FIA F3: Preview – High Quantity, High Quality, High Anticipation

The FIA Formula 3 Championship kicks off its inaugural season this weekend, with no less than 30 drivers preparing to battle for the title over the eight rounds that support the F1 package.

Though while F2 has been noted for having a talent drain this season, the competitiveness of F3 could end many a talented drivers career to the top prematurely.

So why is this?

Accumulation is a great starting point. The changes the FIA has made to F3 (and the ladder to F1) this year has caused a bottleneck at this third tier. As a result, the drivers who, in years past, would have made the choice between GP3 and European F3, now only have one true option – FIA F3.

This means drivers who traditionally would have returned for a second GP3 / Euro F3 campaign are being lumped together, along with the graduates from Formula Renault, Formula 4 and other F3 series. This has caused a concentration of talent for 2019 that hasn’t yet seeped through into F2. However, with the cut throat nature of Junior Formula, a handful of returning GP3 and F3 faces will know anything less than success will not be enough.

In total, we’ve seen drivers emerge from eight different championships, in order to prove themselves on what is now the world stage.

First though, let’s have a look at the format of this new FIA F3.

Much of the rules and setup have been taken from the defunct GP3. Single-spec cars, this time built by Dallara, with a V6 Mecachrome engine. Even the weekend structure will stay the same in order to adapt to the F1 schedule. That means a 45 minute practice and 30 minute qualifying session. Followed by two (40 min max) races, with the top eight reversed for the second. In fact, it’s probably better to think of it as a rebranded GP3 rather than a combination with European F3.

In fact, it’s only the super licence points and teams that appear to have been imported. Prema Powerteam, ever the championship winning staple in Euro F3 will now have to face the GP3 powerhouse of ART GP, who have won all but 1 of GP3’s eight teams titles and produced the majority of the drivers champions.

They will not be the only team joining, with Hitech GP making the leap across, while HWA Racelab, Carlin and Sauber Junior Team by Charouz making the leap across. For the latter it ensures their ladder from F4 to F2 is complete. Of course, many of the regular GP3 teams will also be returning, as Trident lead MP Motorsport, Jenzer and Campos Racing.

Back for More

As the highest placed returning driver from GP3, eyes will be on Leonardo Pulcini to deliver early in the season. He topped one pre-season tests, but a move to the new Hitech GP team may hinder his progress compared to drivers from bigger budget outfits. He recorded two wins on his way to fourth in the standings last season, but time will tell whether the Italian can repeat his fortune.

David Beckmann was the highest placed GP3 rookie in 2018, recording two wins after an inspired mid-season move to Trident. This year he joins ART GP as the prestigious #1, looking to carry his series momentum. Other race winners from last season were Pedro Piquet and Jake Hughes. Both drivers made a smooth transition from F3 to GP3, but for Hughes, a single win and eighth in the championship was disappointing for an ART driver. He’s looking for pastures new at HWA Racelab, where he recently described them as a “mid-size F1 team”.

A number of other GP3 drivers will also be making the transition. Finnish duo Simo Laaksonen and Niko Kari will need strong seasons to continue their single-seater career, especially Kari, whose 2018 was cut short. Joining Piquet and Kari at Trident will be another regular Devlin DeFrancesco, who won the Spanish Formula 3 title back in 2017 as part of the EuroFormula Open Championship. Whether Trident’s all-GP3 line-up will earn them the title will soon be seen, though testing saw them struggle to break the top ten.

The F3 Challengers

As mentioned, FIA F3 will also be the merger of European F3, and like their rival series, many of the top drivers are back, but on a new stage. Like the drivers, Prema will also make the transition across, hanging on to one of their 2018 crew. F3 Rookie champion Robert Schwartzman on paper will be strongest competitor this season, though teammate Marcus Armstrong, despite finishing behind the Russian last year, has been topped much of pre-season testing. They will be joined by another F3 graduate, Jehan Daravula. The Indian was tenth in last years series and like Trident, Prema have firmly fixed their colours to what they’re familiar with.

