Asian Formula Three Championship
Encyclopedia
The Asian Formula Three Championship was a single-seater
racing series based in South East Asia. It is one of a number of national and international Formula Three
championships that form part of an established "career ladder
" below Formula One
. It was sanctioned by the Automobile Association of the Philippines
, and was most recently promoted as the Asian F3 Pacific Series. The 2009 series collapsed through a lack of competitors with some teams dispersing to other Formula 3 series in the region.
Asian F3 is positioned between two other single seater formulae in Asia's fledgling motorsport culture: below it sits Formula BMW Asia, which is one of four Formula BMW
series worldwide, and positioned above it is Formula Renault V6, which is derived from the now defunct Formula Renault V6 Eurocup that was held in Europe, and uses the same Tatuus chassis and Renault-derived V6 engine.
The championship is organised by the Asian Formula Three Corporation, which is managed by Jose Eduardo Peña from offices in Manila
. The corporation's stockholders comprise the participating teams. Current stockholders include the proprietors of Speedtech Asia; Joson F3 Racing (disbanded); Team Goddard; Ghiasports (not in the series anymore); TOM's Asia (teamed up with Threebond Racing in the 2005 series); and Kinectic Racing (disbanded). Stockholders are not required to pay the entry fee of $2000 per season.
Unfortunately, the 2007-08 season which is the pacific series, is the last season of the series. The 2009 season never materialzed due to lack of teams and drivers joining the series, and the season champions which is the Team Goddard moved its racing operation in the Australian Formula 3 series that same year.
team requires from its drivers. This fact, coupled with a steady rise in its international profile, serves to attract a number of European drivers who lack the budget that is required to compete in the established European championships.
The winner of the drivers' championship title is rewarded with a fully sponsored entry to the end-of-season, non-championship Macau Grand Prix
.
For 2007/08 season, the winner of the drivers' championship will be rewarded with a Formula 1 test drive with the Force India F1 Team.
and 2004 champion, Australian Christian Jones
, the son of former world champion Alan Jones
. The 2006 champion, Britain's James Winslow
, received attention and praise for his dramatic rescue of a competitor who was trapped in his upturned car at Sentul
in Indonesia
. In acknowledgment, he received a Gregor Grant Award at the annual Autosport
Awards ceremony in the UK, and a Bronze Award from the Royal Humane Society
.
The series benefits from the involvement of the noted Japanese F3 team, Three Bond Racing, which carried Winslow to the drivers' title in its collaboration with JA Motorsports, and secured the teams' title in the process.
At the end of 2007 the championship became a "winter type series" naming it the AF3 Pacific Series, starting the championship in November 2007 and ending in May 2008. New teams have joined the series during that championship, Drew-Evans Motorsport Group, Team GFH Bahrain,Champ Motorsport and PTRS from Hong Kong along with some good drivers, namely Frederic Vervisch (the 2007-08 champion), Matthew Howson, Rafael Suzuki and Hamad Al Fardan. Ed Pead, Nial Quinn, Arturo Gonzales, Leonardo Valois, David Julien and Peter Kalpakiotis also raced at select rounds.
In the 2007 season Dillon Battisstini managed to beat Henri Karjalainen in the championship. Other notable drivers include Morenon Soerapto, Oliver Turvey, Paul Ip, Don Tacos, Philip Forsman, Walter Grubmuller, Robin Tato, Edwin Jowsey and James Littlejohn.
In 2006, the championship saw the first two lady drivers of the series, namely Gaby dela Merced for Speedtech Asia Team Indonesia and Michele Bumgarner for Team Goddard. The series also saw the return of Roland Hermoso (2001 Formula Toyota champion) in Formula 3 racing driving alongside Gaby in Speedtech Asia Team Indonesia,and a new team was put up by Mandy Borja and Jonh O"Hara naming it Aran Racing.
While in 2005 saw numerous Filipino drivers joined the championship, namely Tyson Sy and JP Carino for Speedtech Asia, Dado Pena for Team Goddard, John Marcelo (brother of Jovy Marcelo) for Christian Jones Motorsports, Pepon Marave for Kinetic F3 Racing, Renan Morales for Fujitsu-Ten Team TOM'S, JP Tuason for Tuason Racing School and Enzo Pastor for Team T.E.C. Pilipnas.
