2023 [F2/F3/Super Formula etc] Junior Formula Series discussion

[MonteCristo]

Most won't care, but not sure when the last time this would have happened... Not since the 70s, I guess?

Anyway, there will be three Australians in the 2023 F3 grid.

Christian "Upside-down" Mansell.
Tommy "Not with a Y" Smith (one for the old ESPN football fans).
And now Hugh "I can't think of anything witty" Barter.

Mansell is... Pretty meh. But deserves a chance.

Smith must be rolling in money, because he has no talent.

And at least Barter might be half decent.

Barter finished second in the French and Spanish Formula 4 Championships last season with 16 wins across both competitions.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/01/21/au ... gh-barter/

[theracer120]

There was four in 2020 Two didn't score any points though.

Interested to see how Barter does. I think he might have won the French title if he wasn't ineligble for points for a couple rounds (as he'd already run the tracks in the Spanish series)

[MonteCristo]

There was four in 2020 Two didn't score any points though.

Interested to see how Barter does. I think he might have won the French title if he wasn't ineligble for points for a couple rounds (as he'd already run the tracks in the Spanish series)

Calan Williams is so rubbish he doesn't count .

So I probably made the same comment in 2020

But totally forgot about him, and thought Peroni was earlier!

[Everso Biggyballies]

Most won't care, but not sure when the last time this would have happened... Not since the 70s, I guess?

Anyway, there will be three Australians in the 2023 F3 grid.

Christian "Upside-down" Mansell.
Tommy "Not with a Y" Smith (one for the old ESPN football fans).
And now Hugh "I can't think of anything witty" Barter.

Mansell is... Pretty meh. But deserves a chance.

Smith must be rolling in money, because he has no talent.

And at least Barter might be half decent.

Barter finished second in the French and Spanish Formula 4 Championships last season with 16 wins across both competitions.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/01/21/au ... gh-barter/

More to the point with F2 and F3 on the card at the AGP there will be 5 Aussies featuring in the open wheeler classes with those three in F3, Doohan in F2 and Oscar Piastri in F1.

In addition to the 4 more recently that @theracer120 mentioned, a quick bit of Aussie in Euro F3 history.

In terms of Aussies in F3 we only had 4 iAussies compete in Euro F3 from 1975 to 1984.... Terry and Larry Perkins (who was Euro Champion in I think 1975) followed later by Geoff Brabham and Paul Bernasconi.

From 1985 to 2003 they had what was called the European Formula 3 Cup (1985–2003) which was just a single race

Then we had the Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2012)
Briscoe was champion in 2003, James Manderson alson ran in 2003,

Other Aussie runners in 2003-12:
Michael Patrizi in 2007
Danny Ric in 2008
Spike Goddard, Duvashen Padayachee, Nick McBride and Geoff Uhrhane (G.U. only did the Pau round) in 2012,

That became the Formula 3 European (2012–2018)
Aussies involved in that era
Spike Goddard 2013/4
Mitchell Gilbert in 2013/4
Joey Mawson 2017

I didnt include GP3.

So the most we had was four in 2012 although a couple only did selected races.

This covers purely Euro F3.
Many more did just the UK F3. or other Euro country F3 like France Spain Germany Italy etc.

Aussies have won the UK title a few times..... Most years UK F3 was 2 championships running side by side..

1968 Lombank F3 Tim Schenken
1970. Lombank F3 Dave Walker
1971. Shellsport National F3 Dave Walker
1971 Forward Trust BARC F3 Dave Walker
1989 Lucas British F3 David Brabham
2009 Cooper Tires British F3 International Series Daniel Ricciardo. (Called International because a couple of O/S rounds ie Spa)

Australia are actually the third most successful nation in UK F3 title wins....


1 United Kingdom 51
2 Brazil 12
3 Australia 6
4 Ireland 3

No one has scored more UK F3 titles than Dave Walker on 3..... although Jim Russell, Trevor Taylor and Roger Williamson also won 3. (As did Don Parker back in the early fifties) Jim Clark and Tony Brise both won 2.

[theracer120]

Laurens van Hoepen has become the second Dutchman to win the New Zealand Grand Prix. Really a pretty surprising result given this was his first appearance in the championship 4 rounds in and that he didn't really do much in his one season of car racing before this.

