History of the Formula 3 Euro Series

In 2010, the Formula 3 Euro Series is entering its eighth season. The foundation for the world’s most competitive junior racing category was laid on January 22nd, 2003, when the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund e.V. (DMSB) and the French Fédération Française du Sport Automobile (FFSA) fulfilled the final requirements for the most significant joint-venture in global single-seater racing: the new Formula 3 Euro Series was born.

It was not just the international motorsport fraternity that watched this co-operation with great interest. Numerous politicians also followed the birth of the new racing series. Otto Schily, at the time Germany’s Home Secretary and Federal Minister of Sports, hailed the series as “an example for sporting events reaching beyond national borders”. Motorsport, he continued, always had been surrounded by an international flair. “Its followers have always been united, beyond borders and barriers”, Schily commented, whilst also emphasising the significance of the new series for promoting young talents: “The amalgamation of the two national championships will represent another boost for the development of young up-andcoming racing drivers.”

The comment of the French Minister of Sports at the time, Jean-François Lamour, was similar. He acknowledged the commitment of DMSB and FFSA and predicted the Formula 3 Euro Series to provide “top class motorsport and to be a championship, in which young talented drivers will have the chance to hone their skills”.

On April 26th, 2003, the Formula 3 Euro Series kicked off its inaugural season at the Hockenheimring. Australian Ryan Briscoe became the maiden champion, Austrian Christian Klien became runner-up. Both drivers succeeded in stepping up into Formula 1. Toyota signed Ryan Briscoe as its test driver while Jaguar took Klien on board as its regular Grand Prix driver to partner Mark Webber for the 2004 Formula 1 season.

In the second season of the Formula 3 Euro Series, the title went to Great Britain: Jamie Green wrapped up the championship. His career path led to the DTM, having been signed by Mercedes-Benz to become a works-driver in the most popular international touring car series following his championship title in Formula 3. Nico Rosberg, the son of former F1 world champion Keke Rosberg, joined the BMW Williams F1 team as a test driver following the 2004 season. Moreover, he became the inaugural GP2 drivers’ champion in 2005. From 2006 till 2009, he was a regular driver for the Williams F1 team and became Michael Schumacher’s team-mate at Mercedes GP prior to the current season.

Another Briton came out on top in 2005: with 15 victories from 20 races, Lewis Hamilton became the 2005 Formula 3 Euro Series’ champion. In the following year, he went on to win the title in GP2. Since 2007 he has been racing in the Formula 1 World Championship with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. The Euro Series’ runner-up, Alexandre Prémat, was signed by Audi to compete in DTM following good results in GP2 and the A1GP series. The 2006 champion came from Scotland: Paul Di Resta won the Formula 3 Euro Series title and was signed by Mercedes-Benz for the 2007 DTM season as a reward. Following a successful rookie season, he stepped up to become runner-up in the 2008 DTM with a current-spec AMG Mercedes C-Class. The runner-up of the 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series, German Sebastian Vettel, raced in Formula 1 for the Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2007 and 2008. Since 2009, he has been competing for Red Bull Racing.

Based in the Swiss city of Geneva, Romain Grosjean became the 2007 Formula 3 Euro Series’ champion. He won six races and battled it out with Swiss Sébastian Buemi and German Nico Hülkeberg for a long time, the German managing to win four races following some difficulties at the start of the season. Grosjean and Buemi graduated into the GP2 series. Since 2009, Buemi has been the regular driver of the Toro Rosso F1 team. Hülkenberg opted for another season in the Euro Series and clinched the title in 2008. The German won seven rounds and already secured himself the title on the penultimate race weekend at Le Mans. In 2009, Hülkenberg, who also remained a test driver of the Williams F1 team, competed in GP2. There, he again faced Euro Series’ runner-up Edoardo Mortara, who also graduated into GP2. At Pau, the Geneva-based Italian had become the first driver to score a race win with a Volkswagen engine in the history of the Formula 3 Euro Series. Third overall, Jules Bianchi was the best-placed rookie in the drivers’ standings of the world’s toughest junior race series. For the current season, Hülkenberg became a regular Grand Prix driver with Williams.

Talking about Bianchi: Mortara and Hülkenberg having moved up the ladder, the Frenchman almost automatically became the favourite for the 2009 Euro Series’ title. And he lived up to the expectations. Following a rather poor start of the season at Hockenheim, Bianchi really picked up momentum. On each of the following five race weekends, he won the first of the two races. At the end of the season, he had a grand total of nine race wins. His margin of 114 to 75 points over runner-up Christian Vietoris in the final drivers’ standings was clear. For Bianchi, too, this title was the stepping stone into the GP2 series.