As the series first inaugurated in the early 2000, numerous teams have joined the series, in 2002, Team Vertex of Marchy lee, Paul and Jeffrey Chan, Michael Ho and Johnathan Chan. Christian Jones Motorsports return in 2004 after competing in the last few rounds of the series in 2003, along with Team BRM of Australia. Team Goddard was renamed Minardi Asia Team Goddard after the former F1 team joined the series and collaborated with Mark Goddard's team, while in 2009, the team opted to join the Formula 3 Australia series leaving the Asian Formula 3 which it had won numerous drivers and teams championship.
championships subscribe to the technical regulations that are set by the FIA, and the Asian F3 Championship is no exception, but there are some important differences in this instance. Formula Three is traditionally an open formula, which means that it does not restrict competitors to a single chassis or engine. Most series now use single "control" suppliers for tires and fuel, both of which are subject to the FIA's regulations, but Asian F3 goes a step further by using a single engine builder (TOM's
-Toyota) and prohibiting the latest chassis specifications according to their age. These measures are part of a dedicated effort to minimise running budgets. The tires are supplied by Yokohama
(now are Dunlops).
Like the British, Spanish and European
championships, Asian F3 supports two championship classes: positioned below the International Class is a Promotions Class specifically for older chassis specifications. It is aimed primarily at younger, less experienced drivers. In the 2006 season, International Class drivers used the two-year old Dallara
F304 and the five-year old F301, and Promotions Class drivers used the eight-year old F398. Each of these specifications are part of a different three-year lifecycle in Dallara's update program.
in Indonesia
; Zhuhai
and Goldenport Park in China
; Autopolis
in Japan
; and Subic
and Batangas
in the Philippines
. In 2007, Asian F3 visited Albert Park
in Melbourne
, Australia
as a support race for the 2007 Australian Grand Prix
.
Open wheel car
Open-wheel car, formula car, or often single-seater car in British English, describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and, in most cases, one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or fenders...
racing series based in South East Asia. It is one of a number of national and international Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
championships that form part of an established "career ladder
Career ladder
The term "career ladder" is a metaphor or buzzword used to denote vertical job promotion. In business and human resources management, the ladder typically describes the progression from entry level positions to higher levels of pay, skill, responsibility, or authority. This metaphor is spatially...
" below Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
. It was sanctioned by the Automobile Association of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and was most recently promoted as the Asian F3 Pacific Series. The 2009 series collapsed through a lack of competitors with some teams dispersing to other Formula 3 series in the region.
Creation and management
The creators of the Asian F3 Championship intended the series to provide young Asian drivers with a stepping stone to the higher levels of single-seater motor racing. Asia has not traditionally had the motor racing profile and career ladder from which European drivers benefit. There was clearly a need to change this and to demonstrate the feasibility of Formula Three to potential sponsors in light of the region's growing economy. The series' organisers have held corporate track days in the Philippines, as part of their efforts to attract sponsorship.Asian F3 is positioned between two other single seater formulae in Asia's fledgling motorsport culture: below it sits Formula BMW Asia, which is one of four Formula BMW
Formula BMW
Formula BMW is a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It is positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category...
series worldwide, and positioned above it is Formula Renault V6, which is derived from the now defunct Formula Renault V6 Eurocup that was held in Europe, and uses the same Tatuus chassis and Renault-derived V6 engine.
The championship is organised by the Asian Formula Three Corporation, which is managed by Jose Eduardo Peña from offices in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The corporation's stockholders comprise the participating teams. Current stockholders include the proprietors of Speedtech Asia; Joson F3 Racing (disbanded); Team Goddard; Ghiasports (not in the series anymore); TOM's Asia (teamed up with Threebond Racing in the 2005 series); and Kinectic Racing (disbanded). Stockholders are not required to pay the entry fee of $2000 per season.
Unfortunately, the 2007-08 season which is the pacific series, is the last season of the series. The 2009 season never materialzed due to lack of teams and drivers joining the series, and the season champions which is the Team Goddard moved its racing operation in the Australian Formula 3 series that same year.
Costs
The typical operating budget of an Asian F3 team is circa £80,000, in comparison to the £400,000 that a leading British F3British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
team requires from its drivers. This fact, coupled with a steady rise in its international profile, serves to attract a number of European drivers who lack the budget that is required to compete in the established European championships.
