8 replies to this topic

[Math Soucy]

Is there a consensus opinion regarding which of the lower formula might be considered the most prestigious or natural springboard to F1? Is F3000 tantamount to Triple-A in American Baseball? I've read threads of Formula Nippon, and didn't a few drivers make it to F1 going this route, like Nakano, Takagi, Irvine? Thank you.

[HSJ]

This does not directly answer your question, but it has become my opinion that lower formulae are EXTREMELY important in showing how much NATURAL TALENT a driver has. In the lower formulae THERE ARE NO EXCUSES for not performing, the equipment is equal or very, very nearly so. A true great WILL impress enough people by the time he has driven in F3 to jump to F1 skipping F3000 or any other class. To F1 after one F3 season, two at most. As far as I know only AS and KR have been offered F1 race seats before they even got to F3, at least of the noteworthy drivers (i.e. not "daddy/sponsor paying my way to F1" category; does anyone know any other driver who had to option to go to F1 already before F3?). I would give only one exception to that rule: if you skip F3 and go to F3000 or CART for ONE season before F1, that's ok too, but you really have to be able to impress F1 team bosses by then. If you don't, there IS (I won't debate on this) a SERIOUS flaw in your natural talent as a DRIVER.

[Ross Stonefeld]

sadly no. There's more team order #1 status bullshit at the lower levels than you can comprehend


and if you saw some of the racing moves and start line antics you'd think MS is a pushover

[ehagar]

Originally posted by HSJ
This does not directly answer your question, but it has become my opinion that lower formulae are EXTREMELY important in showing how much NATURAL TALENT a driver has. In the lower formulae THERE ARE NO EXCUSES for not performing, the equipment is equal or very, very nearly so.

Total BS actually. Lower formulae teams can also have lower formulae standards. They can be unstable environments.

Also, in F-3 there are more then one available engine packages. In British F-3, the Renault engine is underpowered, and the Mugen-Honda and perhaps the Opel engines are the ones to have.

It takes more than talent to win.

[BRG]

The THEORY is that F3000 is the breeding ground for F1 stars. In practice this has not really proved the case, as the F3000 champions have all so far been pretty unsucessful in terms of WDCs or even F1 wins. And F3000 does not seem to be very compatible with F1 in terms of driving styles. Formula Nippon is basically a Japanese F3000-based championship but seems to have produced more F1 stars than the main series.

The next rung on the ladder is F3 but this is only national championships (UK, Germany, Italy) where there is not so much competition. However, setting up and driving F3 cars seems to be more attuned to F1 practice, despite the power differential, and both in the past and again recently, drivers are graduating straight to F1 (eg Button).

The FIA had to allow CART into the equation as well, so it sits with F3000. But the differences to F1 are considerable - tracks, tyres, turbos, car-weight - so only the more exceptional drivers seem able to bridge the gap successfully (Montoya, Villeneuve).

Then there are all the other formulae - Indy Lights, Formula Renault, sports cars etc. IMO driving, winning or even dominating any of these should not be enough to gain a superlicence. I feel that F3000, CART and F3 should be the sole stepping stones to F1, in the interests of ensuring driving standards and experience are kept at the high level that the premier series should display.

[EKB]

Didn't MS come into F1 from sports cars (M-B Group C championship team)? I recall an interview with him several years ago where he stated that this wasn't a bad springboard into F1 because you get to deal with big horsepower, teams with big budgets, publicity, etc - things that will have to deal with in F1.

cheers,

EKB

[Daemon]

Junior Formula in no way indicates the talent of the driver. It is all about, no 1 the Car, secondly, the driver. Just check out how Carlin Motorsport is destroying the opposition in Brit F3, and Nordic destroying all challengers in the early part of the year in F3000.

even though they use the same Chassis and engines generally speaking, some teams will find the perfect setup, or just simply have the most talented and innovative mechanics.

Regardless of this, talent shown in the junior formulae does not always translate to F1 talent, or opportunity for that matter. Just ask Ricardo Rosset, Vincenzo Sospiri, or Jorg Muller.

[lulup]

Originally posted by Daemon
Just check out how Carlin Motorsport is destroying the opposition in Brit F3

Carlin motorsport just "start" to won races after 98.
Kathikeyan won 3 races in 99.Sato won 5 races and Ben Colins won 1 race in 00.

In the last decade of British F3,the most successfully team is PSR(the current Jaguar team).
They won 7 or 8 championship in the past 10 year.

The second most successfully team is Manor motorsport.(entry in 99)
They won last 2 years championship.

All 3 teams use same Dallara-Mugen Honda.
But suddenly,Carlin completely destroy the opposition this year.(Sato won 10 races,Davidson won 3 races)
It's all about the driver,not the car.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yeah but check the team history and see when Carlin was even formed its very impressive



And also look at Narain's season at PSR last year, and then how he did when he went back to Carlin for Macau and Korea