British F3 reveals strong calendar and fresh plans for 2013

Next year’s Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series will be contested over 26 races at nine top-level events across the UK and mainland Europe, it is confirmed today.

The championship will visit the Grand Prix circuits at Silverstone, Spa and the Nürburgring, and once again take part in Europe’s blue riband F3 event, the Grand Prix de Pau.

Announcing the more compact set of dates, Benjamin Franassovicci, championship manager for SRO, said: “The dates have been carefully chosen to avoid clashes with other F3 events, and to provide competitors with the opportunity to compete on a superlative set of international-standard circuits such as Spa, Paul Ricard, and Nürburgring.

It is a world-class calendar with overseas races supporting the fantastic Blancpain Endurance Series, and several of the events will be televised live.

“We are particularly pleased to be returning to the Grand Prix de Pau, the most prestigious Formula 3 race in Europe.”

Currently the championship will feature nine meetings, eight of which will feature three races - the exception being the twin-race Pau event. SRO is considering adding a 10th date.

In a revision to the format seen in recent seasons, all three races in an F3 weekend will be of 30-minute duration. The second race will still be a ‘reverse grid’ event, with starting slots based on the first-race finishing positions.

Cooper Tires British F3 ready for 2013.

Photo by: Daniel James Smith

The National class for older chassis, aimed at the younger and less experienced driver, will feature major revisions to broaden its appeal.

Not the least of these is a relaxation of the technical regulations to allow the participation of Formula 3 cars from other national championships.

A new five-meeting ‘mini series’, the British F3 National Invitation trophy, is being created to help attract newcomers to the championship. This will comprise the events at Pau, Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Spa and Nürburgring.

“Our aim with this series is to attract a number of European national competitors who might not have the budget for a full season,” added Franassovicci.

(*) Championship points. For 2013, points will be allocated to the top-10 finishers in race one and three of a weekend, on the following basis: 25 - 18 - 15 - 12 - 10 - 8 - 6 - 4 - 2 - 1

Race two, the reverse-grid race, will be scored thus: 12 - 9 - 8 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 0.5

Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series (Revised provisional calendar 2013)

30 Mar/1 Apr GBR Oulton Park
18/19 May FRA Grand Prix de Pau
25/26 May GBR Silverstone Grand Prix
15/16 Jun GBR Snetterton 300
29/30 Jun FRA Paul Ricard
25/27 Jul BEL Spa-Francorchamps
10/11 Aug GBR Brands Hatch Grand Prix
21/22 Sep GER Nürburgring
05/06 Oct GBR Donington Park Grand Prix

SRO