What Every Formula 1 Fan (and Up and Coming Race Car Driver) Should know About the Cooper Tires British F3 International

What is it? The Cooper Tires British F3 International

Why Formula 1 Fans Should Care: For 46 exciting seasons, the British Formula 3 series has helped develop some of the greatest Formula 1 champions in the sport’s history. Just look at some of the British F3 champions who have gone on to be F1 World Champions:

Sir Jackie Stewart 1964
Emerson Fittipaldi 1969
Nelson Piquet 1978
Ayrton Senna 1983
Mika Hakkinen 1990

Many other race-winning British F3 drivers have gone on to claim motor sport’s greatest achievement, including James Hunt, Jody Scheckter, Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and the 2009 F1 World Champion, Jenson Button. In fact, British F3 has bred more World Champions than any other single-seater series worldwide. British F3 Champions who went on to win Grands Prix include Carlos Pace, Gunnar Nilsson, Johnny Herbert and Rubens Barrichello.

The Formula 1 grid in the last three seasons would have been a poorer place without British F3 graduates such as Nelson Piquet Jr, Mark Webber, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Takuma Sato, Anthony Davidson, Scott Speed and, of course, Jaime Alguersuari, who won the 2008 British F3 title and who, within months, was propelled on to the Grand Prix grid as the world’s youngest-ever F1 racer at 19 years and 125 days old.

There are more British F3 men waiting on the sidelines, not least the 2009 Champion, Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who has joined another ex-British F3 race-winner, Brendon Hartley, as a reserve for 2010 with the Red Bull Racing/Toro Rosso squad.

Ricciardo was the standout driver in the F1 ‘rookie tests’ at Jerez, Spain, in December 2009… but was far from the only ex-British F3 man taking part. Daniel, who tested for Red Bull racing, was joined in Spain by Hartley (Toro Rosso), Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett (McLaren), Mike Conway and Marcus Ericsson (Brawn/Mercedes). Frenchman Jules Bianchi, who in addition to winning the F3 Euro Series title in 2009 was a double overall race victor in the British championship, was among four young drivers tested by Ferrari.

To find out more about the series I talked to Peter Briggs of FOTA (FOrmula Three Association) to get a bit of insight on what the series is all about.

F1 Prospects: The British Formula 3 Championship has a history of developing and nurturing future Formula 1 drivers. Why is that?

Peter Briggs: F3 has for many years been the training ground for drivers and engineers alike .With one make series the engineers and drivers cannot develop the cars and therefore do not gain the technical experience that is generally required to drive in F1

F1P: How full do the fields usually get and what is a “typical” budget for those trying to compete?

PB: In 2010 over 20 cars will compete in the British Championship with budgets of approx £550,000 this however is one of the very cheapest series when you calculate miles per £.

F1P: With the multitude of junior formulae available to a young driver these days, when should a driver seriously consider Formula 3 and specifically the British championship?

PB: The British F3 Championship consists of 30 races over 10 weekends with 25 days of testing. No other single seater race series can offer the seat time together with the engineering training that is available.

F1P: Tell us a bit about some of the past drivers who have graduated on to bigger and better things.

PB: Some of the drivers who have competed in the British F3 Championship and have progressed to F1, Senna, Button, Barrichello,Coulthard,Hill,Mansell,Hakkinen,Kovalaionen,Sato.

F1P: Are their many drivers from outside of the UK competing in the Cooper Tires F3 International?

PB: Approx 60% of drivers come from outside the UK

F1P: Tell us a bit about the technical aspects of the cars.

Formula 3 Car – specifications

Engine: Mercedes Benz, Mugen Honda, VW
Layout: Four cylinder in-line, 16 valves and twin overhead

Power: 210bhp @ 6000rpm (approx)

Performance

Speed: In excess of 160mph depending on the circuit and gearing
Acceleration: 0-60mph in 3.0 seconds

Deceleration: 130-50mph in 2.8 seconds

Chassis: Dallara, SLC R1, Mygale

Weight: 550kg including driver and ballast
Length: 4188mm
Width: 1825mm
Height: 950mm
Construction: Carbon Fibre sandwich with AL/Nomex™ honeycomb
Tyres: Cooper Tires

Every 4 years new F3 specifications are homologated by the FIA for manufacturers to build cars to, mainly safety changes from the previous models.. The last change was in 2008 when over 100 new cars were sold by Dallara ,the main supplier, and Mygalle, more than nearly all the other series put together.

F1P: Again this year there are a number of races on mainland Europe. Why does the series continue to compete internationally in light of other series like the F3 Euro Series?

PB: We look for the best circuits for the drivers and in 2010 50% of the events are on GP circuits.

Where Do They Race?

03/04/2010 United Kingdom Oulton Park >
05/04/2010 United Kingdom Oulton Park >
05/04/2010 United Kingdom Oulton Park >
01/05/2010 United Kingdom Silverstone >
02/05/2010 United Kingdom Silverstone >
02/05/2010 United Kingdom Silverstone >
22/05/2010 France Magny-Cours >
23/05/2010 France Magny-Cours >
23/05/2010 France Magny-Cours >
29/05/2010 Germany Hockenheim >
30/05/2010 Germany Hockenheim >
30/05/2010 Germany Hockenheim >
17/07/2010 United Kingdom Rockingham >
18/07/2010 United Kingdom Rockingham >
18/07/2010 United Kingdom Rockingham >
30/07/2010 Belgium Spa >
31/07/2010 Belgium Spa >
31/07/2010 Belgium Spa >
07/08/2010 United Kingdom Thruxton >
08/08/2010 United Kingdom Thruxton >
08/08/2010 United Kingdom Thruxton >
14/08/2010 United Kingdom Silverstone >
15/08/2010 United Kingdom Silverstone >
15/08/2010 United Kingdom Silverstone >
29/08/2010 United Kingdom Snetterton >
30/08/2010 United Kingdom Snetterton >
30/08/2010 United Kingdom Snetterton >
25/09/2010 United Kingdom Brands Hatch >
26/09/2010 United Kingdom Brands Hatch >
26/09/2010 United Kingdom Brands Hatch >

Who Should I Look Out For? As we get closer to the kick off of the season we will bring you some analysis and commentary on who is driving in the series and what to look out for. If you are a serious Formula 1 fan you owe it to yourself to check out junior open wheel racing like the Cooper Tires British F3 International. The racing is fast and furious and the pedigree of this series cannot be denied.

More information and ticket details can be found at the series website at:

http://www.fota.co.uk/index.php

A very big thank you to Peter Briggs who gave generously of his time in answering our questions in this very busy time to the run up to the 2010 season.

Feb 21

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