When you think about formula racing, you might think about the big names like Ferrari, Red Bull, or McLaren, but probably not Liverpool F.C. or Tottenham. But back in 2008, fans gathered at the stands to hear the roaring engine of their favourite football team. The Superleague Formula (SF) was created by Robin Webb and Alex Andreu, who were hoping to revolutionise the racing sport by pairing football clubs with their very own formula cars.
The tagline ‘The Beautiful Race: Football at 300km/h’ captured Webb’s ambition to mix the passion of football with vigorous v12 engines. For a while, this seemed like a formula for success, with viewership peaking at six million. However, excitement dwindled, and in 2011 the series was stopped mid-season because of financial issues. So, what did this feel like from behind the wheel?
Issues with the cars
Problems began with the cars themselves weighing upwards of 1000kg. This is almost double what F1 cars at the time weighed, making them difficult to drive. James Walker is a racing driver who drove for Liverpool F.C. back in 2010.
Walker said:
It was a real beast to drive and felt very clumsy in the slow speed corners. The cars certainly weren’t suited to circuits like Jarama in Spain and Zolder in Belgium. The handling was forgiven, however, because they sounded amazing.
Connection with the clubs
The main appeal of the SF was the connection with the clubs. However, a scarcity of only 18 teams involved in the project meant some fans had no one to support, restricting viewership from the get-go. On top of this, the clubs themselves had little involvement, exchanging their brand for a paycheck. This led to a disconnect between fans, clubs, and drivers.
Walker added:
There was no connection to the football club at all, apart from the livery of the car and their colours. However, I was invited to Anfield before the first race to present the club with the championship trophy from the year before. But once the season got underway, the clubs didn’t really get involved at all.
The final season
In an effort to create global appeal, the 2011 season saw national teams like China and Australia driving on the track. These teams dominated the grid with only six of the fourteen teams being associated with football clubs. The original plan had gone out the window and due to a lack of funding, the season was cancelled after two races, with nothing but radio silence since. Unfortunately, ‘The Beautiful Race’ failed before it could cross the finish line.
Walker said:
The Superleague Formula had everything you needed from a racing championship. It had drama, v12 noise, high speeds, great drivers, and loads of prize money! What more did we need?
The future of the Superleague Formula
The Superleague Formula ended over a decade ago but with Formula 1 at an all-time high, could something like the SF exist again?
Walker said:
Sadly I don’t see a place for it now as anyone wanting a single-seater career in Formula 1 will have to compete in the ‘official’ F1 feeder series. F1 kills everything else for a reason. Without a manufacturer prepared to pump millions into it, another single-seater championship simply wouldn’t work.
How many kids would play golf if it cost you £30,000 a day to go and hit some balls at the driving range? Which is what a day and 30 laps in an F2 car costs.
All pictures provided by James Walker, with permission to use