One driver who could upset their hegemony will be Juri Vips. The Estonian progressed to the series after winning ADAC F4, surprising many with his immediate pace. While he lost out on the rookie title to Shwartzman, he now carries Red Bull colours on his Hitech. He wasn’t the only driver to progress from ADAC to F3 (and now to FIA F3) though, with Fabio Scherer switching to Charouz.

Completing the European F3 set will be a trio of drivers who require a strong season should they not fade away from their aspirations to reach the top. Kevyan Andres scored a single podium last year, but even at HWA may struggle to see those lofty heights again. Artem Petrov and Sebastian Fernandez meanwhile failed to pick up any silverware and are expected to spend 2019 learning the car.

Renault’s Last Hurrah

Like the traditional-F3 styled car, the F2.0/13 Renault has also been retired, with the Eurocup name living on as a Regional F3 series. GP3 has long been the go-to series for graduates of this championship, as all of the top four step up. While many drivers will see FIA F3 as a chance to clinch their maiden title, Max Fewtrell already has two to his name. The Eurocup win last season has seen the Renault Development driver’s stock rocket and as a result joins the ART GP team.

He’ll be joined not just by Beckmann, but also Eurocup’s rookie champion Christian Lundgaard. The two remained rivals for much of last season, but the Dane will have greater momentum behind him and for many is already a tip for the title. Continuing the theme of former-F4 champions in Eurocup is Ye Yifei. Having been recently announced as the newest edition to the Renault Sport Academy Ye completes a star-studded Hitech team.

Logan Sargeant was largely overshadowed by teammate Fewtrell in 2018, but three wins in a rookie campaign put him just one behind Lundgaard, though after narrowly missing out on three titles in three years, the American will need to stand out at Carlin. Race winner Alex Peroni will step up to Campos, while Richard Verschoor, who sacrificed his Eurocup campaign to move to GP3 last season will be hoping that half a years experience with MP Motorsport can give him the edge over his former rivals.

Plucky Underdogs

Eurocup may have the best reputation as feeding talent to GP3 outside of the traditional system, though with funding now stretching to further corners of the globe, talent can come from just about anywhere. In recent years, EuroFormula Open has been populated by Brazilians, with 2018 champion Felipe Drugovich the latest to emerge. The 18-year-old won 14 of the 16 races last season and will be a under pressure to perform in a strong Carlin team. The Brazilian was pushed all the way by Bent Viscaal last season, who will also be making the step up. Having finished runner-up in three championships in two seasons the Dutchman will be determined to finally claim a maiden title.

Prior to EF Open, Drugovich had raced in ADAC F4, narrowly losing out to Vips and Armstrong despite recording more victories, and the series continued to churn out strong drivers with last year’s champion; Lirim Zendeli joining Charouz. His title rival, Liam Lawson completes MP Motorsport line-up, though Vips’ immediate success last year, may just pile pressure on the two to mix it at the front in 2019. Fellow F4 graduates Andreas Estner and Alessio Deledda make the step up, though notably Deledda will be not be expected to challenge, having failed to score a point in his entire Italian F4 campaign.

The Japanese have long been producing talented drivers and this year is no exception with Yuki Tsunoda and Teppei Natori, who were first and second respectively in the Japanese F4 Championship making their European debut. The 18-year-old’s, while driving for different teams (Tsunoda with Jenzer and Natori with Carlin) will both be backed by Honda. Finally, graduates from the newly established Asian F3. 2018 champion Raoul Hyman joins Charouz, having beaten HWA’s Jakes Hughes by just two points. Hughes though, won every race he competed in, missing out on the title after skipping two rounds for GP3. Both men have experience in the former category and could be excellent markers for many of the young graduates.

The season starts this weekend in Catalunya, with qualifying on Friday 16:50 UK Time, and the races on Saturday and Sunday at 09:15am.