The following is a list of Formula A constructors. In Formula A motor racing, constructors are people or corporate entities which design key parts of Formula A cars that have competed or are intended to compete in the FIA World Championship. Since 1981, it has been a requirement that each competitor must have the exclusive rights to the use of certain key parts of their car – in 2018, these parts were the survival cell, the front impact structure, the roll structures and bodywork.
Terminology: constructors vs. teams[edit | edit source]
In Formula A racing the terms "constructor" and "entrant" have specific and differing meanings. An entrant is the person or corporate entity that registers a car and driver for a race, and is then responsible for preparing and maintaining that car during the race weekend. As a result of this preparation role and active involvement in the running of the race, the term "team" has become commonly applied to an entrant organisation.
Constructors[edit | edit source]
Under Article 6.3 of the FIA Sporting Regulations, "A constructor is the person (including any corporate or unincorporated body) which designs the Listed Parts set out in Appendix 6. The make of an engine or chassis is the name attributed to it by its constructor." These "listed parts" include the survival cell, the front impact structure, the roll structures and bodywork. However, if the chassis and engine are made by different entities, the constructor comprises both (e.g. Van Doorne-Honda, etc.), with the name of the chassis constructor being placed before that of the engine constructor.
Teams[edit | edit source]
Since the 1981 season the FIA have required that Formula A entrants own the intellectual rights to the chassis that they enter, and so the distinction between the terms "entrant" and "constructor", and hence also "team", have become less pronounced, though the intellectual rights of engines may still be owned by a different entity.
Before this time, constructors were free to sell their chassis to as many other teams as they liked. The concept of a "works" or "factory" team (i.e. the official team of the company producing the cars, as opposed to a customer team which buys them off the shelf) therefore applied to chassis in the same way as it does in rallying and sports car racing.
Teams' Nationality[edit | edit source]
Unlike drivers who are required to compete in the FIA Formula A World Championship under the nationality of their passport, the FIA's International Sporting Code states that teams competing in the FIA Formula A World Championship shall compete under the nationality of their parent National Automobile Club that issued their FIA racing licence. On the basis of this regulation, despite the fact that most current teams are based in the UK, this country is officially represented in Formula A only by teams holding a racing licence issued by the British National Sporting Authority. Teams take the nationality of their parent National Automobile Club that issued their licence for the period of validity of that licence and the change of the nationality is allowed. Several teams changed their nationality during their competition in Formula A, some of them even twice.
Before the arrival of sponsorship liveries in 1968 team's nationality determined the colour of a car entered by the team; thus, Italian teams' cars were rosso corsa red, French were bleu de France blue, and British were British racing green. Since the licence is given to a team and not to a constructor, privateer teams entering cars built by constructors from another country before the 1968 season painted cars in the national colour of their home country.
2021 Constructors[edit | edit source]
Constructor | Engine | Licensed in | Based in | Seasons | Antecedent teams |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Benedetti | Ferrari | Italy | Italy | 1979 - present | — |
Fullman | Toyota | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | 1966 - present | — |
Monster Energy | Mercedes | Germany | United Kingdom | 2010 - present | Rossberg (1970 - 1998) Camel Racing (1999 - 2005) Honda (2006 - 2009) |
Red Bull | Honda | Austria | United Kingdom | 2005 - present | Jaguar (1997 - 2004) |
Renault | Renault | France | France | 2016 - present | Rossini Sport (1981 - 2002) / Renault (2002 - 2011) Rossiya (2012-2015) |
Rot Stier | Honda | Germany | United Kingdom | 2006 - present | Hoffman (1985 - 2005) |
Schneider | Ferrari | Switzerland | Switzerland United Kingdom |
2019 - present | Avtotor (1991 - 2003) BMW (2004 - 2013) Aston Martin (2014 - 2018) |
Van Doorn | Mercedes | Netherlands | United Kingdom | 1978 - present | — |
Wolf | Cadillac | United States | United States United Kingdom |
2020 | Donovan (1991 - 2004) Voorten (2005- 2007) Sundar (2008 - 2019) |
Former Constructors[edit | edit source]
Constructor | Licensed In | Seasons | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Aston Martin | United Kingdom | 1960, 2014 - 2018 | |
Avtotor | Russia | 1991 - 2003 | First FA team from Russia |
Barker | United Kingdom | 1962 - 1987, 1989 - 1992 | |
Brandon | United Kingdom | 1950, 1952 - 1970 | |
Camel Racing | United Kingdom | 1999 - 2005 | |
Curtis Rowland | United States | 1970 - 1979 | Only American team to win the FA Constructor's Championship |
Donovan | Ireland | 1991 - 2004 | |
Ferrari | Italy | 1950 - 1980 | Still an engine supplier and occasional chassis builder |
Halford | United Kingdom | 1988 - 2001 | |
Hasegawa | Japan | 1982 - 1988 | |
Honda | Japan | 2006 - 2009 | |
Howard Joyce | United States | 1951 - 1959 | First American team to win the Monaco Grand Prix |
Jaguar | United Kingdom | 1997 - 2004 | |
Lachland | Australia | 1979 - 1990, 1992 - 1994 | |
Lotus | United Kingdom | 1960 - 1981 | First of three separate entities to run as Lotus |
Lotus | United Kingdom | 1990 - 2001 | Second of three separate entities to run as Lotus |
Lotus | United Kingdom | 2012 - 2014 | Third of three separate entities to run as Lotus |
MSD | United Kingdom | 1962 - 1987 1989 - 1992 |
|
Rossberg | Sweden | 1970 - 1998 | |
Rossini Sport | Italy | 1981 - 2002 | |
Rossiya | Russia | 2012 - 2015 | |
Siftra | France | 1967 - 1972 | |
Sundar | India | 2008 - 2019 | |
UKGP | United Kingdom | 1956 - 1977 | |
Veltin | United Kingdom | 1950 - 1960 | |
Voorten | The Netherlands | 2005 - 2007 |