Super Nova F3000 Line Up

[FEUsmart]

Super Nova have confirmed that as expected, Mark Webber will be driving for them in F3000 this year. His team mate was more of a surprise... Mario Haberfeld will line up alongside Webber for his third season in F3000 since winning the British F3 Championship with PSR.

Haberfeld must certainly be in a win or bust season after a dismal year with Fortec in 2000, and the pressure is on Webber to take the title having landed a plum drive.

With Super Nova confirming two series veterans, there are now six confirmed newcomers (Pizzonia and Sperafico at Petrobras, Friesacher and Garcia at Red Bull, Derek Hill at DAMS and Pantano at Astromega) Do any of them have what it takes to overthrow the old hands?

The Championship opener is at Interlagos, a track none of the drivers will have driven at in a F3000 car. Most of the Brazilians won't have actually competed in cars much (if at all) in their home country, although it would be silly to think they won't have fitted in some sneaky testing in the run up to March 31st. So it should be a pretty even playing field for the first race, I just wish I could be there to see it. I guess Eurosport will have to do.

[Marshal]

I'd have thought that Webber should be strong this year, and I hope he is. The biggest threat from the rookies will come from Pantano and Pizzonia, and this battle should be tough. If Pizzonia can reproduce the form he showed at the start of last year he might blow everyone away, but we'll have to see.

And, will any of them make it to F1 on the basis of their performances? If Montoya and Heidfeld shine this year will F1 team chiefs start looking at F3000 rather than british FRenault.

One last thing, I was explaining to a non race fan the motorsports "ladder", and how it went F3, F3000, F1. They asked, why isn't it called F2? Isn't it about time it was?

[FEUsmart]

Wasn't it given the name Junior F1 a few years back?

Yeah, Montoya's taken a longer route to F1 than his F3000 Championship should have given him, but I reckon he will deliver the goods this year, and hopefully put F1 team managers minds back where they should be.

[MichaelC]

Originally posted by Marshal
One last thing, I was explaining to a non race fan the motorsports "ladder", and how it went F3, F3000, F1. They asked, why isn't it called F2? Isn't it about time it was?

I thought it used to be and then the FIA changed it??

[Francesca]

As far as I know there was an F2 series (I think it was British)which was run sporadically from the 50's to the 70's, and starred such classics as Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham.

F3000 started in 1985 I think.

There must be someone out there that knows a few more details.

[Marshal]

Oh I know F2 has been run from the early '50s, and that there was a European F2 series from the mid '60s to '84, when it the formula was change from 2 litre race engines to 3 litre race V8's limited to 9,000 revs, and called F3000. But even at that time, I thought that F2 was just the most sensible name. Still common sense seems to have little to do with any decisions by governing bodies.

[elephino]

F2 still exists. There is a F2 series in Australia but the cars are getting on a bit in age.

F3000 is because of 3L engines, like F5000 in that respect. It became bigger than F2 and basically took over. Many teams were in F2 and F2 cars were sometimes the GP cars I think.