European F3 gets champion prize fund, restricted to FIA series

The continental F3 category has expanded its prize money programme, which had been introduced in 2016 as a combined total reward of 200,000 Euros for the rookie champions.

With European F3's new prize money hike, a further 200,000 Euros will trickle down to the series' teams "according to a performance distribution scale".

The champion, meanwhile, will be rewarded with 100,000 Euros, provided he is moving to a different FIA-run series.

A media spokesperson for the European F3 series confirmed to Motorsport.com that drivers moving on to F1 feeder category GP2 or its own feeder GP3 would not be eligible for the prize money.

In the four years since its 2013 rebranding, European F3 had one champion moving up to GP2 in Raffaele Marciello and another switching to GP3 in Esteban Ocon.

There are currently no active junior single-seater championships ranked above European F3 by points awarded towards the FIA Super Licence, although that would change if long-standing plants to introduce an FIA Formula 2 category finally came to fruition.

"The general economy in single-seater racing makes it necessary for us to continue to work on the value of the championship for drivers and teams," said Stefano Domenicali, FIA Single-Seater Commission President.

"With the newly-introduced prize money incentive, which has already been awarded to the rookie drivers last year and will be extend to the teams this year, we want to establish some financial assistance for our competitors. This way teams will be able to broaden their search for drivers and offer seats to young talents who might lack some funding.

"All parties involved in the series are working together to strengthen the series and to retain an attractive platform for all competitors."

Announced in 2016, the rookie championship prize money - 100,000 Euros for the top newcomer and 50,000 Euros each for second and third place – was only payable if the drivers in question remained in the series for a second year.

Last season's rookie champion Joel Eriksson and rookie runner-up Ralf Aron are both staying put in European F3 in 2017, although third-placed Anthoine Hubert looks increasingly likely to end up a GP3 driver.