29 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

I heard, that Tarso Marques is the youngest man ever run in an Formula Three event. Is that right? Is there a Top 10 list with the 10 youngest Formula Three drivers (all series included)? I need driver, year, series, team, car...

Best
Michael

[Formula Once]

I know Tarso was the youngest driver to win a F3000 race (he made his debut with Vortex in 1994, scoring points at Spa I think, before winning at Estoril with DAMS a year later) and that in 1993 he was said to be the youngest driver ever (at 17) to score a pole position and a win in F3. At 16, Max Chilton must be the youngest ever driver to race in F3 (UK, 2007). Sebastien Vettel was still 17 when he made his F3 debut in 2005, Val Hillebrand was 18 when he first raced F3 in 2000.

[Marcus Simmons]

I think he moved into South American F3 in 1993, aged 17. Even if he had done a one-off race in 1992, at age 16, he wouldn't hold the record now... Nelson Piquet Jr had just passed his 16th birthday when he made his F3 debut in 2001. And last year Max Chilton made his British F3 debut, aged 16 years and 1 day!

[HistoryFan]

Originally posted by Formula Once
I know Tarso was the youngest driver to win a F3000 race (he made his debut with Vortex in 1994, scoring points at Spa I think, before winning at Estoril with DAMS a year later) and that in 1993 he was said to be the youngest driver ever (at 17) to score a pole position and a win in F3. At 16, Max Chilton must be the youngest ever driver to race in F3 (UK, 2007). Sebastien Vettel was still 17 when he made his F3 debut in 2005, Val Hillebrand was 18 when he first raced F3 in 2000.

Ah, thx for the info!
Because of my sources were old, perhaps he was the youngest driver in an F3 event in the time, he entered F3.

And a top 10 list with the youngest F3-driver on Pole and win? (I need same infos)

[F3000man]

As I know, Nelson Angelo Piquet (yes, the current Renault driver) was the youngest ever. He debutted in South American F3 in July 2001 after achieving 16 years old.

And I imagine he is also the youngest F3 champion (South American F3), with 17 years old in 2002.

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

I spoke to Max over the weekend, incidentally, he's a nice lad. Not sat his GCSEs or got a drivers' licence yet though!

[Marcus Simmons]

Piquet must be the youngest winner - 16 years and 3 months when he won at Cascavel on November 11 2001. So that gives Max Chilton about 4 months to break the record!

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

No, Chilton made his debut at the start of last year, he's 17 next month.

[Marcus Simmons]

Absolutely right! Brain fade on my part

[fines]

Formula Three races are run for sixty years on all six (or seven ;)) continents of this earth, and I don't know perhaps in some other galaxies as well - are you lot sure you know even half of the guys who have won (let alone run in) an F3 race in their career??? There must be more than 10,000 races...

[Paul Taylor]

I don't understand why drivers of that age are allowed in such high powered vehicles when they're not even old enough to drive on the road. At 16, they should still be in karts, then maybe single seater racing when they're old enough to drive on the roads. And certainly not F3 to start off.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by F1Fanatic.co.uk
I spoke to Max over the weekend, incidentally, he's a nice lad. Not sat his GCSEs or got a drivers' licence yet though!

Max and Tom are both Proper Racers and mature beyond their years. Tom is proper old-school and seems to regard the BTCC as an enjoyable job and sports cars as his passion... Max was due to race in the ALMS at Laguna last year but was too young; he ended up doing a last-minute deal to do the Star Mazda round instead!

[HistoryFan]

Originally posted by Paul Taylor
I don't understand why drivers of that age are allowed in such high powered vehicles when they're not even old enough to drive on the road. At 16, they should still be in karts, then maybe single seater racing when they're old enough to drive on the roads. And certainly not F3 to start off.

Well, driving on road and driving on race tracks - that's different. In my eyes, it's okay.

[green-blood]

just like field sports if you are good enough you are old enough

[lustigson]

Isn't the youngest 'man' in Formula 3 per definition a 'boy', since even the youngest F1 driver was only 19-and-a-bit?

[AMICALEMANS]

i remember Jeremy Dufour, a french boy sponsored by elf, who ran in UK F3 , just because he didnot have the age to run in France ! 18 !

