BRITISH FORMULA THREE CHAMPIONSHIP


The 'British Formula Three Championship' is a national motor racing championship that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is the British F3 International Series. Notable former champions include Rubens Barrichello, Mika Häkkinen, Ayrton Senna, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Sir Jackie Stewart.

Contents
History
Equipment
Events
Championship records
See also
Notes
References

History


The first Formula Three championship to take place in the UK was the ''Autosport F3'' championship held in 1951, which was won by Eric Brandon. By 1954, it had evolved into a national-level series and was organised by the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC).[3] This was the 500cc period of Formula Three, which was active in the UK and other countries until 1959, at which point Formula Three was adapted into Formula Junior. In this period, there were often two or three series runing concurrently and a single national series had yet to be firmly established.[4] The FIA reintroduced Formula Three in 1964, and there were two F3 championships held in the UK that year, won by Jackie Stewart and Rodney Banting. This was not the last occasion of two or more F3 championships running concurrently in the post-1964 era: from 1970 to 1973, there were three regional series (the ''Lombard North'', ''John Player'', and ''Forward Trust'' championships) and there were normally two series between then and 1978. In 1984, the series adopted a B class for competitors with older chassis, which is now known as the National class.[5]

Equipment


Yelmer Buurman at the 2006 Grand Prix de Pau

Like most Formula Three championships, competitors in British F3 are permitted to use any eligible chassis. The mimimum and maximum age of a chassis specification is dictated by the class in which its driver competes: class A entrants must use a chassis that meets the FIA's technical regulations as applicable to 2007, while class B entrants are restricted to cars that meet the 2004 FIA regulations.[6] In practice, this means that class A cars must have been designed for the current three-year model cycle and class B cars must date from the previous cycle.
Dallara has been dominant since the mid-1990s – in both results and numbers – but the chassis of some of its main competitors have been adopted in small numbers. The Lola B06/30 and the Mygale M07/F3 are each represented by two-car teams and the older Dome F106 is used by a two-car team in the Scholarship class.[7] In the interests of parity, identical tyres are supplied by Avon.
Two engine manufacturers – AMG-Mercedes (tuned by H.W.A) and Mugen-Honda – are currently represented on a full-time basis. The Speiss-Opel was used by Swiss Racing Team in a one-off appearance at Monza only. The regulations demand that all class B entrants must use Mugen-Hondas of an identical specification, prepared and sealed by Neil Brown Engineering Limited.[8]

Events


The championship comprises eleven rounds, each with two races. The scoring system is identical for both races and both classes, arranged as follows:
 1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th 
 '20'   '15'   '12'   '10'   '8'   '6'   '4'   '3'   '2'   '1' 

A bonus point is awarded for the fastest race lap in each class.[9] The event schedule takes place over three days (normally Friday to Sunday) with free practice sessions on the first day and two qualifying sessions (normally 30 minutes per session) on the second day. Each qualifying session determines the starting order for one of the two races that take place on the final day of the event. The race distance is set according to the number of laps that can be completed in a 30 minute period at any given circuit. If the requisite number of laps have not been completed after that time, the chequered flag is shown at the end of the current lap.[10]

