The newly-named 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy could attract a record number of rising single-seater stars thanks to a streamlining of the calendar to remove clashes with international testing.
The new look format – with the championship’s regular 15 races being run over four weekends instead of five – has been signed off by the FIA’s World Council of Motorsport and will be introduced for the 2026 season.
From 2026, the FIA will introduce a Regional Trophy concept for all Formula Regional and Formula 4 categories. These new formats provide organisers and promoters with unprecedented flexibility to choose between a traditional championship format lasting over a longer period or concentrating their competitions – under the ‘Trophy’ title – within a shorter timeframe with fewer events.
This will preserve the status of championships certified by the FIA by offering an alternative that still answers the FIA’s overarching goals of increasing global participation and making motorsport more accessible for all. The New Zealand championship will be the first to adopt the ‘Trophy’ profile and retain its FIA Championship status.
It will be the 21st season of New Zealand’s premier single-seater championship – which remains highly regarded as a major international junior formulae not only by the FIA but also by F1 and Indycar teams as well as driver development programmes.
The support from the FIA and the World Council means that the New Zealand-based championship can start in early January after the Christmas and New Year holiday period but complete its schedule – which culminates with the New Zealand Grand Prix – without any clashes with pre-season testing in the northern hemisphere.
Clashes with both US Indy and IndyNxt testing in the US and FIA F2/F3 and other European championships have prevented a number of top-line rising stars from completing or even taking part in the championship in recent seasons.
The FIA was keen to work with New Zealand organisers TOYOTA GAZOO Racing NZ to ensure that its flagship winter championship was accessible to all rising global single seater stars.
“We have long appealed to emerging single seater stars around the world,” explained TGRNZ Motorsport Manager Nicolas Caillol.
“That’s not only because of the value for money we offer as an international championship but also because of the testing mileage, the intensity of the qualifying and racing, the variety of highly challenging circuits the drivers experience and the professionalism of the teams involved.
“Our most recent champion, 2025 winner Arvid Lindblad, is already one step away from Formula One, and we like to think that his 2025 season in New Zealand has indeed played its part in that process.
“With the way now clear for more European drivers and USA drivers to come to New Zealand, we have no more obstacles preventing the championship from becoming even more important as a pathway for the world’s best motorsport prospects.
“We will announce our 2026 calendar and the revised format for each weekend imminently.”
Header Image: Bruce Jenkins
