Isnewf3reallygoodforyoungdrivers’development?

There are many positives to racing on the Formula 1 bill, and it’s often a positive that drivers cite for wanting to compete in championships like Formula 2 and GP3. But is it harming the development of young drivers?

The fact that these championships appear on F1 weekends means they have to satisfy an entertainment quota, but in the formula’s long history, Formula 3 has always been about the same thing: providing a platform for young drivers to learn unhindered.

The new FIA Formula 3 Championship is the furthest departure yet from Formula 3’s roots, and there are two major issues. The addition of DRS, and the Pirelli jelly tyres that are tough to manage and use. Yes, Formula 2 has DRS. But it’s a tool which takes talent almost completely out of the equation. Competing at this level should be all about natural overtaking; finding gaps, setting drivers up, experimenting with grip and pulling off the overtake. The addition of DRS in F3 will help to prepare drivers for the use of it in F1, but how much learning is needed to push a button and sail past your rival?

Asked if it was a difficult decision to make, new F3 boss Bruno Michel said: “No, it was not a difficult decision to make, we wanted to make a car that creates fantastic racing. This is our DNA, that is why [people] are watching it and know the drivers.”

The other issue is the Pirelli tyres. It gives less talented drivers the chance to artificially appear better if they are able to look after their tyres more effectively than a potentially quicker rival. In F1, the tyres have been developed to degrade a lot less than in previous years, and also teams get access to bucket loads of data thanks to tyre temperature sensors on the cars and cameras pointed at the tyres to evaluate wear. F2 and F3 will have no sensors, so having tyres that degrade less would still be a challenge, but the driver would be relying on the process of data and adapting to it rather than driving to a delta time or taking a specific line with the current tyres.

Then there’s the one-make element. It gives the championship total control, meaning the ability for different suppliers to undercut each other, naturally bringing prices down and opening the series up to more competitors, is void. Costs are totally controlled centrally, and often this doesn’t work in motorsport. It also means many motorsport suppliers miss out on a chance to do business.

There are positives, that drivers are theoretically on an even playing field by the fact that they are in the same car. But DRS and management of Pirelli tyres can sway that playing field in drivers’ favour, and not always because they are a faster driver.

There are pros and cons to the new series and the fact that the FIA has supported it means it has faith. It’s not really F3 in its DNA, but perhaps this new series can change and adapt with motorsport in the future. But maybe that’s seeing the glass half-full.