The inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship begins this weekend with the first round of the 2019 season taking place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. The championship is designed to be the perfect driver training ground for both Formula 2 and, ultimately, Formula 1, with some of the world’s best racing teams taking part, and the hottest young motor racing talents from across the globe filling their race seats.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the brand-new Formula 3 championship to the grand prix weekend,” commented Mario Isola, Pirelli head of F1 and car racing. “We’ve designed new tyres for the car, which is designed to deliver its power in a way that’s more similar to Formula 2 and Formula 1, with a bigger emphasis on oversteer to prepare drivers for what comes next.
“Barcelona is a track that we and all the teams know well from testing: it’s traditionally been quite demanding on tyres, so tyre management and strategy can make a difference.
“However, we’ve noted that since being resurfaced last year, the track has begun to evolve and mature again, so it will be interesting to see what type of a difference that makes this weekend.”
F3 provides an entry point for young and ambitious drivers to join the Formula 1 circus, and gives them the chance to take the path to join their heroes in the main paddock. The drivers must showcase their skills both in speed and tyre management, just like they will have to do when they move up the motorsport ladder, and with two races per weekend and reverse grids, these skills will prove crucial in the battle to become champion.
Barcelona hosts Round 1 of the championship, and with the drivers having tested there in pre-season recently the drivers should know the challenges of the circuit. Pirelli is providing the teams with Hard compound tyres, and tyre management could play a vital role after the track was resurfaced. With 30 identical cars on track, no mandatory pitstops and flat-out racing from start to finish, the season promises to deliver plenty of excitement!
Notes:
The race weekend at Barcelona is the first of 8 rounds which make up the 2019 F3 calendar, all alongside Formula 1 Grands Prix.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a one-make category consisting of 30 identical cars.
The F3 2019 machine features a naturally aspirated 3.4 litre bespoke Mecachrome 6 cylinder engine, which delivers 380 HP at 8000 rpm.
Each race weekend features one forty-five minute practice session and one thirty minute qualifying session, followed by two races, each to be no longer than 40 minutes in total.
Pirelli will provide one dry and one wet compound tyre to teams at each event, and there are no mandatory pitstops.
Three different drivers were fastest overall at three different winter testing events; ART Grand Prix’s Christian Lundgaard at Le Castellet, Hitech Grand Prix’s Leonardo Pulcini at Barcelona and Robert Shwartzman of PREMA Racing at Budapest.
At 17-years-old, MP Motorsport’s Liam Lawson is the youngest driver in the Championship this season.
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