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Old 7 Jul 2017, 13:00 (Ref:3749433)   #27
andrewc
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andrewc should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
It would be nice if F3 was multi-chassis, but since everyone has moved to a carbon fibre chassis, the number of constructors diminished rapidly. Long gone are the days where to be a chassis manufacturer all you needed was some tubing and a welder, with flat sections of aluminium honeycomb forming bulkheads, with fibreglass making the rest of the bodywork.

Saying that there are a number of tubs being made for Formula 4 (often crash tested to F3 levels), which aren't homologated for F3, if there was the desire for greater chassis capacity. These include Tatuus (Germany, British BRDC F3, Spain, Italy, UAE), Mygale (F4 UK, Australia), Onroak (US), Domeo (Japan). Any others?

F3 has for many years been a stepping stone to the top echelons of motorsport, a place where drivers who had graduated from Formula Ford, added to the knowledge of close racing, and mechanical grip, continued learning: about the characteristics of aerodynamics, slick tyres and more power than they had previously. They continued learning about setting up their car.

Its also important to remember that F3 was also a place where many other members of the team refine their trade - mechanics and in recent years data engineers, but the regulations of recent years allowed teams to make their own bodywork and aerodynamics, and also suspension components - wishbones -designers, aerodynamicists. This allowed others to learn their craft as well and is one of the key reasons why F3 was regarded as such an important category.

With F1 getting ever more complicated, it makes sense that there could be extra stages to get there - the current GP3 single chassis / single engine adds approx 200hp and now DRS to the package, and from there F2/GP2 adds another 250hp.

Its logical from a branding point of view that the support races to a Formula 1 race are Formula 2 and Formula 3. They rebranded GP2 to F2 at the start of this current season, so its logical that GP3 could follow.

I think it would be a shame for the freedoms within F3 to be lost within single-chassis, single-engine formula as it would reduce the number of many talented people going on to progress further in motorsport.
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