# 2018 SMP F4 Championship

The 2018 SMP F4 Championship was the fourth season of the SMP F4 Championship. The series is also known as the FIA North-European Zone (NEZ) championship. Koiranen GP, despite creating Formula Academy Finland, continued as the promoter. The season started in Smolensk Ring on 5 May and finished in Assen Circuit on 21 October.
Champion Konsta Lappalainen won seven races, with runner-up Michael Belov and third-placed Isac Blomqvist taking five and three victories respectively.

## Drivers

| Team | No. | Driver | Rounds |
| MP Motorsport | 1 | Freek Schothorst | 1 |
| MP Motorsport | 12 | Patrick Schott | 1–4 |
| MP Motorsport | 52 | László Tóth | 7 |
| MP Motorsport | 64 | Isac Blomqvist | All |
| MP Motorsport | 888 | Amaury Cordeel | 3–5, 7 |
| SMP Racing | 2 | Pavel Bulantsev | All |
| SMP Racing | 7 | Nikita Volegov | 2 |
| SMP Racing | 11 | Aleksandr Vilaev | All |
| SMP Racing | 16 | Nikita Aleksandrov | All |
| SMP Racing | 20 | Ivan Berets | All |
| SMP Racing | 21 | Artem Lobanenko | All |
| SMP Racing | 27 | Ivan Shvetsov | All |
| SMP Racing | 41 | Aleksandr Vartanyan | 3 |
| SMP Racing | 41 | Denis Bulatov | 4 |
| SMP Racing | 41 | Irina Sidorkova | 7 |
| SMP Racing | 57 | Michael Belov | All |
| Formula Academy | 3 | Noah Watt | 7 |
| Kart In Club Driving Academy | 10 | Konsta Lappalainen | All |
| Kart In Club Driving Academy | 69 | Jesse Salmenautio | All |
| Jimi Hannus Racing | 12 | Jimi Hannus | 6 |
| Koiranen GP | 32 | Tuomas Haapalainen | 3–5 |
| Koiranen GP | 32 | Mi Maijala | 6 |
| Koiranen GP | 56 | Markus Laitala | 3–6 |

## Race calendar

On 27 April 2018 the calendar was announced. For the first time of the existence of the championship Sochi Autodrom hadn't received a slot in the schedule. Circuit Zandvoort was replaced with a round at the Assen Circuit, whilst Autodrom Moscow and NRING Circuit were included to the calendar for the first time. Round 6 was originally scheduled to be held at Auto24ring on 15–16 September, but was rescheduled to take place at Alastaro Circuit on 22–23 September.
| Round | Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team | Supporting |
| 1 | R1 | Smolensk Ring, Safonovo | 5 May | Isac Blomqvist | Isac Blomqvist | Isac Blomqvist | MP Motorsport | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 1 | R2 | Smolensk Ring, Safonovo | 5 May | | Konsta Lappalainen | Isac Blomqvist | MP Motorsport | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 1 | R3 | Smolensk Ring, Safonovo | 6 May | Ivan Berets | Freek Schothorst | Ivan Berets | SMP Racing | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 2 | R4 | NRING Circuit, Bogorodsk | 2 June | Konsta Lappalainen | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | SMP Racing | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 2 | R5 | NRING Circuit, Bogorodsk | 2 June | | Isac Blomqvist | Pavel Bulantsev | SMP Racing | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 2 | R6 | NRING Circuit, Bogorodsk | 3 June | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | SMP Racing | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 3 | R7 | Moscow Raceway, Volokolamsk | 11 August | Konsta Lappalainen | Tuomas Haapalainen | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 3 | R8 | Moscow Raceway, Volokolamsk | 11 August | | Isac Blomqvist | Isac Blomqvist | MP Motorsport | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 3 | R9 | Moscow Raceway, Volokolamsk | 12 August | Konsta Lappalainen | Aleksandr Vartanyan | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | 2018 Russian Circuit Racing Series |
| 4 | R10 | Autodrom Moscow, Myachkovo Airport | 18 August | Konsta Lappalainen | Konsta Lappalainen | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | Mitjet Russian Cup IV |
| 4 | R11 | Autodrom Moscow, Myachkovo Airport | 18 August | | Konsta Lappalainen | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | Mitjet Russian Cup IV |
| 4 | R12 | Autodrom Moscow, Myachkovo Airport | 19 August | Amaury Cordeel | Amaury Cordeel | Amaury Cordeel | MP Motorsport | Mitjet Russian Cup IV |
| 5 | R13 | Ahvenisto Race Circuit, Hämeenlinna | 1 September | Michael Belov | Konsta Lappalainen | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | Rata-SM |
| 5 | R14 | Ahvenisto Race Circuit, Hämeenlinna | 1 September | | Pavel Bulantsev | Tuomas Haapalainen | Koiranen GP | Rata-SM |
| 5 | R15 | Ahvenisto Race Circuit, Hämeenlinna | 2 September | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | SMP Racing | Rata-SM |
| 6 | R16 | Alastaro Circuit, Loimaa | 22 September | Pavel Bulantsev | Michael Belov | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | Rata-SM |
| 6 | R17 | Alastaro Circuit, Loimaa | 22 September | | Ivan Berets | Michael Belov | SMP Racing | Rata-SM |
| 6 | R18 | Alastaro Circuit, Loimaa | 23 September | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | Konsta Lappalainen | Kart In Club Driving Academy | Rata-SM |
| 7 | R19 | Assen Circuit, Assen | 20 October | Ivan Berets | Michael Belov | Michael Belov | SMP Racing | Hankook Finaleraces |
| 7 | R20 | Assen Circuit, Assen | 20 October | | Amaury Cordeel | Amaury Cordeel | MP Motorsport | Hankook Finaleraces |
| 7 | R21 | Assen Circuit, Assen | 21 October | Ivan Berets | Michael Belov | Ivan Berets | SMP Racing | Hankook Finaleraces |

