FIA to launch F3 International Trophy

duke_toaster · 10 Dec 2010, 15:41 (Ref:2802479)

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre...sc-101210.aspx

Starting in 2011, it will require drivers to be "registered to take part in a full season of a Formula 3 national series" - presumably F3ES counts as that. Superlicences will be handed out to the top three, like Super Palmer Audi, The schedule is Hockenheim, Pau, Spa (on the 24 Hours undercard), Zandvoort, Macau and Korea.

I'm not sure if six rounds is overkill or not, although i think it is a good choice of circuits. Perhaps if Korea was replaced with Marrakech supporting the WTCC it could be renamed the F3 World Championship.

runshaw · 10 Dec 2010, 16:46 (Ref:2802506)

Sounds interesting. But doesn't that take away the prestige of a stand-alone race like Macau? If they are battling to become International F3 champion and don't want to DNF in the final round or whatever, they may not go for a do-or-die move at Macau to win it, because winning at Macau is what its all about etc.

formula_fan · 10 Dec 2010, 17:12 (Ref:2802517)

Very interesting concept. I agree it takes away some of the prestige of Macau but combines the rest of the big meetings nicely. I agree with duke_toaster in a way about the number of rounds. 6 rounds is kind of overkill for a short series, however it isn't quite enough for it to be a main series. Ie. I would expect most drivers to be competing in this as well as a more mainstream series. Will be interesting to see which drivers sign up for it. I wonder what the budget is?

Go_For_Pole · 10 Dec 2010, 20:02 (Ref:2802649)

a bargain i am sure...

strider · 10 Dec 2010, 20:30 (Ref:2802663)

It's good to see the FIA getting behind Formula 3.

Suppose you're a BF3 competitor. You'd be going to Spa anyway and probably Zandvoort and Macau (and Korea) so really that's just a couple of extra races.

Go_For_Pole · 10 Dec 2010, 21:03 (Ref:2802685)

on top of three other races and a ten round season. so that's a million then

Peat · 10 Dec 2010, 23:19 (Ref:2802762)

Depends on the tyres....

If all the races are on Kumho's (which i'm sure they will) then i wouldnt expect many BF3 teams to show up. They just get killed each time out.

duke_toaster · 11 Dec 2010, 12:21 (Ref:2802910)

Will they though? One is a British F3 event.

NaBUru38 · 11 Dec 2010, 14:35 (Ref:2802950)

Were I FIA F3 boss, I'd add Le Mans Series visit to Paul Ricard, British F3's visit to Silverstone and a race at Monza to this FIA F3 Trophy. So the calendar would be: be Paul Ricard, Pau, Hockenheim, Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Silverstone and Macau. To compensate, I'd make F3 Euroseries drop Brands Hatch, British F3 drop the non-FIA races at Paul Ricard and Nürburgring and Italian F3 drop the non-FIA race at Spa-Francorchamps.

All but Pau, Zandvoort and Macau would have one 30min race for each points-scoring championship (ES and UK at Paul Ricard; ES at Hockenheim; UK at Silverstone; UK and IT at Spa; IT at Monza). The remaining entries would take part in another 30min race. Finally, the top 8, 10 or 12 drivers from each race would enter the FIA F3 Trophy points-scoring race.

Xpert · 11 Dec 2010, 16:36 (Ref:2802983)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peat

Depends on the tyres....

If all the races are on Kumho's (which i'm sure they will) then i wouldnt expect many BF3 teams to show up. They just get killed each time out.

For Next year Kumho has a new tyre and the initial reports tells it's working more like a Cooper or a Yokohama so the non F3ES teams will not have a big disadvantage like today... Ranger has done the testing so far and been very happy with the tyre.

formula_fan · 11 Dec 2010, 17:19 (Ref:2802998)

Realistically people doing this trophy are going to be spending about a million for a season of F3 once they have done a main series as well. That is crazy money for what is effectively 2 or 3 spots down on the motorsport ladder. If they aren't doing any other F3 series, just the trophy then they are wasting a season with little mileage and will be at a disadvantage to the other drivers. It's a shame because I think at the moment F3 could do with a bit of help from the FIA but in my opinion they have really messed up with this idea.

duke_toaster · 11 Dec 2010, 17:51 (Ref:2803010)

I think six events may well be overkill, perhaps a four round calendar with just Pau, Zandvoort, Macau and another (Spa?) to form a Grand Slam of F3. My own caveat would be what format the meetings will use, especially Pau - a resurrected event that isn't a round of any championship and is top of the bill. There needs to be more than one race per weekend, but there still needs to be one winner. My little thought is - depending on grid sizes - semi-finals and a final.

NaBUru38 · 13 Dec 2010, 14:08 (Ref:2803841)

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

I think six events may well be overkill

There could be more if some are also points-scoring for one of the national championships.

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

There needs to be more than one race per weekend, but there still needs to be one winner. My little thought is - depending on grid sizes - semi-finals and a final.

Completely agree. How about the format I proposed before?

bf1 · 14 Dec 2010, 00:30 (Ref:2804130)

Note the wording..

Quote:

it will require drivers to be "registered to take part in a full season of a Formula 3 national series

So could see Drivers register for a national series, but partake in little or none of those events so as to concentrate on the International Trophy..

duke_toaster · 16 Dec 2010, 10:37 (Ref:2805077)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

There could be more if some are also points-scoring for one of the national championships.

