The 2012 edition of the once very popular British Formula Renault 2.0 Championship has been cancelled.
The harsh decision comes just two weeks before the expected first round of the series at Brands Hatch, after just six drivers signed up to the championship.
Two years ago, the series introduced the brand new Barazi-Epsilon chassis, whilst 32 drivers entered the championship during the season.
But last season, the number of drivers at the start fell to 13. Recently, only six drivers took part to the winter tests in Brands Hatch.
The Formula Renault UK was launched in 1989, and was one of the prestigious single seater series in Europe.
Several racing stars were crowned in F. Renault UK, including Pedro de la Rosa (1992 champion), Antonio Pizzonia (1999), Kimi Raikkonen (2000, who moved directly in Formula 1 the following year), Lewis Hamilton (2003) or former DTM driver Oliver Jarvis (2005).
This cancellation is a sad testimony of the deep crisis that marks single seater racing today.
While the GP2 and GP3 series are still going strong, Formula 3 struggles to attract young drivers. The F3 Euroseries is about to begin with only 9 drivers currently entered. The Italian, Spanish (Open) and British F3 championship are also facing very small grids. The high costs of participation and the slow economy en Europe contributed to the current situation.
The harsh decision comes just two weeks before the expected first round of the series at Brands Hatch, after just six drivers signed up to the championship.
Two years ago, the series introduced the brand new Barazi-Epsilon chassis, whilst 32 drivers entered the championship during the season.
But last season, the number of drivers at the start fell to 13. Recently, only six drivers took part to the winter tests in Brands Hatch.
The Formula Renault UK was launched in 1989, and was one of the prestigious single seater series in Europe.
Several racing stars were crowned in F. Renault UK, including Pedro de la Rosa (1992 champion), Antonio Pizzonia (1999), Kimi Raikkonen (2000, who moved directly in Formula 1 the following year), Lewis Hamilton (2003) or former DTM driver Oliver Jarvis (2005).
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| Kimi Raikkonen, Formula Renault champion in Great-Britain in 2000. (Photo: WRi2) |
This cancellation is a sad testimony of the deep crisis that marks single seater racing today.
While the GP2 and GP3 series are still going strong, Formula 3 struggles to attract young drivers. The F3 Euroseries is about to begin with only 9 drivers currently entered. The Italian, Spanish (Open) and British F3 championship are also facing very small grids. The high costs of participation and the slow economy en Europe contributed to the current situation.