The driving force behind Stefan Grand Prix is seeking to start his own series, the WMC Formula World Championship for Drivers.
Zoran Stefanovic tried several times to enter the Formula One World Championship, in 2009, 2011 and again in 2015. Following his bid to enter the 2010 world championship he turned to the European Commission claiming that the selection process was biased in favour of those teams set to use Cosworth engines, whereas he had acquired the rights to use the chassis, gearbox and (2010-spec) engines of Toyota, which quit the sport at the end of 2009..
A second bid to enter in 2011, in the wake of the USF1 debacle, was rejected - as were all the other prospective bids - but in Stefan GP's case, the rejection came before the process had even begun. Even though the would-be team had yet to submit its bid it was still rejected by (then) FIA president, Jean Todt, consequently, feeling that there was an agenda, the team opted not to proceed any further.
A further bid in 2015 was subsequently withdrawn while in 2017 a statement of intent to submit an entry for 2019 was similarly withdrawn.
Now Stefanovic is setting up his own race series, the WMC Formula World Championship for Drivers, together with a governing body.
The World Motorsport Confederation (WMC), headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia, is a non-profit international organization that leads and represents various forms of motorsport globally. It unites motorsport clubs, associations, and national organizations. Established in 2021, the WMC is dedicated to advancing the sport.
According to the press release, the mission of the WMC is to promote motorsports, ignite sporting activities among young people and organize exceptional competitions, and collaborates with a global network of related organizations, ensuring a unified approach to motorsport advancement.
Stefanovic is the President of the WMC. At the same time, Enrique Scalabroni, former designer at Williams, Ferrari, Lotus and Peugeot, drives the technical vision as the Chief Technical Officer for both the WMC and Formula Race Management Ltd. (FRM), which is also based in Belgrade. FRM is the commercial rights holder responsible for executing all events within the championship.
The WMC has entered into a comprehensive 120-year agreement with Formula Race Management to oversee all competitions and has entrusted FRM with all commercial rights. The intellectual property rights are managed by FRM.
As the governing body for the WMC Formula World Championship for Drivers, the WMC sets the standard as the highest rank in Formula racing, strictly adhering to WMC Technical and Sporting Regulations. The championship will comprise 17 Grand Trophy races, taking place on every continent, and showcase the prestige of motorsport on a global scale.
Each Grand Trophy event will span four days, from Thursday to Sunday, with the inaugural WMC Formula World Championship set to launch within the next 2-3 years.
Participation is exclusive, with a maximum of 14 teams allowed, each comprising two elite drivers. All participants are mandated to use WMC Formula cars, designed and manufactured by FRM. Teams secure their place through a rigorous competitive selection process conducted by the WMC in collaboration with FRM.
The WMC Formula car will be built to the precise standards governed by the World Motorsport Confederation and is a single-seater engineered for high-speed racing on circuits or closed courses.
The car will weigh 650 kg and feature a naturally aspirated engine, its power exceeding 850 HP (approximately 634 kW). The engine operates on synthetic fuel as part of the WMC's unwavering commitment to the Green Agenda, aiming for complete carbon neutrality by the year 2030.
"Our intention is not to have rivalry (with F1) as the focal point, this is not the idea," Stefanovic tells Pitpass. "But, yes, we are at the same level in any aspect and very probably fans will find it even more interesting than existing FIA (Formula 1) series.
"We are looking to promote our championship at the highest level Formula class in the world, but we are not platform for road car manufacturers and we definitely are not "saviours of the world" as we are not designing cars to help manufacturers to develop electric or hybrid cars. We design cars to race, to compete. To have drivers able to make difference.
"WMC rules are "green" so we use synthetic fuel, but no KERS, ERS Heat, or electric power," he insists. "Just pure ICE engine. We organize the championship™ as a sport series and entertainment, not laboratory.
"The cars are with entirely different aerodynamic concept, allowing drivers to compete, not just to drive... you will be remember the Dijon battle in 1979 between Villeneuve and Arnoux...
"Drivers must drive without any "driver aids", with manual gearbox and no possibility to alter cars by telemetry during the race. Safety is of the same or higher level than actual F1 cars.
"Our maxima is 'No sound, no fun' and we'll let drivers to race," he concludes.
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