## Championship standings

Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in each race. No points were awarded for pole position or fastest lap.
| Races | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race | Position, points per race |
| Races | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
| Races 1 & 3 | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Race 2 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | | |

### Drivers' championship

| Pos | Driver | SMO | SMO | SMO | NRG | NRG | NRG | MSC | MSC | MSC | ADM | ADM | ADM | AHV | AHV | AHV | ALA | ALA | ALA | ASS | ASS | ASS | Pts |
| 1 | Konsta Lappalainen | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Ret | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 2 | 316 |
| 2 | Michael Belov | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Ret | 275 |
| 3 | Isac Blomqvist | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | DSQ | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 5 | Ret | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 5 | 201 |
| 4 | Ivan Berets | 2 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 6 | Ret | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 195 |
| 5 | Jesse Salmenautio | 4 | 3 | 6 | Ret | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 188 |
| 6 | Ivan Shvetsov | 7 | 7 | Ret | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 133 |
| 7 | Pavel Bulantsev | 9 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 8 | DNS | 10 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 6 | 4 | 132 |
| 8 | Amaury Cordeel | | | | | | | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1 | Ret | 9 | 9 | | | | 2 | 1 | 3 | 107 |
| 9 | Tuomas Haapalainen | | | | | | | 14 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | | 74 |
| 10 | Freek Schothorst | 3 | 5 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 36 |
| 11 | Aleksandr Vartanyan | | | | | | | 2 | 2 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 32 |
| 12 | Patrick Schott | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | 31 |
| 13 | Artem Lobanenko | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 10† | Ret | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 24 |
| 14 | Markus Laitala | | | | | | | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 7 | | | | 23 |
| 15 | Aleksandr Vilaev | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Ret | 12 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 19 |
| 16 | Noah Watt | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | 8 | 7 | 17 |
| 17 | Nikita Aleksandrov | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | Ret | 15 | Ret | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| 18 | Nikita Volegov | | | | 8 | 8 | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 |
| 19 | Mi Maijala | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | 12 | 10 | | | | 2 |
| 20 | Denis Bulatov | | | | | | | | | | 10 | 10 | DNS | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 21 | Jimi Hannus | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | 9 | 11 | | | | 0 |
| 22 | László Tóth | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 23 | Irina Sidorkova | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | SMO | SMO | SMO | NRG | NRG | NRG | MSC | MSC | MSC | ADM | ADM | ADM | AHV | AHV | AHV | ALA | ALA | ALA | ASS | ASS | ASS | Pts |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |
Notes:
* † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 75% of the race distance.

## Footnotes

* 1 2 Schott and Cordeel competed under a Finnish racing license in order to be eligible for points.