Formula 3 Euro Series

Formula 3 Euro Series
Vehicle type	Formula 3
Country or region	Europe
Current name	Formula 3 Euro Series
First season	2003
Last season	2012
tires	Hankook
Official website	f3euroseries.com

The Formula 3 Euro Series was an international Formula 3 championship. It should serve as a stepping stone for drivers into the GP2 series and further into the DTM or Formula 1 . Examples of this are Lewis Hamilton , Nico Rosberg or Sebastian Vettel (all subsequently in Formula 1), Timo Glock , Edoardo Mortara or Jamie Green (DTM). But some drivers have also found their way into other series after their time in the Formula 3 Euro Series, such as Ryan Briscoe in the IndyCar Series or Robert Kubica in the WRC .

It was founded in 2003 through the merger of the German and French Formula 3 championships and is a partner series of the DTM. The racetracks are in Europe.

The 2003 season was not the first championship to be held across Europe. Between 1966 and 1972 there was an FIA Formula 3 Europe Nations Cup , between 1976 and 1984 the FIA Formula 3 European Championship , 1975 and between 1985 and 1990, then again from 1999 to 2004 the FIA Formula 3 Europe Cup and also in 1987 the EFDA Formula 3 Euroseries and in 1988 the Formula 3 Eurochallenge . Well-known drivers who were able to put their names on the winners' lists were Anthony Davidson , Alessandro Zanardi , Joachim Winkelhock , Alain Prost and Riccardo Patrese .

After the 2012 season, the Formula 3 Euro Series was discontinued. The indirect successor series is the European Formula 3 championship , which was introduced in 2012 and included several Formula 3 Euro Series races in its rating this year.

Technical regulations

Formula 3 racing car on the Hockenheimring

The engine must have a series engine block and a series cylinder head, whereby the requirement for series production is met from a production of 2500 engines per year ( homologation ). Only four-cylinder, four-stroke engines are permitted. An air flow limiter with a diameter of 26 mm is required, whereby the use of magnesium in construction and turbocharging are prohibited.

A sequential 6-speed gearbox is used for shifting.

The cubic capacity must not exceed 2000 cm³; however, the bore and the stroke are not regulated.

In the Formula 3 Euro Series, the Kumho Ecsta standard tire was used up to and including 2011. Hankook Tires has been the exclusive tire partner since 2012. The number of tires per season is limited to 60 sets per vehicle used, i. H. a maximum of three sets per racing event. The rain tires are limited to two sets per weekend; their use is only permitted if the race management declares a race as a so-called “wet race”. The tires may only be filled with ambient air or nitrogen, they may not be processed chemically or mechanically, i.e. they may not be heated with tire warmers. The tire size is 180/550 R 13 at the front and 240/570 R 13 at the rear. The rims (which are practically uniform from ATS ) may be a maximum of 11.5 inches wide and have a maximum diameter of 13 inches.

The chassis must not be exchanged during a racing event and must have a crash box and two rollover structures at the front and rear.

With the driver and all of his equipment, as well as all fluids required in the racing car except gasoline, the car must weigh at least 540 kg.

Only tanks homologated by the FIA ​​/ FT3 may be installed. The cars are refueled with Aral Ultimate 102 . Refueling is not permitted during training and races; However, after training and racing, there must be at least 1 kilogram of fuel in the tank.

Any form of radio data transmission from the car to the box or vice versa is prohibited.

Sporting regulations

Start preparations at the Hockenheimring

Race weekend

A race weekend lasts three days and includes three races per event.

On the first day (Friday) there is usually a 120-minute pre-event test, which is divided into two 60-minute sections by a five-minute break; then a 30-minute qualifying session is run, the best times of which are the starting grid for the Sunday race and the second-best times for the starting grid for the first race on Saturday.

On the second day (Saturday) there will be two races. The race distance of the first race is about 110 km, with a maximum of 40 minutes; that of the second race about 55 km or a maximum of 20 minutes. For the second run, the race result of the first run gives the starting grid, with the first eight starting in reverse order.

The last of the three races will take place on the third day (Sunday). The distance is about 110 km, but a maximum of 40 minutes.

Point system

First and third races:	Second race:
1st place : 25 points 2nd place : 18 points 3rd place : 15 points 4th place : 12 points 5th place : 10 points 6th place : 8 points 7th place : 6 points 8th place : 4 points 9th place : 2 points 10th place : 1 point	1st place : 10 points 2nd place : 8 points 3rd place : 6 points 4th place : 5 points 5th place : 4 points 6th place : 3 points 7th place : 2 points 8th place : 1 point

title

The points are included in the following ratings: driver's title, "Rookie Cup" (rating for newcomers), team and national ratings.

Previous champions of the Formula 3 Euro Series

year	master	Points	2nd place	Points	3rd place	Points
2003	Ryan Briscoe	110	Christian Klien	089	Olivier Pla	074
2004	Jamie Green	139	Alexandre Prémat	088	Nicolas Lapierre	085
2005	Lewis Hamilton	172	Adrian Sutil	094	Lucas di Grassi	068
2006	Paul di Resta	086	Sebastian Vettel	075	Kōhei Hirate	061
2007	Romain Grosjean	106	Sébastien Buemi	095	Nico Hulkenberg	072
2008	Nico Hulkenberg	085	Edoardo Mortara	0.049.5	Jules Bianchi	047
2009	Jules Bianchi	114	Christian Vietoris	075	Valtteri Bottas	062
2010	Edoardo Mortara	101	Marco Wittmann	076	Valtteri Bottas	074
2011	Roberto Merhi	406	Marco Wittmann	285	Daniel Juncadella	280
2012	Daniel Juncadella	240	Pascal Wehrlein	229	Raffaele Marciello	0.0219.5

driver

For many drivers, the Formula 3 Euro Series was a step on the career ladder towards Formula 1. The future Formula 1 drivers Nico Rosberg (2003–2004), Lucas di Grassi (2003, 2005), Robert Kubica (2003– 2004), Timo Glock (2003), Robert Doornbos (2003), Markus Winkelhock (2003), Christian Klien (2003), Sakon Yamamoto (2003), Adrian Sutil (2004–2005), Giedo van der Garde (2004–2006) , Lewis Hamilton (2004–2005), Paul di Resta (2005–2006), Sebastian Vettel (2005–2006), Kamui Kobayashi (2006–2007), Kazuki Nakajima (2006), Sébastien Buemi (2006–2007), Romain Grosjean (2006–2007), Nico Hülkenberg (2007–2008), Jules Bianchi (2008–2009), Brendon Hartley (2008–2009), Daniel Ricciardo (2008), Valtteri Bottas (2009–2010), Esteban Gutiérrez (2009–2010 ), Roberto Merhi (2009–2011), Kevin Magnussen (2010), Carlos Sainz junior (2011–2012), Pascal Wehrlein (2012) and Felipe Nasr (2012) previously in the Formula 3 Euro Series. With Julia Kuhn (2005-2006), Natacha Gachnang (2006), Gina-Maria Adenauer (2006) and Cyndie Allemann (2007) some women started in this series.

Web links

Commons : Formula 3 Euro Series  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official homepage of the racing series (German, English or French)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Technical Regulations 2011 ( Memento of June 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) f3euroseries.com
2. ↑ Sports regulations 2011 ( Memento from June 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) f3euroseries.com