Come to Formula 1 It is a hard and long way. It is a learning ladder that starts in karting, while the formation of a pilot ends in the Formula 2. Each step has an annual budget that is increasing with the ascent in the minor categories. Sometimes the families of the boys usually play it all and the case of the father of Franco frankntoto who sold a house to pay for the season of Formula 4 His son serves as an example. In the last decade the business changed and the objective of young people is to reach a maximum academy of teams to get the desired promotion.
The pilots start from a very young age and in the epilogue of their adolescence they are already climbing to an F1 car in their first trials. Going behind the major dream in motor racing implies the complexity of burning stages since boys grow suddenly. Especially non -European young people who live uprooting from an early age and Collapent It also serves as a sample, since at 14 he moved only to Italy and in his early days he lived in a karting factory.
For Argentines and South Americans in general, the problem is even greater due to the difference in price of the euro and dollar with local currencies, according to each case. Infobae He investigated in this regard and could find out how much is the cost that runners must solve since they begin in the Karting at local and International level. Then, once they hit the jump to the monopostos, the values relevant to the different promotional categories.
In our country at the Karting level, children compete regularly and there are two championships that are reference: Rotax e In this They have between eight and ten dates. Each oscillates the 2,500 to $ 3,000 By career. The most important events are the Argentine Karting championship which has four dates and each one has an estimated value of $ 6,000.
At the local level, the work of the Automobile Sports Commission (CDA) of Automobile Club Argentino (ACA). From the mother entity, in 2024 a budget was allocated to the Karting Commission that is under the wing of the CDA, in order to promote the activity. This year an agreement was also made with Honda so that children and their families can have facilities. For example, today a chassis is sold for $ 1,800 and the engines of the aforementioned Japanese brand, 400 dollars. With that investment you can start in the categories that go to children from 6 to 10 years. Then there are additional costs per event such as registration that costs some 350.000 pesos And in the case of wanting to rent a Honda engine, they are some 200.000 pesos By career.
The phenomenon generated around Collapent for its nine Great F1 awards con Williams In 2024, he led to boys to this sport. For example, from Franco’s debut in the maximum, Rotax grew from 80/90 pilots by date and in the last one had about 110/120 participants.
In addition, there are incentives for boys who achieve the title in the Argentine championship since the CDA Karting Commission pays for participation in the World Championship of the International Karting Commission (CIK)the maximum ecumenical contest, that which was won by Max Verstappen And that he couldn’t get Ayrton Senna. For this case, the World Cup date costs some 10,000 euros ($ 11,363)the same value as the Europeanwhere most of the current F1 drivers were formed.
Once the Karting stage is completed, at 16 a boy can start running in cars and the next step is formula 4. The full season (seven dates) in the Spanish or Italian, with 14 days of test, demand some 450,000 euros ($ 513,000) at least. If it is intended to run in Top teams such as Campos o MP Motorsportcosts vary from 650,000 euros ($ 741,000) to 700,000 euros ($ 798,000). If mini tournaments are made that usually have three dates can be some 120,000 euros ($ 13,000) to 140,000 euros ($ 160,000) additional Wave winter Series son 220,000 ($ 250,000). In addition, there is the Middle East contest in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which adds others 250,000 euros ($ 285,000). That is, if a pilot decides to make a F4 season with all the mini tournaments mentioned with the base values, the total value amounts to 1,040,000 euros ($ 1,185,000).
Motivated by the “collapint effect”, five Argentines compete this year in Formula 4 In Europe: Gino Trappa, Santino Panetta, Francisco Monarch y Santiago Baztarrica in the Spanish F-4; y Theo schrop en la f-4 italian. This season there is a total of 19 Argentines running abroadaccording to the site Heart of F1.
These are intermediate divisional between the Formula 4 and the Formula 3 that accompanies the F1, the same in which he ran Collapentwho also participated between 2019 and 2021 in the other two mentioned. They are also f3 monoplays, but with minor benefits. The Eurocup It has eight dates and three more in winter tournaments. Its value varies between 600,000 euros (684,000 euros) y 700.000 euros (798.000). In the Regional formula (ten dates and eight days of tests), go from 600,000 euros ($ 684,000) to 650,000 euros ($ 741,000). If you want to compete in winter championships, you have to add some 250,000 euros ($ 285,000).
