus FR2.0/13 vehicles with older BARC cars, effectively merging with the waning BARC series. However, negotiations with Formula Renault authorities did not succeed, and competition from emerging junior single-seater championships such as MSA Formula and BRDC Formula 4 diminished interest further. As a result, BARC discontinued their Formula Renault series for the 2015 season, ending any dedicated British Formula Renault Championship presence. Instead, BARC introduced a Formula Libre category that allowed existing Formula Renault cars to compete alongside vehicles from other recently concluded British championships.

Formula Renault 2.0 UK

The Renault Sport championship conducted an annual racing series that supported both the British Touring Car Championship and the UK round of the World Series by Renault, alongside a winter competition. At its height, the primary championship comprised 20 races across 10 events.

Initially named Formula Renault UK, it utilized engines with a displacement of 1,721cc. From 1995 until 1999, under the title Formula Renault Sport UK, it transitioned to using 2,000cc 8-valve engines. The year 2000 saw it renamed Formula Renault 2000 UK, before adopting the Formula Renault 2.0 UK designation in 2005, featuring since then a 2,000cc 16-valve engine configuration. French tyre manufacturer Michelin supplied tyres and served as title sponsor beginning in 1992.

Prominent drivers who competed in this championship before advancing to Formula One include Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta, and Heikki Kovalainen.

Graduate Cup

The Graduate Cup served as a secondary competition aimed at supporting emerging drivers participating in the championship. Each round, the top-ranked Graduate Cup competitor was awarded a podium trophy, while the overall champion received a reduction on entry fees for either the Formula Renault 2.0 UK or Clio Cup UK series.

To qualify, drivers needed to have taken part in no more than two Formula Renault 2.0 race weekends prior to the current season (excluding previous involvement in the Winter Cup or Formula Renault BARC Championship) and be under the age of 19.

Weekend Format

Race weekends commenced with Friday testing, which included two sessions lasting 25 minutes each. Saturday featured two qualifying sessions of 20 minutes apiece, which set the grids for two races of 30 minutes each. These races were either both held on Sunday or split between Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Points were allocated down to the 20th position, with an additional two points awarded for the fastest lap. Only a driver's best 18 results contributed to their championship total.

Position Fastest Lap
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
32 28 25 22 20 18 16 14 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2

Champions

Season Champion Team Champion Winter/Finals Champion
1989 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Neil Riddiford Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tarry Racing Not held
1990 Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Thomas Erdos Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Fortec Motorsport
1991 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Bobby Verdon-Roe Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Fortec Motorsport
1992 Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Pedro de la Rosa Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Racing for Spain-Minister
1993 Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ivan Arias Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Racing for Spain-Minister
1994 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall James Matthews Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Manor Motorsport
1995 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Guy Smith Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Manor Motorsport
1996 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall David Cook Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall DCCook Racing
1997 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Marc Hynes Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Manor Motorsport
1998 Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Aluizio Coelho Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallManor Motorsport Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showallAntônio Pizzonia
1999 Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showallAntônio Pizzonia Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallManor Motorsport Template:Country data FINTemplate:Namespace detect showallKimi Räikkönen
2000 Template:Country data FINTemplate:Namespace detect showallKimi Räikkönen Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallManor Motorsport Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallMark McLoughlin (racing driver)
2001 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallCarl Breeze Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallMotaworld Racing Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallRobert Bell (racing driver)
2002 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallDanny Watts Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallFortec Motorsport Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallRobert Bell (racing driver)
2003 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showallLewis Hamilton Template:Flagicon │ GBRManor Motorsport Template:Flagicon │ GBRJay Howard
2004 Formula Renault UK season  │  2004 Template:Flagicon │ GBRMike Conway Template:Flagicon │ GBRFortec Motorsport Template:Flagicon │ GBRStuart Hall (racing driver)
2005 Formula Renault UK season │2005 Template:Flagicon │ GBROliver Jarvis Template:Flagicon │ GBRManor Motorsport Template:Flagicon │ NLDJunior Strous
2006 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship │2006 Template:Flagicon │ SWESebastian Hohenthal Template:Flagicon │ GBRFortec Motorsport Template:Flagicon │ FRAFranck Mailleux
2007 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship │2007 Template:Flagicon │ GBRDuncan Tappy Template:Flagicon │ GBRFortec Motorsport Template:Flagicon │ GBRRichard Singleton[note 1]
2008 Formula Renault UK season │2008 Template:Flagicon │ GBRAdam Christodoulou Template:Flagicon │ GBRCRS Racing Template:Flagicon │ GBRJames Calado
2009 Formula Renault UK season │2009 Template:Flagicon │ GBRDean Smith (racing driver) Template:Flagicon │ GBRManor Competition Template:Flagicon │ GBRHarry Tincknell
2010 Formula Renault UK season │2010 Template:Flagicon │ GBRTom Blomqvist Template:Flagicon │ GBRFortec Motorsport Template:Flagicon │ GBRAlex Lynn
2011 Formula Renault UK season │2011 Template:Flagicon │ GBRAlex Lynn Fortec Motorsport (GBR) 
Template:Flagicon│GBRTemplate:Oliver Rowland
Notes

