British Formula 3 Announce 2011 Schedule

Over the weekend, SRO Motorsports announced the calendar for the 2011 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series – the schedule will take in ten rounds with races across the UK, as well as forays into Europe.

Since 1951, British Formula 3 has been a springboard for many local and international drivers as they scaled the motor racing ladder on the way to Formula 1. In the sixty years since its inception, famous racers such as the late Ayrton Senna, Martin Brundle and Jenson Button have all taken part in the series and there are high hopes for the next batch of champions, as they prepare to take the next step on the road to the pinnacle of motorsport.

Starting out next April at Italy’s historic Monza circuit, the Championship will also run at Oulton Park, the recently re-opened Donington Park and Brands Hatch, before July dates at Paul Ricard and Spa-Francorchamps, where the series will play a supporting role to the GT1 Championship and the Spa 24 Hour Race respectively. Events at Rockingham and Snetterton make the run-in to the Championship closer at Silverstone‘s Arena circuit – there is a muted date at the famed Nurburgring in August, however that has yet to be confirmed. The 2010 season saw the championship re-profiled somewhat, with the series extending from two races to three over the course of a weekend – it means the Championship now has 30 races, as opposed to 20 in previous years.

Reflecting on the schedule, SRO General Manager Lisa Crampton revealed:

“…we’re absolutely delighted by the way the F3 calendar has developed. The circuits we plan to visit give drivers invaluable time on top Grand Prix tracks and will challenge them on some of Britain’s greatest driver circuits. There are many more improvements in the pipeline to underline the status of British F3 and these will be worked on together with feedback from FOTA over coming months.”

When noting about the lack of exact dates, Crampton was also keen to state that:

“…we’ve held the exact dates, as one or two may still change by a week or fortnight. We’d rather announce the month than to announce a date and then have to change it. We understand teams require a schedule at this point in the year to show to prospective drivers and sponsors.”

As the series aims to reinforce its plans to further enhance the reputation of the Championship, plans have been provide greater promotion of events to coincide with its existing marketing activities, as well as a renewed focus on the National Class – to be renamed the Rookie Championship from 2011 onwards. Drivers entering the Rookie Championship will receive data-sharing support from Neil Brown engineering and a branded race suit; however the real bonus goes to the Rookie Champion who will awarded with a waived entry fee into the following year’s International series. There are also some wonderful benefits for the top three in the main series – come the season end, they will be rewarded be tests behind the wheel of World Series by Renault machine.

This series has done much to positively impact the British motor racing scene for sixty years and long may that success continue. The British F3 is sponsored by US tyre manufacturer Cooper Tire and is further supported by Sunoco Racing Fuels, Anglo American Oil Company and Mirror.co.uk – more projects for 2011 and beyond will be revealed in coming months.

Provisional schedule of events
April     Monza, Italy          GT Endurance Series
April     Oulton Park, UK       British F3 & GT & UK support package
May       Donington Park GP, UK British F3 & GT & UK support package
June      Brands Hatch GP, UK   British F3 & GT & UK support package
July      Paul Ricard, France   FIA GT1 World Championship
July      Spa-Francorchamps     Spa 24 Hours
August*   Nürburgring*, Germany GT Endurance Series
September Rockingham, UK        British F3 & GT & UK support package
September Snetterton 300,       UK British F3 & GT & UK support package
October   Silverstone Arena,    UK GT Endurance, British F3, GT & supports
* Date/Circuit to be confirmed. All dates and circuits are provisional and subject to change