2014 Formula Acceleration 1 season

Acceleration 2014

The 2014 Formula Acceleration 1 season was a formula racing series that started over 25–27 April in Portimao, Portugal and ended over 17–19 October at the TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands.[1] The series featured 12 teams that represented the nations in which they were founded. Their drivers did not have that nationality per sé, but the car represented the flag. This concept was similar to the one used in the former A1 Grand Prix series, whose vehicles were used in FA1. To attract young, yet serious, racing drivers, the 2014 winning driver/team was promised the full budget for the 2015 FA1 season and a test day in a GP2 Series car in Abu Dhabi.[2]

Formula Acceleration 1 (FA1) was the most prominent part of Acceleration 2014, a series of festivals combining top class car and bike racing with music and entertainment.[3] Next to FA1, there was the MW-V6 Pickup Series, based on the former Dutch racing series BRL V6, the Legend SuperCup, based on legends car racing, and the European Stock 600 and 1000 Series, which featured motorcycle racing for 15- and 16-year-olds. As for the music, on Friday evenings, David Hasselhoff hosted "Celebrate the 80's and the 90's with The Hoff", a dance party featuring 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, Kim Wilde, and others. Saturday evenings saw performances from international DJs.[4]

The championship was dominated by Nigel Melker and Mirko Bortolotti, taking eight of the ten race victories between them. Melker clinched the championship title after Bortolotti skipped the final round at Assen. Third place in the championship went to Richard Gonda, who achieved a trio of podium finishes but without victory. Indeed, the only other driver to take a race victory besides Melker and Bortolotti was Felix Rosenqvist, who completed a double at Monza; he finished the season in fifth place, three points behind Sebastian Balthasar. Netherlands won the nations' championship by 10.5 points ahead of Italy.

On 22 December 2014, it was announced that the series would be merged with Auto GP in 2015, to ensure that at least 18 cars will participate in each race. It was also announced that the 2015 champion will be granted a Formula One test.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Acceleration Events Europe Motor Race Auto GP MW V6 Trophy 600 and 1000 family event Resources and Information". Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  2. ^ "FA1 Driver Information" (PDF). Acceleration14.com.
  3. ^ "Acceleration Events Europe Motor Race Auto GP MW V6 Trophy 600 and 1000 family event Resources and Information". acceleration14.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Acceleration Events Europe Motor Race Auto GP MW V6 Trophy 600 and 1000 family event Resources and Information". acceleration14.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  5. ^ Kaligis, Bas (22 December 2014). "Auto GP en FA1 bundelen krachten in nieuw kampioenschap" [Auto GP and FA1 join forces in new championship] (in Dutch). RaceXpress. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Auto GP set for Formula Acceleration merger in bid to boost grids". Autosport. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.