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. Formula Three has traditionally been regarded as the first major stepping stone for F1 hopefuls - it is typically the first point in a driver's career at which most drivers in the series are aiming at professional careers in racing rather than being amateurs and enthusiasts. F3 is not cheap (a competitive seat in British F3 now costs around £400,000 and about £80,000 in Asia, for a year's racing), but is regarded as a key investment in a young driver's future career. Success in F3 can lead directly to more senior formulae such as F2, GP2, A1 Grand Prix, or even a Formula One test or race seat.

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History

Formula Three (adopted by the FIA in 1950) evolved from postwar auto racing, with lightweight tube-frame chassis powered by 500 cc motorcycle engines (notably Nortons and JAP speedway). The 500 cc formula originally evolved in 1946 from low-cost "special" racing organised by enthusiasts in Bristol, England, just before the Second World War; British motorsport after the war picked up slowly, partly due to petrol rationing which continued for a number of years and home-built 500 cc cars engines were intended to be accessible to the "impecunious enthusiast". The first post war motor race in Britain was organised by the VSCC in July 1947 at RAF Gransden Lodge, 500cc cars being the only post war class to run that day. The race was won by Eric Brandon in his Cooper Prototype (T2).

Cooper came to dominate the formula with mass-produced cars, and the income this generated enabled the company to develop into the senior categories. Other notable marques included Kieft, JBS and Emeryson in England and Effyh, Monopoletta and Scampolo in Europe. John Cooper, along with most other 500 builders, decided to place the engine in the middle of the car, driving the rear wheels. This was mostly due to the practical limitations imposed by chain drive but it gave these cars exceptionally good handling characteristics which eventually led to the mid-engined revolution in single-seater racing.

The 500cc formula was the usual route into motor racing through the early and mid 1950s (and stars like Stirling Moss continued to enter selected F3 events even during their GP careers). Other notable 500 cc Formula 3 drivers include Stuart Lewis-Evans, Ivor Bueb, Jim Russell, Peter Collins, Don Parker, Ken Tyrrell and Bernie Ecclestone.

500cc Formula Three declined at an international level during the late 1950s, although it continued at a national level into the early 60s, being eclipsed by Formula Junior for 1000 or 1100 cc cars (on a sliding scale of weights).

A one-litre Formula Three category for four-cylinder carburetted cars, with heavily tuned production engines, was reintroduced in 1964 based on the Formula Junior rules and ran to 1970. These engines (a short-stroke unit based on the Ford Anglia ^[1] with a special 2-valve Cosworth SOHC head being by far the most efficient and popular) tended to rev very highly and were popularly known as "screamers"; F3 races tended to involve large packs of slipstreaming cars. The "screamer" years were dominated by Brabham, Lotus and Tecno, with March beginning in 1970. Early one-litre F3 chassis tended to descend from Formula Junior designs but quickly evolved.

For 1971 new regulations allowing 1600 cc engines with a restricted air intake were introduced. The 1971–73 seasons were contested with these cars, as aerodynamics started to become important.

Two-litre engine rules were introduced for 1974, still with restricted air intakes. As of today engine regulations remain basically unchanged in F3, a remarkable case of stability in racing regulations.

As the likes of Lotus and Brabham faded from F3 to concentrate on Formula One, F3 constructors of the 1970s included Alpine, Lola, March, Modus, GRD, Ralt and Ensign.

Historically, March (up to 1981), Ralt (up to the early 1990s) and Reynard (1985–1992) had been the main chassis manufacturers in two-litre F3, with Martini fairly strong in France; Reynard pioneered use of carbon fibre in the mid-1980s replacing traditional aluminium or steel monocoque structures. Dallara, after an unsuccessful Formula One project, focussed their attention on the formula in the early nineties and almost obliterated all other marques.

By the start of the 1980s however, Formula Three had evolved well beyond its humble beginnings to something closely resembling the modern formula. It was seen as the main training ground for future Formula One drivers, many of them bypassing Formula Two to go straight into Grand Prix racing. The chassis became increasingly sophisticated, mirroring the more senior formulae —ground effects were briefly used in the early 1980s but were banned, in line with other FIA single-seater formulae; carbon fibre chassis started to be introduced from the mid 1980s.

F3 cars

Formula Three cars are monocoque chassis, using slick racing tyres and wings. Currently, Dallara manufactures the overwhelming majority of F3 cars, though Lola (formerly in partnership with Dome of Japan), Mygale and SLC also have a limited output. In many smaller or amateur F3 racing series older cars are frequently seen. Usually these series are divided into two or more classes, to allow more participation.