Championship records


British Formula Three and Formula Junior Drivers' Champions since 1951
Year Driver Chassis/engine Series
2006Mike ConwayDallara-AMG-MercedesBritish F3 International
2005Alvaro ParenteDallara-HondaBritish F3 International
2004Nelson Angelo PiquetDallara-HondaBritish F3 International
2003Alan van der MerweDallara-HondaBritish F3 International
2002Robbie KerrDallara-HondaGreen Flag British F3
2001Takuma SatoDallara-HondaGreen Flag British F3
2000Antonio PizzoniaDallara-HondaGreen Flag British F3
1999Marc HynesDallara-HondaAutosport British F3
1998Mario HaberfeldDallara-HondaAutosport British F3
1997Jonny KaneDallara-HondaAutosport British F3
1996Ralph FirmanDallara-HondaBritish F3
1995Oliver GavinDallara-VauxhallBritish F3
1994Jan MagnussenDallara-HondaBritish F3
1993Kelvin BurtReynard-HondaBritish F3
1992Gil de FerranReynard-HondaBritish F3
1991Rubens BarrichelloRalt-HondaBritish F3
1990Mika HäkkinenRalt-HondaBritish F3
1989David BrabhamRalt-VolkswagenLucas British F3
1988J.J. LehtoReynard-ToyotaLucas British F3
1987Johnny HerbertReynard-VolkswagenLucas British F3
1986Andy WallaceReynard-VolkswagenLucas British F3
1985Mauricio GugelminRalt-VolkswagenMarlboro British F3
1984Johnny DumfriesRalt-VolkswagenMarlboro British F3
1983Ayrton SennaRalt-ToyotaMarlboro British F3
1982Tommy ByrneRalt-ToyotaMarlboro British F3
1981Jonathan PalmerRalt-ToyotaMarlboro British F3
1980Stefan JohanssonMarch-ToyotaVandervell British F3
1979Chico SerraRalt-ToyotaVandervell British F3
1978Derek WarwickRalt-ToyotaVandervell F3
Nelson PiquetRalt-ToyotaBP F3
1977Stephen SouthMarch-ToyotaVandervell F3
Derek DalyChevron-ToyotaBP F3
1976Bruno GiacomelliMarch-ToyotaShell Sport F3
Rupert KeeganMarch-ToyotaBP Super Visco F3
1975Gunnar NilssonMarch-ToyotaBP Super Visco F3
1974Brian HentonMarch-FordForward Trust F3
Brian HentonMarch-FordLombard F3
1973Ian TaylorMarch-FordForward Trust F3
Tony BriseMarch-FordLombard North F3
Tony BriseMarch-FordJohn Player F3
1972Roger WilliamsonGRD-FordForward Trust F3
Rikky von OpelEnsign-FordLombard North F3
Roger WilliamsonGRD-FordShell F3
1971Roger WilliamsonMarch-FordLombard North F3
Dave WalkerLotus-FordShell Super Oil F3
Dave WalkerLotus-FordForward Trust F3
1970Dave WalkerLotus-FordLombank F3
Tony TrimmerBrabham-FordShell Motor Sport F3
Carlos PaceLotus-FordForward Trust F3
1969Emerson FittipaldiLotus-FordLombank F3
1968Tim SchenkenChevron-FordLombank F3
1967Harry StillerBrabham-FordLes Leston F3
1966Harry StillerBrabham-FordLes Leston F3
1965Tony DeanBrabham-FordBRSCC F3
1964Jackie StewartCooper-AustinExpress & Star F3
Rodney BantingLotus-AustinBRSCC F3
1963Peter ArundellExpress & Star Formula Junior
1962John FenningJohn Davy Formula Junior
1961Mike LedbrookBRSCC National Formula Junior
Bill MossJohn Davy Formula Junior
Trevor TaylorMotor Racing Formula Junior
1960Jack PitcherBRSCC National Formula Junior
Jim ClarkJohn Davy Formula Junior
Jim ClarkMotor Racing Formula Junior
1959Don ParkerBRSCC National Formula Junior
1958Trevor TaylorBRSCC National F3
1957Jim RussellBRSCC National F3
1956Jim RussellBRSCC National F3
1955Jim RussellBRSCC National F3
1954Les LestonBRSCC National F3
1953Don ParkerAutosport F3
1952Don ParkerAutosport F3
1951Eric BrandonAutosport F3

See also



★ 2007 British Formula Three season

★ Formula Three Euroseries

★ German Formula Three Championship

Notes



a. Includes the Championship class (A) and the National class (B).

b. Teams that are represented in both classes have been counted as single entities.


References


1. 2007 Drivers From ''fota.co.uk.'' Retrieved September 5 2007.
2. 2007 Teams From ''fota.co.uk.'' Retrieved September 5 2007.
3. British F3 Champions From ''motorsportsetc.com.'' Retrieved on September 4 2007.
4. Formula 3 Story From ''clarinet.fi.'' Retrieved September 5 2007.
5. British F3 Champions From ''clarinet.fi.'' Retrieved September 5 2007.
6. 2007 British F3 Series Sporting Regulations: ''Article 4.2'' pp.14
7. 2007 Entry List From ''speedsportmag.com.'' Retrieved September 5 2007.
8. 2007 British F3 Series Sporting Regulations: ''Article 4.5'' pp.15
9. 2007 British F3 Series Sporting Regulations: ''Article 1.6'' pp.2-3
10. 2007 British F3 Series Sporting Regulations: ''Articles 2.2 to 2.6'' pp.4-5


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