First F3 Euro Series round at Le Castellet: What’s new

There are only twelve drivers at the start of the season, but the organization of the F3 Euro Series hopes to increase the number of entrants for the future of the discipline. On the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit, which is making the 5.8 km track available from today, the F3 teams will be confronted for the first time in qualifying with single-seaters equipped with Kumho tires in a new configuration. As in other disciplines (notably FR 3.5), the specifications for the new rubbers have integrated two new parameters: a rubber composition towards compliance with more stringent directives for environmental protection, and a characteristic of softer rubber wanted to improve absolute performance, but also so that grip drops more significantly after a few laps. This last point aims to perfect the training of drivers and to attract new teams which, until now, undoubtedly had the feeling of being unable to fight against the top teams established in the discipline.

The sports plan has also been revised. During the classic meetings of the DTM, the F3 Euro Series will have two hours of free practice, a 30′ qualification and no less than three races, like the British championship which launched this solution in 2010. Two races are scheduled for Saturday, the third on Sunday.
The first and third tests, of 40 minutes each, are rewarded with a scale of points inspired by that of the F1 (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1), while the second race lasts 20 minutes and is seeded according to the DTM championship system (10-8-6-5-4- 3-2-1). The starting grid for the first event is defined by the second best time in qualifying, with each driver's best time giving the starting position for the third race. The starting position for the second event is based on the result obtained by the first eight drivers in the first event using the reverse grid principle.

The calendar :
April 1/03 Paul Ricard HTTT
April 29/May 1 Hockenheimring
May 13/15 Zandvoort
03/05 June Spielberg
July 1/03 Norisring
05/07 August Nürburgring
09/11.09 September Silverstone
September 30/October 02 Valencia – Ricardo Tormo circuit
October 21/23 Hockenheimring