Do you think Formula 3 will die out?

[adam46]

I was reading Autosport Magazine that F3 could soon die out with GP3 and so many other single-seater championships running at a lower-cost than F3. Could this really happen in the near future? There was also only 12-14 cars racing in the F3 Euroseries a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Only_in_f1]

I was reading Autosport Magazine that F3 could soon die out with GP3 and so many other single-seater championships running at a lower-cost than F3. Could this really happen in the near future?

It doesn't help that there are so many 'grass roots' formulae springing up from nowhere to make money.

It will die and be revived in a few years before the cycle happens again.

 

[Ardius]

The numbers are fairly steady still in British F3 and Spanish F3, so I don't know if its so easy to predict a dramatic decline.
Whether or not there are too many junior series I'm not entirely sure. On the one hand you want lots of junior series to provide more chances for more drivers. But on the other hand, you want a clear picture of who is skilled, which becomes difficult with multiple categories with different regulations and opponents.

I think there are too many oddball series like Formula Palmer Audi and Superleague Formula - these don't really fit in anywhere, Superleague is more a top-level series but it just doesn't have the popularity. FPA is trying to be a cheap F3 series.
Its mostly a natural process of elimination though, eventually a series comes out on top as the most popular for sponsors and drivers and the rest die off. Then a few years later a new format becomes the popular choice and so on.

 

[JohnBM01]

You know, I hope not. We don't have anything remotely close to Formula 3 in the United States, but I do love Formula 3. I hope this series and this style of racing doesn't get kicked to the curb like A1 GP.

 

[Ardius]

You know, I hope not. We don't have anything remotely close to Formula 3 in the United States, but I do love Formula 3. I hope this series and this style of racing doesn't get kicked to the curb like A1 GP.

A1GP was a failure for several reasons, none of which affect F3:
-It was centered around nationalism, which doesn't go very far in motorsport. Coming from a certain country doesn't make you good, and never has.
-Because it was a nations-competing series, the car's featured flags...which took away a key area of sponsorship. So there was little money behind the series.
-The cars were not particularly good.
-The drivers were lacking, partly because of the nationalistic thing, which meant drivers were being picked for their birthplace, and partly because it ended up with a lot of mediocre drivers anyway.

 

[Lizard]

A1GP was a failure for several reasons, none of which affect F3:
-It was centered around nationalism, which doesn't go very far in motorsport. Coming from a certain country doesn't make you good, and never has.
-Because it was a nations-competing series, the car's featured flags...which took away a key area of sponsorship. So there was little money behind the series.
-The cars were not particularly good.
-The drivers were lacking, partly because of the nationalistic thing, which meant drivers were being picked for their birthplace, and partly because it ended up with a lot of mediocre drivers anyway.

And wasnt A1 gp the thing where all the cars were the same? Totaly eliminates team rivalry in my opinion.

 

[Ardius]

Yes, though teams do make a difference even in spec series. Look at GP2 or Formula Renault and you will notice there are "top teams" even in those series.

Spec series are purely good for being cheap but in terms of competition they are weak. I also think its the wrong direction for motorsport - its attempting to focus on the individual - the driver, which is never the winning formula in motorsport. It should be about teams and giving every driver the same car is not necessarily a true test of who is best. It still depends on the preferences of each driver, where one car may suit one driver, it might not suit another.

I think spec series are only a short term solution to an industry-wide problem with motorsport. Quite simply its too expensive to race competitively, and unlike any other sport, you have to pay to compete, the sponsor money does not bring much return at all. (though getting to the top does pay some of the best salaries in sport).