I think that might be the plan for some events, though - the Spa date is a British F3 round. I would go for four standalone rounds, one clearly before the normal start of the season (Marrakech? Could make it a World Championship then with three continents), and the three existing big beasts of F3 - Macau, Pau and Zandvoort Masters.

Your format with the separate races for the national series and the non-national series has only one potential flaw - if one series is going to be stronger. Then you have the tyres issue, possibly even having to switch boot supplier during a weekend. Standalones solve those two to an extent, just make sure the Masters and Pau don't join a series. You could use an existing off the shelf racing slick (allow a familiarization test before Marrakech in Jerez every year, and one at Zhuhai for those who are just doing Macau), and have an open draw for the first round, other times it could be seeded.

**chunterer** · 16 Dec 2010, 20:08 (Ref:2805298)

I'd be verrry worried about an FIA endorsed world championship particularly when they have backed F2 and 'permitted' GP Lawnmower to get off the ground.

When the FIA decides to back something, it sometimes means the deathknell of that idea.

Although to be fair to F3 it's never been a rival to F1 so it would be safe!

duke_toaster · 17 Dec 2010, 08:30 (Ref:2805469)

Isn't F2 only on a three year tender that runs out after the 2011 season, anyway?

Valker · 17 Dec 2010, 08:49 (Ref:2805472)

Quote:

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Isn't F2 only on a three year tender that runs out after the 2011 season, anyway?

No, it's a 5 year deal.

Have FIA released any new info on F3 int. trophy? Especially what are those national F3 series that give one eligibility to score FIA points... Euro, British and Japanese for sure, but what about not-so-F3 Euro Open, Italia and Sud-Am; and older spec. series like ATS Cup and Australian F3?

duke_toaster · 17 Dec 2010, 18:44 (Ref:2805711)

I'm not entirely sure myself now, I can't find the old tender on the FIA site.

EDIT - Pitpass article at the time - http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=35382 - quoting big chunks of the tender says that "Interested parties are invited to tender to become the exclusive supplier of the single seat, open wheel racing cars to be used by the competitors in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 FIA Formula 2 Championship." At least at the time of the original tender, it's for three years.

strider · 19 Dec 2010, 19:24 (Ref:2806346)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valker

No, it's a 5 year deal.

Have FIA released any new info on F3 int. trophy? Especially what are those national F3 series that give one eligibility to score FIA points... Euro, British and Japanese for sure, but what about not-so-F3 Euro Open, Italia and Sud-Am; and older spec. series like ATS Cup and Australian F3?

If it's a full-on FIA series, the cars will surely have to comply with the current FIA F3 regulations.

I'm interested to see how it turns out. I don't think, as someone suggested, that drivers will neglect a national championship to pursue this. I think, and I'd guess the FIA hopes, that the top few in each of the eligible series will do both. It will be expensive, but sometimes it's easier to get the money for one-off events.

Small off-topic mention here for Takuma Sato who remains the only driver to have completed the hat-trick of winning a national championship, the Marlboro Master of F3 at Zandvoort and the FIA Intercontinental Cup at Macau, all in 2001.

Go_For_Pole · 19 Dec 2010, 20:29 (Ref:2806351)

Apparently this series is newly installed as FIA single seater commissioner Mr Bland's idea. Funny how an individual that has a commercial interest in certain F3 races is trusted with shaping the sports single seater future

strider · 19 Dec 2010, 20:41 (Ref:2806354)

He's been given some form of recognition as an FIA Formula 3 Supremo, but I take your point. The post is supposed to be unpaid, FWIW.

duke_toaster · 19 Dec 2010, 22:21 (Ref:2806361)

What else would the FIA Single Seater commissioner do other than F3 or FPA+ anyway? It's not as if the FIA has any real influence (or a desire to exert any potential influence they have) on the single seater pyramid, save for the pinnacle and a bypassable rung.

Valker · 20 Dec 2010, 10:00 (Ref:2806463)

Quote:

Originally Posted by strider

If it's a full-on FIA series, the cars will surely have to comply with the current FIA F3 regulations.

Sure, but I tried to ask, was that as driver must do whole season in national F3 in order to score points in FIA trophy, what are those nat. series exactly? Brit/Euro/Japan for sure, but don't Italian and Spanish (Euro Open) champs get super licence? IMO, that means they are recognized as F3 by FIA even though rules differ.

If older spec. series (German, Australian...) are ok too, they could get more entries. Some ATS Cup teams have current spec. cars too (HS, Performance, ArtLine...), so they could, in theory, run one of their German F3 drivers in Int Trophy. One could also do FIA series in different team. Signature have run Van Amersfoort VW driver from German Cup in Marlboro Masters and Macau GP...

So is the new series restricted to full season drivers of the three full FIA spec series only, or are drivers from not-quite-F3 or older spec F3 series eligible too?

Valker · 23 Dec 2010, 09:09 (Ref:2807652)

Hockenheim will be the first round taking place in 1 May.

From Euroseries press:

"The season kick-off will be held within the framework of the Formula 3 Euro Series (DTM season kick-off) at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg."

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