FIA Super Licence

The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the licence-holder to compete in the Formula One World Championship as a driver. The licence is issued to drivers who have met criteria of success in junior motorsport categories, have been a Super Licence holder for one or more of the three previous seasons, or have been a Super Licence holder before the three previous seasons, if the FIA judges they have demonstrated "outstanding ability in single-seater formula cars" and achieved 300 kilometres (190 miles) of running in a Formula One car.

Requirements

To qualify for an FIA Super Licence the requesting driver must already be the holder of an International Grade A competition licence, and additionally meet the requirements of the FIA International Sporting Code, Appendix L.[1]

Drivers will need to have completed six races in Formula 2, or accumulated 25 superlicence points in eligible championships during the previous three years, to qualify for their first F1 free practice superlicence. 40 points are needed from the previous three years to qualify for a full superlicence. A superlicence is not necessary for a driver to partake in F1 testing sessions or to be a nominated test driver for a Formula 1 team. However, any driver nominated as a reserve driver will need a full superlicence.

Drivers reapplying subsequently need to demonstrate they have completed a full season in F2 or amassed 25 superlicence points during a three-year period.

As of 2018, Super License points are awarded according to the following table:[2]

Series Championship position
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
FIA Formula 2 Championship 40 40 40 30 20 10 8 6 4 3
GP2 Series (defunct from 2016) 40 40 30 20 10 8 6 4 3 2
IndyCar Series 40 30 20 10 8 6 4 3 2 1
European Formula 3 Championship 30 25 20 10 8 6 4 3 2 1
FIA Formula E Championship
FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1 30 24 20 16 12 10 8 6 4 2
GP3 Series 25 20 15 10 7 5 3 2 1 0
World Series Formula V8 3.5 20 15 10 8 6 4 3 2 1 0
Super Formula
FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 20 16 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0
IMSA Prototypes 17 14 10 8 6 4 2 1 0 0
F3 Americas Championship 16 14 10 8 6 4 2 1 0 0
FIA F3 Regional Championships 15 12 10 7 5 3 2 1 0 0
World Touring Car Cup 15 12 10 7 5 3 2 1 0 0
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Indy Lights
NASCAR Cup Series
Super GT
Supercars Championship 13 11 9 6 4 3 2 1 0 0
FIA Formula 4 championships 12 10 7 5 3 2 1 0 0 0
Asian/ELMS Prototypes 10 8 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0
FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT-Pro
FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT-Am
IMSA GT Le Mans
National Formula Three championships 10 7 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
Formula Renault 2.0
Formula Mazda
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Toyota Racing Series 7 5 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
International GT3 Series 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Formula Academy (FFSA) 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
Karting World Championship Senior category 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Karting Continental Championships Senior Category 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Karting World Championship Junior Category
Karting Continental Championships Junior Category 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2KCUP World Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  • In June 2016, it was announced that the FIA decided it would award two bonus 'safety points' to drivers who generally avoided penalties for dangerous or unsporting behaviour over the course of a season. This announcement also saw the addition of Formula E and V8 Supercars to the list of drivers who could receive superlicence points.[3]
  • GP3 will merge with European Formula 3 at the end of the 2018 season to form the FIA Formula 3 Championship, both the European Formula 3 and GP3 series will become defunct.

Cost of licence

The FIA charges the licence holder an annual fee. According to a report on the BBC, the cost of a super licence rose by an average £8,700 in 2009, and there was an extra charge of € 2,100 per point earned in 2008 - up from €447 per point in 2007.[4] In 2010, Lewis Hamilton would pay £242,000 for his licence for the season.

