FIA Super Licence
The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the licence (license) holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver. The licence is issued by the FIA upon request.
There are several requirements to qualify for an FIA Super Licence. The driver requesting the licence must already have a Grade A competition licence. They must also meet the requirements of the FIA International Sporting Code, Appendix L. Appendix L lists other racing experience required. One of the following is required:
- The driver must be the current champion in one of the lower FIA racing series. Examples of the lower series include Formula 3 (British, Italian, Japanese or Euroseries) or Formula Two (formerly known as GP2 and Formula 3000),
- The driver must have finished well on a regular basis in one of the above categories.
- Drivers who have competed in the IndyCar Series are eligible for a Super Licence if they finished in the top six places of the drivers championship.
- This allows drivers from the United States domestic series to move into Formula One without first taking part in other FIA sanctioned events.
In rare and special cases, Appendix L allows the FIA to award a Super Licence to a driver who does not meet the normal requirements. A yes vote by all the members is required. The driver must also completed 300 kilometres of testing at racing speeds in a current car.
Nationality of drivers
The nationality that appears on the racing licence is the same one that appears on the driver's passport. This does not need to be the same as the country issuing the racing licence. A Frenchman living in Germany can race with a German licence, but the nationality displayed would still be French. In order to race as German, the driver would need to have German nationality as well. For drivers with multiple citizenships, the driver chooses which country to drive for.
Other websites
- The official FIA Website
- Appendix L to the International Sporting Code Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine