Marlboro Masters 2004

[Marcel ten Caat]

With just 2,5 weeks before the Masters of F3 in Zandvoort, here's the provisional entry list.

Bruno Spengler (Dallara-Mercedes) - Mucke
Daniel La Rosa (Dallara-Mercedes) - Mucke
Jamie Green (Dallara-Mercedes) - ASM
Alexandre Premat (Dallara-Mercedes) - ASM
Eric Salignon (Dallara-Mercedes) - ASM
Lewis Hamilton (Dallara-Mercedes) - Manor
Charles Zwolsman (Dallara-Mercedes) - Manor
Giedo Van der Garde (Dallara-Opel) - Signature
Nicolas Lapierre (Dallara-Opel) - Signature
Loic Duval (Dallara-Opel) - Signature
Gregory Franchi (Dallara-Opel) - Signature
Adam Carroll (Dallara-Mugen) - P1
Fairuz Fauzy (Dallara-Mugen) - P1
Nelsinho Piquet (Dallara-Mugen) - Piquet
Nico Rosberg (Dallara-Opel) - Rosberg
Andreas Zuber (Dallara-Opel) - Rosberg
Clivio Piccione (Dallara-Mugen) - Carlin
Danilo Dirani (Dallara-Mugen) - Carlin
Alvaro Parente (Dallara-Mugen) - Carlin
Tom Kimber-Smith (Dallara-Mercedes) - Kolles
Adrian Sutil (Dallara-Mercedes) - Kolles
Roberto Streit (Dallara-Opel) - Prema
Franck Perera (Dallara-Opel) - Prema
Katsuyuki Hiranaka (Dallara-Opel) - Prema
Vasilije Calasan (Dallara-Mugen) - Promatecme
Danny Watts (Lola Dome-Mugen) - Promatecme
Paolo Montin (Dallara-Mugen) - Ombra
Matteo Cressoni (Dallara-Mugen) - Ombra
James Rossiter (Dallara-Opel) - Fortec
Marcus Marshall (Dallara-Opel) - Fortec
Ferdinand Kool (Dallara-Mugen) - Docking
Marko Asmer (Dallara-Renault) - Hitech
Lucas Di Grassi (Dallara-Renault) - Hitech
James Walker (Dallara-Renault) - Hitech
Andrew Thompson (Dallara-Renault) - Hitech
Hannes Neuhauser (Dallara-Opel) - HBR
Ross Zwolsman (Dallara-Opel) - HBR
Philipp Baron (Dallara-Mugen) - Ghinzani
Marco Bonanomi (Dallara-Mugen) - Ghinzani
Alejandro Nunez (Dallara-Opel) - SRT
Peter Elkmann (Dallara-Opel) - SRT
Maximilian Gotz (Dallara-Toyota) - Kolles
Alexandros Margaritis (Dallara-Opel) - KMS

[Gaz]

Its absolutely mouthwatering isn't it! Owe to be there to witness this one!

I really have no idea who to play my cards with! Every possible entry you would want on that grid seems to be there! It will be a great indicator of just which series is the strongest this season!

[flexible-flyer]

british f3 has by far the most driving talent, im convinced. even if they have to play in the euroseries playground on euroseries tracks and euroseries tyres i think the brit f3 guys will blow the euroseries away. or at least i hope!!!

[bella]

following a HUGE change in plans (knockhill or zandvoort... the more i thought about it the more it seemed a bit obvious), i'll be driving over (with my partner in crime ) and the entry list is just fantastic. it's great to see all the top teams from british f3 giving it a go, although i think they'll be outdone by the european lot.

gaz, there's other factors involved in it rather than just driving talent. someone who knows more about it than i do will be able to explain the differences in technical regs?

[flor]

Euro f3 has by far the most driving talent, im convinced. even if they wouldnt have to play in the euroseries playground on euroseries tracks and euroseries tyres i think the Euro f3 guys will blow the euroseries away. or at least i hope!!!

[Suze]

I'm not sure they'll blow them away....I think the top 3 finishing positions will be taken by Euro guys, but I'd expect the see the British guys doing well too. I reckon it will be relatively close!