To understand the differences between these categories and the Formula 3 partenaire of the F1, this medium spoke with Made RegaliaArgentine pilot who ran in the GP2 (today Formula 2) in 2014 and today represents pilots in his company Road to Success. “The regional has a tatuus chassis, an alpine engine and pirelli tires. The Eurocup is also tatuus chassis, but they use Hankook rubber Jump of 270 (regional and Eurocup) to 400 horses (F3). The brake system is also much better too. It is a more than important leap in quality. You went from one Difference of ten seconds of time per lap between one car and another”, Explains the one born in San Fernando.
Once the intermediate stage is completed, the Formula 3 That is where Collapent ran between 2022 and 2023. Here the budget is 1,500,000 million euros ($ 1,710,000) With a full season and six days of testing. The next step is already the direct prelude to the F1 and it is the Formula 2with some 2.5 million euros ($ 2,850,000)with 14 events and six days of official essays. The alternative is the Super formula from Japan, with faster cars than the F2 and whose annual budget would be close to the 1,200,000 euros ($ 1,368,000).
At this point a pilot must have been recruited by any of the F1 Escudero Academies, if you intend to keep your chances of running at the maximum. The development format offered by academies changed the story for better and leveled up. Once within the structure of a maximum team, children practice in the simulator and can even have tests. It may be that a corridor is incorporated by an academy for having a budget, but without proven talent it is almost impossible to have its chance.
A few years ago a F1 armchair was around 15/20 million euros (17,100,000 to $ 22,800,000)but the theme changed as Rualia indicates. “Today there is no specific price due to the academies of the teams. The boy who is there has a chance to start, he must put a budget, but not that amount. Ollie Bearman y Some Antonellithey did not contribute a single euro for rising to F1. The only one that brought a certain sponsorship in Brazil is Gabriel Bortoleto (I was at the McLaren Academy before debuting this year in Sauber), which made enough merit to be the F3 and F2 champion. But the rest are all uploaded by the team itself, by the structure itself as happened with Franco (collates) in Williamswho was ready when they went down to Logan Sargeant. It all depends a lot on that, the circumstances, the stage and the pilot. Of course there were cases like Chino Guanyu Zhouwhich was in Alfa Romeo in recent years. Surely he made an important contribution to the structure and based on that he could make the leap. ”
It should be noted that this staircase to get the F1 adds the Superliccenceexclusive requirement to be able to run at the maximum. 40 points must be added throughout the promotional categories and these units are granted according to the final position of a certain championship. For example, in the Formula 2 ES: 1 (40), 2nd (40), 3rd (40), 4th (30), 5th (20), 6 (10), 7th (8), 8th (6), 9th (4), and 10º (3).
The requirements to get the Superliccence are:
-Be of legal age (at least 18), although discretionary the FIA can grant one at age 17.
-To driving license
-A impeccable history as a driver
-To International Degree A License as a pilot
-Probure a written test
-Clear at least two years competing
-Haber completed at least 300 km of test in a formula 1 car
-Sumar 40 points in the Superlican points system during a three -year period.
-Po to pay it, since its price ranges from the 10,000 euros ($ 11,400) and 20,000 euros ($ 22,800). In addition, they are added 2,100 euros ($ 2,400) for each point achieved in the season before which the license is requested.
Automobileism is the most expensive sport and along the way it is necessary to disburse a lot of money. That is why the role of the sponsors that the pilot counts is vital. As categories are progressing more and if they reach the Formula 3 y Formula 2 It is more feasible to get sponsor because it is closer to F1. Being its mass events -also an explosion of popularity generated in the last five years by the series of Netflix-investing in a corridor with potential and talent to reach the maxim can be a big business.
In the world there are millions of pilots with enabled licenses. Thousands of them manage to be professionals. A few hundred compete in the European elite. Just 20 are headlines in Formula 1. The road is increasingly difficult and that is why the work of Franco frankntoto which was the first Argentine in 23 years to run in the maximum.
