The arguments continue going into this season as the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), which has underwritten the junior series to the tune of more than $2 million, introduced measures to contain competitor expenditures. F4's status as the official "nursery" for future F1 drivers is endorsed by the world governing body, the Paris-based International Automobile Federation (FIA), which has created a path from F4 to F3 and beyond. With a proposed F2, the FIA plans to establish a formalised progression from karting to F1 as an alternative to – and possible replacement of – the existing hotchpotch of junior development series. F4 is being adopted at national levels around the world, providing young Australians with the opportunity to transfer their talents from the local series to overseas championships in a recognised global category. The next Daniel Ricciardo is likely to come out of F4 as CAMS, despite the misgivings of local junior open-wheel racing observers, is pushing promising teenagers in that direction.

Accused of currying favour with the FIA, CAMS executives are promoting F4 as the bottom step of the ladder to F1. They are encouraging youngsters with lofty ambitions to start in the local series and graduate to an overseas championship, showing their potential to F1 talent scouts. Critics in Australia argue that Formula Ford had a proven 40-year history of grooming F1 stars, not to mention accomplished professionals in international touring car and sports car racing, and American Indycars. Opponents of F4 claim FF was more cost-effective and ubiquitous, with parity between cars and standardised engines all over the world. While not yet as widespread, the FIA – and CAMS – contend that F4 is a balance of affordability, much safer car construction and more relevant performance for 21st-century junior drivers.

F4 is a "wings and slicks" formula, giving young drivers valuable experience in racing open-wheelers configured similarly to those in F3 and higher. F4 racers generate increased cornering grip from aerodynamic downforce created by inverted aerofoils and sticky treadless tyres, whereas FF cars are "old school", lacking wings and running on harder grooved rubber. CAMS came under fire for stripping the national FF series of its championship status last year and installing the inaugural Australian F4 title in its place, staging the series on the support program of major V8 Supercars events. The governing body was also criticised for buying 20 French-made Mygale F4 racers – powered by turbocharged 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost engines – at a cost of more than $2 million to lease to competitors, running a huge financial risk with members' funds. The outcry increased when the scheme received only a lukewarm response, attracting a maximum field of 12 cars despite the cost of contesting the championship being estimated at $165,000.

CAMS has reshuffled this year's F4 calendar and added value to the lease program to increase interest. Meanwhile, F4 is booming in Europe and starting to take hold in America, with strong national championships in Germany and UK attracting at least two Australians aiming to follow Ricciardo in F1. Sydney's Joey Mawson is preparing for a second tilt at the German F4 title, for which he contended last year, while Melbourne teenager Luis Leeds will follow directly in Ricciardo's tyre tracks in the British F4 championship. Leeds, who will be 16 on March 3, has been drafted into the same Red Bull junior driver development program that groomed Ricciardo for F1. He used the Australian F4 championship as a springboard to overseas success, winning the F4 support race at the F1 Mexican Grand Prix to attract the attention and support of Red Bull.

Leeds has youth and the energy drink giant's backing on his side to race his way through the junior ranks to F1 if he has the talent and fortitude to make it. Mawson, who will be 20 on March 27, is making his way on his own, raising renewed local backing to fund a second season in German F4. He was a standout in his debut last year, winning five races and finishing on the podium 11 times – almost 50 per cent of his starts – to claim third in the title behind more experienced rivals. Mawson, from Hinchinbrook in Sydney's south-west, was supported by the CAMS Foundation's driver development fund and private backers, including the Maserati Car Club. His impressive performance in the cut-throat German F4 championship was among the most notable by young Australian drivers last year and he is a leading contender for the CAMS Young Driver Of The Year award, which will be announced at Crown Casino on Saturday night (February 20).

Mawson is still finalising funding for his return to the German series, needing to secure a budget of more than $200,000 to retain his drive with the front-running Dutch-based Van Amersfoort Racing team. "I think of any series in Europe, it's the best training ground," Mawson said. "In my opinion, the German F4 category is probably the strongest in the world at this stage." He has targeted winning the title to enhance his chances of graduating in 2017 to the European F3 championship, a critical step up the ladder to F1. "Anything less than the championship would be a failure," Mawson said. "Last year, ideally, we probably could have won it. I made some mistakes and as a team we lost too many points after the mid-season break at a critical time. "We were still in the championship hunt, but at the end we fell short. I'm confident this year we can fight for the title again." He performed last year in the shadow of a pair of high-profile teammates – 16-year- old Mick Schumacher, the son of stricken F1 legend Michael, and 17-year-old Harrison Newey, son of F1 car design genius Adrian Newey. But Mawson was unfazed by the attention surrounding his celebrity sidekicks and got along particularly well with Schumacher jnr, who might one day be his F1 rival.

"He's a great kid to work alongside," he said. "He was always very positive with the team, always very open. He was really good to work with and off the track he's just a normal, polite kid. More polite than normal, if anything." Mawson plans to head back early next month to begin pre-season testing before the German F4 championship's season-opener in mid-April.