[theracer120]

And Charlie Wurz (son of Alex) has won the Toyota Racing Series (or the Formula Regional Oceanic championship as it's called now). He won the last race (the Denny Hulme Trophy) and secured the title ahead of Kiwi Callum Hedge. The reverse grid race earlier also saw a milestone, with the first win for a female driver in the TRS as Chloe Chambers won from pole.

[Norton97]

Hello,

For my part, I am quite satisfied with this last race of Charlie Wurz. He did a good race.

[Vassago]

I see Joey Mawson is doing domestic S5000 now where Roberto Merhi has surfaced this season? Is this strictly a winter series in Australia? @Everso Biggyballies

[Everso Biggyballies]

I see Joey Mawson is doing domestic S5000 now where Roberto Merhi has surfaced this season? Is this strictly a winter series in Australia? @Everso Biggyballies

We actually cover S5000 in the non Supercars Aussie thread, so I will link you there rather than posting the Calendar in this thread.

Our season here is jut getting underway now, and in effect most of our series are technically winter.... well more not peak summer really. (Dont forget our Winter is in your Summer). ie 1st March here is the beginning of Autumn and the official end of Summer.

As for Mehri not sure if he is doing the whole season....he ran in the Tasman rounds in 2021 the thing with S5000 is because grids are not as healthy as they could be a lot of one off ride buys happen.... also the promoter might by an overseas driver to boost things a bit... like when Fisichella ran at the Adelaide season closer last year. Barrichello has made cameos as well.

Mawson ran the whole season last year in S5000 AFAIK. In fact he has been around a while (he is also the reigning Champion having won the title last year plus he won in 2021 as well..

Tasmania last weekend was the first round of a few series.... like TCR.

S5000 is 'owned' by what is called the Speedseries. In effect they compete with the other main promoter here which is Supercars themselves. Obviously they work together but it means that they have different TV deals and coverage and clearly there is a conflict of interest and each would prefer to run their key. categories together... Speedseries events get very limited FTA coverage and rely on a subscription streaming service here (Stan, owned by our Channel 9 FTA channel). No Foxtel deal either.

Categories Speedseries own are here on the Speedseries website: https://www.speedseries.com.au/categories/

Calendar is listed in that S5000 misc Aussie thread: (I just posted it.). viewtopic.php?p=444186#p444186

[erwin greven]

F3 Free Practice 1 started at Bahrain.

[Everso Biggyballies]

F3 Free Practice 1 started at Bahrain.

Indeed.... I did mention in the GP Preview I posted that if F1 isnt. doing it for you then F2 and F3 was on..... probably worth repeating here some of the fact pertaining to the feeder races.

This year’s Formula 2 grid includes no fewer than 10 drivers who have graduated from Formula 3: including 2022 champion Victor Martins, who received a 300,000 euro scholarship from Pirelli to help him move up to F2. A total of 22 drivers are competing in Formula 2, while the F3 grid comprises 30 drivers – 18 of whom are rookies.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bloody heck..... In F3 qualifying the top 17 covered by half a second. Gabrielle Mini on pole from Bortoletti and Saucy.

[Vassago]

Ralph Boschung won the Bahrain Sprint race, his first F2 win in 96 starts. He also finished 2nd in the feature race after a lap one accident opened the door to move from 10th to 3rd in like four corners. Pourchaire won the Feature by 19 seconds, a sign of how the season might look like. Some crazy battles in midfield though with many drivers falling off on worn tires in the last ten laps or so. Zane Maloney came from 18th on the grid to finish 3rd. No points for Jack Doohan and I'm afraid he needs a better team than Virtuosi to make something happen even after last season with them. Cordeel as teammate is useless.

@Everso Biggyballies Any hype for Doohan in Australia (if only due to his name)? If he fails to somehow land in F1 would he rather stay in open-wheel (IndyCar) or maybe becomes the next Lowndes in V8s?

[theracer120]

I'd say there is some hype but I don't think he's quite good enough to be a surefire shot for a future F1 drive like Piastri was. I think he'll probably land up in indycar or sportscars.

[Vassago]

We all know it's gonna be difficult to get into F1 any which way esp. for someone in the Alpine Academy unless Ocon/Gasly go full Senna/Prost on each other but I see ole Mick is hanging around the GP paddock which suggests there might be some big plans to support Jack? What is Doohan Sr. doing in real-life anyway? I imagine he's the greatest Australian racing icon after Brock's death (since Alan Jones' in yo face character could be hard to swallow after some time) so he could well be running some big tech Honda dealership I'm unaware of anyway?