The 2018/19 New Zealand Formula 1600 Championship was one of the best season’s the category has had for some years. Sixteen races produced four different winning drivers’ in four different makes of race-cars.
Jordan Michels (Mygale SJ13) won the close fought title from Josh Bethune (Ray GR1) with Callum Crawley (Spectrum 015) third. Crawley showed that he will be a major contender for 2019/20 as it is unlikely that Bethune and Michels will return for another season. The fourth race winner was rookie James Penrose (Van Diemen Stealth).
I caught up with a number of drivers and asked why they would recommend the F1600 category and what race-craft have they learned from the experience.
Jordan Michels has been campaigning in the F1600 category for four seasons. What stood out in this last season was a more determined attitude by both driver and team of never giving up, right through to the very last lap of the season.
Michels had played ‘second-fiddle’ for most of the season to rival Josh Bethune. Bethune was in his second F1600 season and ideally needed to finish ahead of Michels in the last race of the championship to secure the title. However, contact with another competitor on the last lap saw Bethune spin out of contention. Michels crossed the finish line in second place earning enough points for the title. He is one very enthusiastic driver who recommends the category for up and coming karters.
“I’ve driven a big range of cars and none have been near the racing like in F1600,” commented Jordan Michaels. “It’s (the category) about learning lessons in setup, working with your engineer, using data – all important for later on. It has given me some of the toughest racing, quite different to karting”
Bethune learned a hard lesson that day but in no doubt will have gained from the experience. He agrees with Michels and adds, “It’s a great way to learn race-craft including draughting, blocking and passing. It teaches you everything you need to know about racing, as well as learning all the tracks.”
Bethune did go on and win his second consecutive South Island F1600 Championship title .
Penrose, an ex kartsport champion, was one to shine in his rookie season driving a 16-year-old Van Diemen. Two race wins and six other races finishing on the podium. However, three ‘did-not-finished’ races saw him fall out of title contention.
“You learn about racing a proper car – standing starts, draughting and a lot of other things you don’t get in karting,” said James Penrose. “The racing is so close between the top group of drivers. Skills from karting are transferable and it makes for exciting racing, superb driver development and improving race-craft.”
Cameron Freeman (Van Diemen RF92) finished sixth overall in the South Island F1600 champs and third in Class 2. “Everyone has been a great help. The racing is clean. While karting taught me wheel to wheel racing, in F1600 it is a whole lot faster.”
While Christchurch’s Jack Noble-Adams (Van Diemen Stealth) may have finished fifth in the national series he stood on the podium three times over the season including twice in the final South Island Championship round.
“My driving skills have improved through the roof. It’s been a great place to develop and take the skills I learned in karting to a car.”
The common thread seems to be that these young drivers have all been through kartsport and made the step into Formula 1600. Several of them will now make the next step up taking a solid skill-base with them. It’s a category for learning, and it’s a category that has endured the test of time.
Also see: Is the Ford Kent still the best F1600 option?
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