[Derwent Motorsport]

Daddy Chilton must have spent a fortune of getting his lads up the motorsport ladder. He obviously has a good PR company hyping young Max up from the amount of coverage, even in the daily papers.
I get really worried about all these kids being pushed up the karting ladder as the next Button/Hamilton by their Dads. The bulk of them don't make it of course and just leave the sport completely. What effect does it have on them and they don't continue to race for fun when the "dream" (or rich daddy's dream) comes to an end.

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally posted by Derwent Motorsport
Daddy Chilton must have spent a fortune of getting his lads up the motorsport ladder. He obviously has a good PR company hyping young Max up from the amount of coverage, even in the daily papers.
I get really worried about all these kids being pushed up the karting ladder as the next Button/Hamilton by their Dads. The bulk of them don't make it of course and just leave the sport completely. What effect does it have on them and they don't continue to race for fun when the "dream" (or rich daddy's dream) comes to an end.

There are so many of them. Dads spending fortunes on what they believe to be the next Hamilton. I've known families lose houses having stupidly mortgaged to the hilt and get into so much trouble chasing an impossible dream. Most cannot see that their kid will never make it. The smart ones realise the single seater path is too steep and move sideways into touring cars or sportscar racing, where there are far more drives available and they have a better chance of becoming a professional driver and making some money to pay Dad back. Too many chase that single seater dream and fall off the ladder having spent hundreds of thousands. No other sport can be so cash reliant or so cruel where talent plays little part in the junior ranks.

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
The smart ones realise the single seater path is too steep and move sideways into touring cars or sportscar racing, where there are far more drives available and they have a better chance of becoming a professional driver and making some money to pay Dad back.

Good point. What does that tell us about touring cars and sportscars? Anyone with a modicom of talent and finance can do them?

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally posted by David Beard


Good point. What does that tell us about touring cars and sportscars? Anyone with a modicom of talent and finance can do them?

Not just anyone. But there are several drivers who are and who have done pretty well in both of those forms of racing who never shone when they were chasing the dream, i.e. to become F1 world champion.

[GeoffE]

Originally posted by David Beard
Good point. What does that tell us about touring cars and sportscars? Anyone with a modicom of talent and finance can do them?

Mike Jordan was on TV this evening. He and his son will make up the Eurotech team in BTCC this year. He said the cost of the season's racing would be about £2m (about a quarter of the works teams).

TV clip http://www.itvlocal...._15&void=170082

[jb_128]

Johnny Cecotto Jr is another guy who debuted and won at 16.

[ghinzani]

In the old days when you could'nt race British F3 before you were 17 Eddie Cheever was on pole for his 3rd or 4th F3 race at Knockhill in 1975 and I believe won a round before the season was out. Even at that stage the F1 teams were looking at him, the VPJ F1 team manager stating he would like to give him a run.

[Haddock]

Originally posted by GeoffE


Mike Jordan was on TV this evening. He and his son will make up the Eurotech team in BTCC this year. He said the cost of the season's racing would be about £2m (about a quarter of the works teams).

OK, I'm wandering a little way off topic here, but is anyone else slightly shocked by the idea that works touring car teams are throwing £8m a year at competing in the BTCC?

[Vitesse2]

More than "slightly"!

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally posted by Haddock


OK, I'm wandering a little way off topic here, but is anyone else slightly shocked by the idea that works touring car teams are throwing £8m a year at competing in the BTCC?

I bet most of that is crash damage bills!

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Haddock


OK, I'm wandering a little way off topic here, but is anyone else slightly shocked by the idea that works touring car teams are throwing £8m a year at competing in the BTCC?

Prawn sarnies and champagne 75% no doubt. Most extravagant hospitality I ever experienced was laid on by Barings Bank around 91 or 92 at Silverstone. Lord knows what was racing that day 'cos I went blind!

[ensign14]

Giovanna Amati then?

[LotusElise]

There was a 15-year-old boy racing in either Spanish or SudAm F3 in about 2002. I don't know his name but will try and find out.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Javier Villa maybe?

8million is ridiculous for anything outside of open wheel racing.

8million dollars (nevermind pounds!) would get you a two car Indycar team, a MotoGP sponsorship, a pretty fancy sticker on an F1 car, and at least one completely funded GP2 team.