Reducing the cost of the super licence represented a significant policy shift for FIA's then-president Max Mosley, who wrote to Formula 1 drivers in February 2009 suggesting that they "race elsewhere if they were unable to pay for their super licences."[5] After Mosley met with representatives from the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) on March 23, 2009, the FIA issued a statement: "Following a very positive meeting between FIA President Max Mosley and representatives of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), a proposal will be made to the World Motor Sport Council to revise super licence fees for drivers in the 2010 championship".[6]

In November 2012, however, FIA announced it would again increase the cost of the super licence.[7] According to McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, the proposed increase would lead to a basic fee of €10,000 ($12,800) for the super licence plus €1,000 ($1,280) for each world championship point.[8] 2009 Formula 1 World Driver's Champion Jenson Button objected, and expressed his position that all current F1 drivers should pay the same flat fee for their super licences:

Personally I don't feel that we should be paying different super licence fees for different drivers and different point situations. I mean, when you get your licence to drive on the road, because you do more miles you don't pay more for it, do you? And you don't pay more for a licence in any other category because you've got a better car or whatever, so it should be a flat fee.

— Jenson Button, [9]

In 2009, Button's total super licensing costs were approximately €1M ($1.28M).[10][11]

Nationality of drivers

The nationality that appears on the racing licence is the same one that appears on the driver's passport. This is not necessarily the same as the country issuing the racing licence. A Frenchman living in Germany can race with a German licence, but the nationality displayed would still be French. In order to race as German, the driver would need to have German nationality as well. Drivers with multiple citizenship choose their "official" nationality.[12] However, sometimes mistakes relating to the nationality of drivers occur even on official documents issued by the FIA or race organisers, e.g. Ulstermen John Watson and Eddie Irvine, who both hold the British nationality on their passports, identified as Irish by official Entry lists.[13][14]

References

  1. ↑ "Appendix L to the International Sporting Code". FIA. June 18, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ https://www.fia.com/file/66613/download/12831?token=-BWJjhY3
  3. ↑ "'Safer' drivers to get Formula 1 super licence boost in FIA tweak". Autosport.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "F1 set to cut super-licence fee". BBC. March 24, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2013. The Grand Prix Drivers' Association, which represents the majority of F1 drivers, had expressed its discontent at a hike in fees in 2008.
  5. ↑ "F1 set to cut super-licence fee". BBC. March 24, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2013. The decision to reduce the licence cost is a big turnaround for Mosley who, in February, wrote to Formula 1 drivers to suggest they race elsewhere if they were unable to pay for their super licences.
  6. ↑ "F1 set to cut super-licence fee". BBC. March 24, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2013. A number of other issues were discussed and the FIA has agreed to meet representatives of the GPDA on a regular basis to maintain what promises to be a constructive dialogue.
  7. ↑ "F1 drivers to pay more for their FIA super license". yallaf1.com. November 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2013. F1 drivers will also have to contribute, with Eason saying the cost of their super licence is facing “massive hikes”.
  8. ↑ "Motorsports Governing Body FIA Increases License Fees For F1 Drivers' Super License". SportsBusinessDaily Global. November 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2013. Whitmarsh shows understanding for FIA's "idea of increasing its revenue" in that manner.
  9. ↑ "Button wants flat super licence fee". ESPN F1.com. November 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2013. Jenson Button believes all drivers should pay the same amount for their super licence to race in Formula One.
  10. ↑ Witte Meier, Roman (November 5, 2012). "Royalties: When success is expensive". Motorsport-total.com. Retrieved February 17, 2013. When I won the World Cup because it was just really expensive. I had to pay about a million euros, if I remember rightly," said Jenson Button, who won the title in 2009.
  11. ↑ "Motorsports Governing Body FIA Increases License Fees For F1 Drivers' Super License". SportsBusinessDaily Global. November 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2013. When I won the title, it became really expensive. I had to pay pay an estimated €1M ($1.28M), if I remember correctly.
  12. ↑ "FIA International Sporting Code" (PDF). FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 13 October 2013. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015. 9.5.2 All Drivers, irrespective of the nationality of their Licence, participating in any FIA World Championship Competition, shall retain the nationality of their passport in all official documents, publications and prize‐giving ceremonies.
  13. ↑ "1978 United States Grand Prix Entry list".
  14. ↑ "1996 FIA Formula One World Championship Entry List" (PDF). FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 4 December 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
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