When you first get started in open-wheel formula racing, immediately selecting a high downforce, high horsepower car can be an easy trap to fall into. The plethora of Formula Ford-style classes across various simulators offers new and experienced sim racers a raw and teachable driving experience.
The lack of front and rear wings characterises Formula Fords. With various engines at the back, the power output across multiple decades of racing offers a consistent style of racing. A test of the driver over the machine means that learning accurate, unassisted car control is essential for finding speed in these cars.
Formula Ford racing is the perfect training ground for learning how to drive in wet weather.
Automobilista 2
A great introduction to Formula Fords would be the Formula Trainer in Automobilista 2! Whilst not explicitly described as the formula Ford, the specifications and car characteristics are almost identical. You also have two choices with the class.
The "Simple Trainer" has analogue gauges and semi-slick tires, while the "Advanced Trainer" features an LCD screen and slick tyres. The Advanced Trainer will feel more twitchy initially, but there is more overall grip available, so once mastered, you will be able to produce faster times around the same track than the basic trainer.
But what makes these cars especially fun to drive is their handling. Wet or dry, assists or no assists: These cars are lively and want to be thrashed at 100% all of the time. If you are like me, you will find yourself spending hours just lapping different circuits in the pouring rain and blazing sunshine, having an absolute blast.
Formula Fords are ideally suited for unforgiving circuits like Donington Park.
The fantastic Formula Ford Festival - DURATEC Champions 2007 - 2011 livery pack is a livery pack for Automobilista 2's Formula Trainer. The liveries and the historical relevance of the cars you are driving only add to the enjoyment and immersion. Having real drivers in their period-correct cars and liveries adds such a huge immersion bonus.
These cars are designed to go wheel to wheel, and whether you decide to recreate your chosen Formula Ford Festival year down to the finest detail at Brands Hatch or race abroad somewhere, this pack will give you hours of fun. The quality of the liveries and the close racing in this exciting class within Automobilista 2 make for some fantastic on-track potential.
RaceRoom Experience
Similar to Automobilista 2, RaceRoom's Formula Ford is free content and is known in the sim as Formula 'RaceRoom Junior'. Out of the three simulators listed in this piece, these cars are the weakest. The car is old by modern sim racing standards. However, the physics and tyre model are up to date with RaceRoom's latest overhaul. Because of this, the feeling of raw car control and punishing driving characteristics is still very much present.
Breitling sponsored Formula Junior, RaceRoom. Image: KW Studios
Online racing is not where RaceRoom shines, at least not without external input from third-party websites and services. However, setting up a session or championship in RaceRoom with the adaptive AI is excellent fun, with close single-player AI racing guaranteed. Sure, it is not perfect in terms of physics or feedback, but these cars are a great and free way to try out Formula Ford cars if you're looking to get started!
iRacing
By far and away the best place to race these raw formula cars against other players, iRacing offers the official Ray Formula Ford 1600 as a free car when you have an active subscription to their service. The calendar has a plethora of free circuits, regardless of what season iRacing is currently in. The competition is fierce, and the racing is tough. Be careful about bumping wheels, as these cars like to flip upside down, with some slightly dodgy netcode thrown in to make it even more challenging!
iRacing's free Ray FF1600. Image: iRacing
The Formula Ford 1600 was added to the iRacing service at the start of 2023, and along with it came a special event that has characterised real Formula Ford racing for decades: the BRSCC iRacing FF1600 Festival at Brands Hatch!
The British Racing & Sports Car Club iRacing FF1600 Festival is an event that emulates the Formula Ford Festival run in real life. What makes this event unique on the iRacing service is the utilisation of the heat racing format used at the real festival.
Official logo for the iRacing Formula Ford Festival. Image: iRacing
Overview
Overall, the Formula Ford category in sim racing is alive and kicking in 2025. iRacing is the place to go for regular competitive online races across a variety of both free and paid tracks. Still, Automobilista 2 is a great way to recreate some famous Festival moments or enjoy the fantastic driving physics of the Formula Junior!