[Dutch chap]

Originally posted by flexible-flyer
even if they have to play in the euroseries playground on euroseries tracks and euroseries tyres

No Euroseries in Holland this year so forget about the familiarity with the track. I'm not sure about the rules on tires. Anyone?

[flor]

i think its the same tyre company, but other tyres than they normally use

[Kicking-back]

It is a different tyre compound, so a level playing field.

My top three prediction is Green, Piquet, Premat.

[Marcel ten Caat]

The dutch round of the F3 Euroseries will only take place on September 3rd, so no advantage there.

And I doubt the setups of 2003 are of any use.

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally posted by bella
i'll be driving over (with my partner in crime )

Do I see a Ten-Tenths meeting at Zandvoort during the Masters?

[105octane]

No Will Davison or Will Power?

[Kicking-back]

Power's team haven't entered, and Davison no longer has an F3 drive.

[strider]

They use Kumho tyres at Zandvoort, as in the F3 Euroseries. Theoretically a different compound, but in terms of basic characteristics a Kumho is still a Kumho. The British F3 drivers have to adapt from the Avons they use normally and there isn't much time in which to do so.
I agree with flexible-flyer that the better drivers are in the UK, but the Mercedes engine has been ominously dominant in Europe. The latest tweak I've heard rumoured is different exhausts tuned for performance on each particular circuit. Oh, and lots of time in the wind tunnel for teams like ASM.
Not exactly a level playing field, which is why some people are getting fed up with it.

[105octane]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Power's team haven't entered, and Davison no longer has an F3 drive.

I read in an Australian motorsport mag that he is coming back to do the masters.

[flexible-flyer]

in no way whatsoever is it a level playing field. euro f3 has a massive advantage over everyone with all the money their teams have for testing, the experience with the track and the fact kumho tyres are the supplier. so british driving talent will have to playa big part in levelling up matters but im sure they can do it.

[MonteCristo]

Originally posted by 105octane
I read in an Australian motorsport mag that he is coming back to do the masters.

http://www.aussief3.com/national/int...davison06.html

[JJ Jet Plane]

Hey let's kill off this Dad's Army mentality shall we?

Point 1: The British F3 Championship does MUCH more testing than the Euroseries.

Point 2: If Mercedes work on different exhausts for different tracks, so what? There's nothing to stop Neil Brown doing the same with their Mugens. And anyway, why is that any different in principle to teams working on different wing, suspension settings etc for different tracks?

Point 3: The Kumho tyre excuse. This is at least the second year that the Masters has been run on Kumhos, so the British teams have experience of the tyres. Anyway, if they thought they'd be at a disadvantage would they bother entering?

[Mathias]

It's a pretty impressive line-up... does anyone think there might be mileage in a UK-based masters race to complement the likes of Zandvoort, Macau, Korea, Cagliari and the now defunct Bahrain? If you used Silverstone GP, for example, and Avon tyres, obviously, that would put the chat among the oiseaux...

[Mathias]

PS - many of the BritF3 teams have been testing at Zanvoort earlier in the year, so, to add to JJ's response, it's not such an unlevel playing field...

Suppose that being in Holland it can't be much more level. Ho ho ho, stop me someone, I'll get me coat.

[flor]

Originally posted by flexible-flyer
in no way whatsoever is it a level playing field. euro f3 has a massive advantage over everyone with all the money their teams have for testing, the experience with the track and the fact kumho tyres are the supplier. so british driving talent will have to playa big part in levelling up matters but im sure they can do it.

i dont think there is a big difference between the top teams budgets of both series and testing in the euroseries is strictly limited

[Kyra]

Hello Everybody!
Does anybody know why Daniel La Rosa replace Robert Kubica at Mucke Motorsport?

[flexible-flyer]

fair points, but i still believe the euroseries has an advantage in all departments except drivers.

[Kicking-back]

It doesn't, flexible flyer.

You are just getting the excuses in first in case your favourites don't win.

As has been said, the British series has far more testing than the European one.

Incidentally, the top Euroseries driver is British, so no need to worry!

[flexible-flyer]

im not getting excuses in at all. i just think they have a bigger advantage than the guys that have to cross the water. in numbers, in money, in experience...