Formula Mondial was an international motor racing category which was introduced to replace both Formula Atlantic

Formula Atlantic

Formula Atlantic is a specification of open wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.-History:The history of...

 and the similar Formula Pacific

Formula Pacific

Formula Pacific was a motor racing category which was utilised in the Pacific Basin area from 1977 to 1982. It specified a single-seat, open-wheeler chassis powered by a production-based four-cylinder engine of under 1600cc capacity. The formula was based on Formula Atlantic, with provision made...

  in 1983.

The regulations specified a single-seat, open-wheeled chassis with a flat bottom, thus excluding any ground effects

Ground effect in cars

Ground effect is term applied to a series of aerodynamic effects used in car design, which has been exploited to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic theory of streamlining...

 designs. Engines had to be 1.6 litre four cylinder units sourced from a production touring car although only the Ford Cosworth BDA engine was actually homolgated for the category.

The FIA World Cup Commission issued regulations for the staging of various zone competitions throughout the world with competitors intended to come together for a World Cup final. The Southern Pacific Zone series was staged in New Zealand and Australia in early 1983 and was won by Australian Charlie O’Brien and the Formula Mondial North American Cup series was won by American Michael Andretti

Michael Andretti

Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...

. However the World Cup finals series, which was to have been contested over four races in Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, Canada in September 1983 was cancelled the month before it was due to be run.

Although embraced at a national level by Australia and New Zealand, Formula Mondial was not taken up as expected in the South East Asia region, where Formula Two

Formula Two

Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...

 was adopted or by the United Kingdom, which favoured Formula Three

Formula Three

Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...

. It was abandoned in the United States and Canada and ceased to be an International Formula from the end of 1984.