Engines in Formula 3 are all 2-litre, 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated spec engines. Engines must be built from a production model block ("stock block"), and often must be sealed by race or series organizers, so no private tuning can be carried out. Honda engines (prepared by Mugen) have perennially been popular, as have engines produced by Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo, or Renault. Currently the HWA-tuned Mercedes engine dominates the British and European series, with Mugen, Tom's-Toyota, and Volkswagen all being used by some teams.

Car regulations

• width : 1850 mm (72.8") maximum
• wheelbase : 2000 mm (78.75") minimum
• track : 1200 mm (47") minimum
• weight: 550 kg (1213 lbs) minimum
• active suspension, telemetry, and traction control are forbidden
• two-wheel steering only
• two-wheel drive only
• manual gearbox, six forward gears (maximum) and one reverse
• undrilled ferrous brakes
• wheels, width 11.5 inches (292 mm), diameter 13 inches (330 mm) maximum
• Control fuel from a single supplier, but of a comparative level to pump/street gasoline (petrol)
• Stock derived 2000cc engine with 26 mm (1.02")-diameter restrictor, hence about 200 horsepower (150 kW) between 5000 and 7400 rpm

Complete regulations:

Championships and series

There has never been a World Championship for Formula Three. In the 1970s and into the 1980s the European Formula Three Championship and British Formula Three Championship (once one series had emerged from the competing British series in the 1970s) were the most prominent, with a number of future Formula One champions coming from them. France, Germany, and Italy also had important Formula Three series, but interest in these was originally subsidiary to national formulae—Formula Renault in France and Formula Super Vee in Germany. These nations eventually drifted towards Formula Three. The Italian series tended to attract older drivers who moved straight across from karting whereas in other nations drivers typically graduated to F3 after a couple of years in minor categories. The European series died out in the mid 1980s and the national series became correspondingly more important. For 2003, French and German F3, both suffering from a lack of competitive entrants, merged to recreate the Formula Three Euroseries. In Germany there is still a lower-key Formel 3 Cup.

Brazil's SudAm Formula Three Championship, which now has the most powerful engine of all Formula Three series, was known for producing excellent drivers who polished their skills in the British Formula Three championship. Perhaps the most curious of all was the small All-Japan Formula Three championship. Although few drivers spent a significant amount of time there, future stars such as Ralf Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve scored victories there. An Asian series was established in 2001 and grew to produce current A1 drivers for Indonesia and Australia.

Special races

In addition to the many national series, Formula Three is known for major non-championship races typically including entries from the national series, the best-known of which is the FIA Intercontinental Cup at Macau. The first Formula Three Grand Prix of Macau was held in 1983 and won by Ayrton Senna. Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher and Takuma Sato have also won there, traditionally the end of the Formula Three season, where drivers from almost every national series participate.

Other major races include the Grand Prix of Pau (from 1999 to 2006), the Masters of Formula 3 (traditionally held at Zandvoort), and the Korea Super Prix at Changwon. These events give fans in locations not visited by other major series to experience major international racing.

The Monaco F3 Grand Prix held until 1997 was also a famous special race. It was restored in 2005 only, as a part of the F3 Euroseries.

List of Formula 3 series

Principal Series

The champions of these series can be given FIA Super Licences valid for 12 months. ^[2]

• Formula Three Euroseries - 2003–present
• British F3 International Series - 1951–present
• Italian Formula Three - 1964–present
• German Formula Three Championship - 1975–present
• All-Japan Formula Three - 1979–present

Other Series

• Spanish Formula Three Championship - 2001–present
• Asian Formula Three Championship - 2004–present
• Australian Formula 3 Championship - 2001–present ^[3]
• Finnish Formula 3 Championship
• Formula Three Sudamericana - 1987–present
• Austria Formula 3 Cup - 1994(?)–present
• North European Zone Formula 3 Cup - 2008–present
• Chilean Formula 3

Defunct Series

• French Formula Three Championship - 1964–2002
• Brazilian Formula Three Championship v1990–1994
• Swiss Formula 3 Championship - 1979–2004
• United States Formula Three Championship - 2000–2001
• Mexican Formula Three Championship - 1990–2002
• Mexican Formula Three International Championship - 1990–2003
• Russian Formula Three Championship - 1997–2002
• FIA European Formula Three Championship - 1975–1984
• FIA European Formula Three Cup - 1985–2002

Sourced from

See also

• Formula One
• FIA Formula Two Championship
• GP2 series
• International Formula Master
• GP3 Series

Notes and References

{{#ifexist:Category:Articles needing additional references from January 2007

1. Gauld, Graham, "Ford", in ''World of Automobiles'' (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 6, p.696
2. APPENDIX L TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPORTING CODE
3. Australian Titles Retrieved from www.camsmanual.com.au on 9 August 2009