Motorsport: Formula Regional Oceania Championship returns after long hiatus

Lando Norris driving the McLaren F1 Team MCL34 Renault. Photo / Getty

The Formula Regional Oceania Championship is finally back – and championship manager Nicolas Caillol now faces a challenge to rebuild the series.

After a three-year disruption due to Covid, the second round of the series formerly known as the Toyota Racing Series is at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend.

Caillol is happy to see it return after such a long hiatus, but was a tricky task to get top drivers to return, with more work still to be done.

“Internationally everyone was aware that the series was still here, but we needed to reassure the internationals that the borders were open for good,” Caillol said.

“It’s been a challenging time getting some of the internationals back because over the last two years they have committed to, and have relationships, with other championships.”

Caillol is confident that the series’ reputation for nurturing and being a springboard for young talent will soon be back to where it was before the global pandemic hit.

Instead of concentrating on getting drivers from Europe, Caillol is increasingly looking to America. With a number of Kiwi drivers now established in America, New Zealand’s profile as a hothouse of racing talent is at an all-time high.

“The American market will become more important to us in the future. We have four drivers from the US this year and hopefully the Indy Pro champion Louis Foster will be able to be here for the final three rounds.

“With three F1 rounds in the US now, the single seater pathway into F1 will become more and more important.

“It’s an opportunity to increase our market for drivers and build the international reputation to what it was and allow Kiwi drivers to test themselves against the best young drivers in the world.”

Caillol says the success of drivers like Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin, as well as new IndyCar recruit Marcus Armstrong and Road to Indy drivers Hunter McElrea, Billy Frazer and Jacob Douglas, makes the New Zealand series more attractive.

“The growing success of Kiwi drivers in America is helping to raise our championship awareness.

“For Kiwi drivers to move forward and go international and have opportunities the US is the place to go.

“Europe has become far too expensive, and the market is saturated. If you don’t come with a lot of cash you have no chance. The USF championships are the only ones that promote talent. If you win in the lower championships you get a sponsorship to move up all the way to Indy Lights.”

The Formula Regional Oceania Championship has produced several young drivers who have gone on to race and test in Formula One. The current grid boasts Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Zhou Guanyu and Yuki Tsunoda.

“I think it’s down to the challenging tracks in New Zealand,” says Caillol. “They push the drivers to their limits and unlike a lot of European and Middle East tracks there is very little margin for error.

“You have to push yourself to the limit while remaining in control. The intense five weeks also tests the drivers physically and they get 3500 kilometres of racing in five weeks.

“All the tracks here in New Zealand are quite different and the drivers get to experience all the different corners, track layouts, tarmac, weather and grip levels.

“It makes them a more complete driver having had to come to grips with such a wide range of challenges in such a short period of time.”