FIA invites tenders for F2

13/07/2008
NEWS STORY

The FIA has launched the tender process for the proposed FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Interested parties are invited to tender to become the exclusive supplier of the single seat, open wheel racing cars to be used by the competitors in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 FIA Formula 2 Championship. The Championship will comprise ten events in Europe between the months of April and September.

The FIA hopes that the cost to a competitor of competing in the Championship for a calendar year – to include full participation in all official testing and events – could be in the region of 200,000 Euros per car, though no minimum or maximum price is indicated in this tender.

Further details regarding the series are set out in the actual 74-page tender document, and these include:

The Championship will comprise ten events in Europe between the months of April and September.

Each event will comprise one hour of free practice, one hour of qualifying and one race of approximately 175km.

Each event will take place over a Saturday and Sunday.

There will be six official testing events of one day each – three before the first race of the season and three during the season.

Official testing events may take place on any day of the week.

Competitors will be permitted to enter up to two drivers in the Championship but must enter for the entire season – event-by-event entry will not be permitted.

The supplier will be permitted to reserve for itself and its partners or subcontractors a certain percentage (not more than 20%) and section of each car’s externally visible surface area for sponsorship. Competitors will be permitted to design the livery for the remaining percentage and sections of the car’s externally visible surface area, which the supplier will paint in a neutral manner and which will be supplied to the competitors free from any colouring, stickering, advertising or other indications of brands or brand names.

The cars are to be designed, produced and delivered in a timely manner by the winning tenderer to the location of each official testing and event.

To ensure sporting equality among competitors:

The cars to be supplied must be identical, insofar as practicable;

Competitors will draw lots to determine which individual car they use at each given event and official testing;

At the end of each event and official testing, the cars will be returned to the winning tenderer, ready for transfer to the next event or official testing;
- competitors will not have access to the cars save at events and official testing; and

At events and official testing, the only adjustments competitors will be permitted to make to the car will be minor adjustments to the cars’ “set-up”.

The winning tenderer shall be responsible for sourcing and ensuring supply of consumables, including tyres and fuel to the Championship. As regards tyres, competitors will be permitted to use a maximum per car of:

three sets of dry weather tyres per event;

two sets of wet weather tyres per event;

two sets of dry weather tyres per official testing; and

two sets of wet weather tyres per official testing.

The FIA’s preliminary view is that for the Championship to go ahead, there would need to be a minimum participation of 14 cars. If participation exceeds 26 cars, then the FIA reserves the right to amend the Sporting Regulations to allow for heats and a final at each event. However, it is not envisaged that any variation in the per car price to be paid will be permitted as a result of the level of participation
.
Final Sporting Regulations will be drafted in due course by the FIA but, in case it is of assistance to potential tenderers, the FIA confirms that, save for the Championship-specific elements, it is intended that the Sporting Regulations will be based in large part on those used in the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is anticipated that the Sporting Regulations will be available in October 2008. The FIA is prepared to enter into discussions with the selected tenderer in relation to certain aspects of the Sporting Regulations but any final decision on the provisions of the Sporting Regulations will be for the FIA alone.

The selected tenderer will be responsible not only for the design, production and transportation of a sufficient number of race-ready and technically identical cars to each event and official testing but also for all maintenance and repair work on those cars throughout the season. It will also be responsible for supplying all fuel, tyres and other consumables, all spare parts and for providing a number of technical personnel to support the competitors at events and official testing. It is envisaged that competitors would be responsible for the cost of replacing parts damaged as a result of racing accidents.

A strong preference exists for the title of the Championship to be the "FIA Formula 2 Championship". However the FIA is prepared to consider adapting the name of the Championship to include reference to the name of the selected tenderer or a title sponsor where tenderers submit bids requesting such adaptation.

The selected tenderer will be invited to enter into a contract with the FIA that will establish the terms of the tenderer's appointment as exclusive supplier. The exclusive supplier will make the cars, the spare parts and the consumables available directly to the teams (not to the FIA) under terms and conditions to be agreed.

Bids must be submitted in accordance with the FIA's "Invitation to tender for sole supply contract – tendering instructions" available on the FIA's website.

Bids must be submitted by 29 August 2008, with the successful tenderer being notified on 8 September 2008.