Protyre Formula Renault Championship

Launched in 1995 by the British Automobile Racing Club, the Protyre Formula Renault Championship initially served as a support series to the Renault Sport UK championship, originally known as the Formula Renault BARC Championship. Its early technical specifications closely followed those of the UK championship from 1989 through 1994. Starting in 2005, the regulations were adjusted to more closely match the UK series but incorporated fixed gear ratios, an intake restrictor to reduce engine wear, and restricted competitors to one new tyre set per event. The championship utilized the older Formula Renault Tatuus chassis introduced in 2000 and updated in 2007, offering a more affordable entry point for drivers with limited budgets.

After the Renault Sport championship folded in early 2012, the BARC Championship ascended to become the foremost Formula Renault competition within the United Kingdom. In 2013, it was renamed the Protyre Formula Renault Championship, shedding the BARC title as it established itself among Great Britain's top national single-seater series. Although initially experiencing growth, participation numbers waned in subsequent seasons, leading to the championship's conclusion in 2014.

Weekend Format

Race weekends commenced with two 25-minute practice sessions on Fridays. Saturdays featured two qualifying sessions lasting 20 minutes each, which set the grids for two races of approximately 30 miles each, conducted on Sunday. The 2012 season introduced triple-header events: the first race was held on Saturday, with two races following on Sunday. The starting order for the third race was determined by drivers’ second-best lap times from the second qualifying session. Points were allocated down to twentieth place, with an additional two points awarded for fastest lap. All but one event counted toward the championship standings, using this points distribution:

Position Fastest Lap
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
32 28 25 22 20 18 16 14 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2

Latest season

The 2013 Protyre Formula Renault Championship represented the nineteenth iteration organized by the British Automobile Racing Club and marked its second year as the United Kingdom’s exclusive top-tier Formula Renault 2.0 competition. The campaign kicked off at Donington Park on April 14 and wrapped up at Silverstone Circuit on September 29. Incorporated within BARC club racing events, the series expanded its calendar from fourteen to sixteen races over six meetings held across England, featuring four weekends with triple-header formats.

Champions

Formula Renault BARC
Season Title Winner Winter/Finals Title Winner
1995 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall David Henderson Not conducted
1996 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ian Astley
1997 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Peter Clarke
1998 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Nick Dudfield
1999 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Elliot Lewis
2000 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jamie Beales
2001 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Martin Wallbank
2002 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jeremy Smith
2003 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall James Gornall
2004 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Nicky Wilson
2005 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Nick Wilcox
2006 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Richard Singleton
2007 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hywel Lloyd Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hywel Lloyd
2008 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ollie Hancock Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall James Theodore
2009 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kieren Clark Not conducted
2010 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Alice Powell Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Josh Webster
2011 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Dino Zamparelli Template:Country data ESPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Victor Jiminez
2012 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Scott Malvern Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Seb Morris
Protyre Formula Renault Championship
Season Title Holder Autumn Title Holder
2013 Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Chris Middlehurst Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ben Barnicoat
2014 Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Pietro Fittipaldi Not conducted

Teams Participating

The following teams have taken part in the Renault Sport or BARC Championships:


  • Antel Motorsport
  • Apotec Scorpio
  • Cliff Dempsey Racing
  • CORE Motorsport
  • Cullen Motorsport
  • CRS Racing
  • Falcon Motorsport
  • Fortec Motorsport
  • Hillspeed
  • Jamun Racing
  • JWA-Avila
  • Manor Motorsport
  • Manor Competition
  • Mark Burdett Motorsport
  • MTECH Lite
  • Mark Godwin Racing
  • RPD Motorsport
  • Team DFR
  • Scorpio Motorsport
  • SWB Motorsport
  • Vitulli Racing
  • Welch Motorsport


External links

Formula Renault 2.0 UK

Formula Renault BARC


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