RaceRoom is the outlier, with its physics lagging behind those of the other two sims. However, the RaceRoom trainer class is free, as is RaceRoom itself. If you want to give the class a go without investing money, then look no further than KW Studios' RaceRoom!
For new sim racers, Formula Ford is a great playground to learn how to control a car and discover its limits, especially with the numerous options available across various simulators. Find which sim you most like the feel of, and then build up your pace over time to learn how to get the most out of these little pocket rockets!
The History of Formula Ford (1967-Present)
Formula Ford is an infamous entry-level single-seater category that has served as a vital springboard for many aspiring professional drivers since its inception in the late 1960s. Known for its emphasis on driver skill over mechanical advantage, the series was once a crucial part of the global motorsport ladder, particularly as a stepping stone to Formula 1 and other top-tier open-wheel racing series, like IndyCar.
FF1600 at Montreal. Image: Veilleux79 on Wikimedia Commons via CC BY-SA 4.0
The roots of Formula Ford can be traced back to the United Kingdom, the home of Formula One, dating back to 1967. It was born out of an idea by motor racing instructor Geoff Clarke at the Brands Hatch-based Motor Racing Stables school. Clarke wanted to create an affordable and accessible racing category for young drivers who had graduated from racing schools. The concept was to use a single-seater chassis similar to those used in Formula 3 cars of the time. Still, it was powered by the then readily available and inexpensive 1600cc Ford Kent engine from the Ford Cortina GT.
The first official Formula Ford race took place at Brands Hatch on July 2nd, 1967. Manufacturers like Lotus, Merlyn, and Alexis built the initial cars. The formula quickly gained traction due to its low costs, simplicity, and the opportunity it gave for accessible racing. By the early 1970s, Formula Ford had spread internationally, with championships springing up across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and North America.
One of Formula Ford's defining features was always the lack of aerodynamic aids, such as front or rear wings. This keeps the racing closely contested and emphasises mechanical grip and driver ability over reliability on aerodynamic aids.
Formula Ford 1600, a 2011-founded championship for Ford-powered Formula Fords. Image: C. Minniss Photography
The formula has historically been open to various chassis manufacturers, leading to fierce competition and rapid development within the rules. But it was not just the cars that saw significant development; several drivers saw their careers launched by their achievements in these plucky single-seaters.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Formula Ford became renowned for producing world-class driving talent. Notable alumni include Ayrton Senna, who dominated the 1981 British Formula Ford 1600 championship and later the Formula Ford 2000 championship, which was run on. Others who began their careers in Formula Ford include Emerson Fittipaldi, Nigel Mansell, Jenson Button, and Mark Webber. It became clear that excelling in Formula Ford was a strong indicator of future success.
In the 1990s, the category diversified, with different engine regulations emerging in various regions. This included the Formula Ford Zetec in the mid-90s, which introduced fuel injection, and later, the Duratec-powered cars in the 2000s. In 2012, Ford introduced the EcoBoost engine to the series, adding turbocharging and further modernising the formula.
FF1600, Castle Coombe. Image: C. Minniss Photography
Despite facing competition from other junior formulas, such as Formula Renault and FIA Formula 4, Formula Ford has remained a respected and iconic proving ground in recent decades. In the UK, the Formula Ford Festival, held annually at Brands Hatch since 1972, has become a celebrated showcase of emerging talent, with past winners often advancing quickly up the motorsport ranks.
Today, although no longer as globally dominant as it was in its heyday, Formula Ford continues to thrive in various national championships and remains a revered institution in the history of motorsport. Its legacy lies in its purity, accessibility, and unmatched record of developing tomorrow's stars.
What do you think about the Formula Ford class in sim racing? Is it a class you have a lot of experience with? Let us know in the comments down below!
