NEW NAME FOR DEFUNCT EUROPEAN F3 SERIES
The organisers of the Dtm-supporting continuation of the old Formula 3 European Championship have chosen a new name for their series for 2019.
Formel 3 Vermarktungs, which ran the F3 European Championship on behalf of the FIA from 2013-18, has opted for the name Formula European Masters.
F3V was shouldered out of the F3 hierarchy by the launch of the new FIA F3 Championship for spec cars, which will be promoted by long-time Gp2/gp3/formula 2 boss Bruno Michel on the Formula 1 support bill.
But F3V pledged during the summer to continue running the 2012-generation Dallara cars for one more season as their FIA homologation does not run out until the end of ’19.
It’s understood that F3V is one of three championships to approach Dallara to produce a new chassis featuring the halo for 2020.
The new series has also been given a boost by the FIA World Motor Sport Council’s revisions to the superlicence points system.
The champion of Formula European Masters will receive 25 points towards a superlicence, just five fewer than the new FIA F3 series.
The former generation of F3 cars could also still be used in the Macau Grand Prix.
The Macau-organising AAMC is understood to be concerned that the new-for-2019 F3 cars will carry too much momentum for the Guia circuit, especially in the wake of Sophia Florsch’s massive accident this year.
While the 2012-18 generation of F3 cars produce 240bhp and can get up to 168mph with a tow in Macau, the new machines will push out 380bhp with a projected top speed of 186mph.
The older two-litre F3 cars weigh 580kg including the driver. No weight has been published for the new racers, but with the 3.4-litre Mecachrome V6 engine and halo they are expected to be considerably heavier.
Furthermore, Macau’s FIA circuit homologation as Grade 3 means a maximum possible weight- to-power ratio of 2:1. With 380bhp, this means the new F3 cars would have to weigh in at a minimum of 760kg – some way over the 750kg including driver of the ‘big-brother’ Formula 2 category.
● The Formula 3 Pau Grand Prix has been saved thanks to an agreement between the race organisers and the Euroformula Open series. The event was a round of the FIA F3 European Championship from 2014-18 but will disappear from the new-for-2019 FIA F3 Championship.