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8 Aug 2009, 14:20 (Ref:2517842) | #1 | ||
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How could Formula Three be changed to strengthen its position?
This follows on from the brief amount of discussion of the state of F3 in the GP2 and GP3 thread.
It appears that with IFM, FIA F2 and arguably GP3 Series there are a whole number of spec series trying to replace it - surely this cannot be good for motorsport as a whole if there is such Balkanization, and it's not exactly good for creating a simple single seater ladder. Probably the biggest problem with F3 at the moment is costs. How could they be fixed in order bring it back to its former health? And how could sporting regulations be changed to prepare drivers better for the top levels of motorsport? Also, how could the current Formula Dallara situation be stopped? |
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9 Aug 2009, 20:12 (Ref:2518445) | #2 | ||
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Clearly F3, especially British F3, has a problem in term of numbers but I don't think the situation is helped by the way it is promoted or rather isn't! after all it is the UK's premier single seat series and has paved the way for many GP drivers.
Cost is always an issue in any form of motorsport but there are few series (if any) that offer the same degree of technical training in terms of set up for drivers and engineers, skills that will be needed further up the career path for both. As for a one make Formula Dallara series, I'd disagree since there are currently 3 chassis in British F3 and 3 differant engines, unlike a few formula one could mention, Formula Palmer 2 (sorry F2), World Series, Formula Renault..etc |
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10 Aug 2009, 06:14 (Ref:2518593) | #3 | ||
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Prize money?
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10 Aug 2009, 07:39 (Ref:2518613) | #4 | |
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I think there are three things that F3 has been sorely needing for some time :
o A higher power to grip ratio. In the dry an F3 rails around corners as the engine's not powerful enough to break the adhesion. Increase the power, lower the grip and increase the breaking distances. These machines are still a driver training ground. They need to be unwieldy to drive so that pilots can hone their craft. o Get proper FIA endorsement of this type of racing as the de facto route to Formula One. So, remove FIA sanctioning from all competing series. Establish a premier F3 championship that supports the F1 circus with a guaranteed race seat in F1 for the winner. o Get a proper control on costs. While I'm not advocating arrive and drive, things need to be done to bring costs to about 50% more than Formula Renault for a national series. Long life powertrain with penalties for changes a la F1 and cheaper chassis components to reduce the cost of accidents could be one option. Budget caps another. |
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10 Aug 2009, 11:28 (Ref:2518727) | #5 | |||||
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I'm not sure about an F1 supporting series as it would rocket costs, as well as damage the national series. The national series have the advantage of being a blue riband event of national motorsport if it were to be promoted properly and not playing second fiddle to wherever SRO wants to take his series (OK, Bucharest has been removed). However there needs to be a Formula 3 World Champion. I suggest the best way of doing it would be creating a Grand Slam of F3 with the rounds being Pau, Zandvoort and two others (Macau and Marrakesh coheadlining with WTCC would make it a World Championship without major FIA statute manipulation). A lot of drivers currently do guest appearances in other series and similar, and if there was a World Championship to win that would be a big incentive. Or possibly make the World Championship one knockout event at the end of the year - but that would need changes. Quote:
Engine formulea ... well that's a different issue, but the BTCC is moving towards a 2000T formula - could a turbo engine that's somewhat "underclocked" work, but then again the engine would have to be stressed. One idea that could be proposed is bumping up the chassis phase length from three to five or possibly more years. They'res supposed to be a junior formula, not space shuttles. * A new series, not the current FIA F2. Think F3000. |
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10 Aug 2009, 13:59 (Ref:2518824) | #6 | ||||
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10 Aug 2009, 19:15 (Ref:2519053) | #7 | |||
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Depends how it's justified (by the lawyers). It wouldn't be a total get-rid-of, as I'd continue to award Superlicences to the IRL and certain achivements in LMP1s.
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11 Aug 2009, 20:42 (Ref:2519768) | #8 | ||
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It would be relatively simple and inexpensive to do, with the changes bound to create some real interest amongst competitors, but how close would it be to the present F2.... And that is the crux of the question. The FIA has sorted F2 as its window to GP racing so any alternative has to find its place below F2 or it will not have FIA support. If the FIA formed a new F3 with a spec below that of F2 but as a support class to European GP's that would create a definite interest but it would not be current F3. That domain would then become the the province of the alternatives...GP3, Formula Master, a new Formula Renault (?) etc . |
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11 Aug 2009, 21:00 (Ref:2519775) | #9 | |||
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12 Aug 2009, 07:37 (Ref:2520023) | #10 | |
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Therein lies one of the problems... realistically the gap between F2 and F1 is too big. It would also be difficult to create a series that sat below F2 without compromising Formula Renault. Unless the FIA sees the progression to F1 being karts->F2->F1 and everything else will be a deviation from that.
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12 Aug 2009, 09:14 (Ref:2520088) | #11 | ||
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12 Aug 2009, 10:00 (Ref:2520120) | #12 | |
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There's nothing to stop somebody going from karts to F1. At his first test, Nico Rosberg demonstrated that he was quite capable in a Formula 1 car with very little car experience.
I don't disagree with you on the virtues of F2, my point is that if the FIA see that rather than GP2 being the recommended route into F1, what would you put between F2 and karting ? Formula Renault is as expensive as F2, so why spend a season there when you could just go straight into F2 ? |
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12 Aug 2009, 17:44 (Ref:2520353) | #13 | |||
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However, it proves the point that you can jump from F3 to F1 without much difficulty. |
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12 Aug 2009, 18:53 (Ref:2520377) | #14 | |
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The problem is not only in F3. Ideally F3 would be much more powerful, fun car to drive, not so dependent on downforce. Something like 450-500 bhp will be great for F3, cars sliding with not much grip and so on. Little version of SLF car. Then there would be lots of crowds on the national meetings.
But then you have to up the power in F2/GP2/whatever and here comes the FIA and Bernie. You can't! Our beloved F1 has 750 bhp! You can't have GP2 with so much power. It's F1 that should be 1st changed, it should simply be much over 1000 bhp, like Jeremy Clarkson says: POWERRR! On another TG note, there was some episod about the Finnish. Being ever innovative, they had local races called "1000". You can pick whatever car you want to drive there, but after the race, if I come to you and say I want your car - you've got to sell it to me for 1000 Euro! Otherwise you're excluded Fantastic budget cap. There's a similar championship in the US(can't remember the name), where they have a max car value of 2009$ for this year, 2010$ for next and so on... |
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12 Aug 2009, 22:33 (Ref:2520488) | #15 | ||||||
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I'd go for an option with around 260-300hp (low state of tune pressure and rev limited two litre turbos lasting a season), wider cars and tyres but less downforce. Lasting a full season of course. Quote:
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