The winner of the drivers' championship title is rewarded with a fully sponsored entry to the end-of-season, non-championship Macau Grand Prix
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in Macau, one of China's Special Administrative Regions. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
.
For 2007/08 season, the winner of the drivers' championship will be rewarded with a Formula 1 test drive with the Force India F1 Team.
Drivers and teams
Notable drivers who have graduated from Asian F3 include Indonesian A1GP driver Ananda MikolaAnanda Mikola
Ananda Mikola is an Indonesian racecar driver.Mikola competed in the Italian and International Formula 3000 series from 1999 through 2001 and was champion of Asian F3 in the 2005 season. He was out of racing for a couple of seasons before driving for A1 Team Indonesia in A1GP. As of the April 2...
and 2004 champion, Australian Christian Jones
Christian Jones
Christian Jones is an Australian racing driver; he is the adopted son of 1980 Formula One World Champion Alan Jones. Winning several Karting championships in his early teens, Christian moved to Australian Formula Ford in 1996-1998, with his best season finish of 2nd in 1998...
, the son of former world champion Alan Jones
Alan Jones (Formula 1)
Alan Stanley Jones MBE is an Australian former Formula One driver. He was the first driver to win a Formula One World Championship with the Williams team, becoming the 1980 World Drivers' Champion....
. The 2006 champion, Britain's James Winslow
James Winslow
James Winslow is a British racing driver. He is the winner of four motorsport championships and currently competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series and the Australian Drivers' Championship.-2004-2008:...
, received attention and praise for his dramatic rescue of a competitor who was trapped in his upturned car at Sentul
Sentul International Circuit
Sentul International Circuit is a permanent motor racing circuit located in Babakan Madang, Bogor. Away from the Toll Gate of Jakarta towards Bogor, Indonesia. Its pit facilities got easy access from the Jagorawi Toll Road. The course is actually a truncated version of the original design...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. In acknowledgment, he received a Gregor Grant Award at the annual Autosport
Autosport
Autosport is a weekly magazine covering motorsport, published in the United Kingdom every Thursday by Haymarket Consumer Media. It was first published on 25 August 1950 by Gregor Grant, immediately prior to the Silverstone International Trophy meeting of that year...
Awards ceremony in the UK, and a Bronze Award from the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
.
The series benefits from the involvement of the noted Japanese F3 team, Three Bond Racing, which carried Winslow to the drivers' title in its collaboration with JA Motorsports, and secured the teams' title in the process.
At the end of 2007 the championship became a "winter type series" naming it the AF3 Pacific Series, starting the championship in November 2007 and ending in May 2008. New teams have joined the series during that championship, Drew-Evans Motorsport Group, Team GFH Bahrain,Champ Motorsport and PTRS from Hong Kong along with some good drivers, namely Frederic Vervisch (the 2007-08 champion), Matthew Howson, Rafael Suzuki and Hamad Al Fardan. Ed Pead, Nial Quinn, Arturo Gonzales, Leonardo Valois, David Julien and Peter Kalpakiotis also raced at select rounds.
In the 2007 season Dillon Battisstini managed to beat Henri Karjalainen in the championship. Other notable drivers include Morenon Soerapto, Oliver Turvey, Paul Ip, Don Tacos, Philip Forsman, Walter Grubmuller, Robin Tato, Edwin Jowsey and James Littlejohn.
In 2006, the championship saw the first two lady drivers of the series, namely Gaby dela Merced for Speedtech Asia Team Indonesia and Michele Bumgarner for Team Goddard. The series also saw the return of Roland Hermoso (2001 Formula Toyota champion) in Formula 3 racing driving alongside Gaby in Speedtech Asia Team Indonesia,and a new team was put up by Mandy Borja and Jonh O"Hara naming it Aran Racing.
While in 2005 saw numerous Filipino drivers joined the championship, namely Tyson Sy and JP Carino for Speedtech Asia, Dado Pena for Team Goddard, John Marcelo (brother of Jovy Marcelo) for Christian Jones Motorsports, Pepon Marave for Kinetic F3 Racing, Renan Morales for Fujitsu-Ten Team TOM'S, JP Tuason for Tuason Racing School and Enzo Pastor for Team T.E.C. Pilipnas.
As the series first inaugurated in the early 2000, numerous teams have joined the series, in 2002, Team Vertex of Marchy lee, Paul and Jeffrey Chan, Michael Ho and Johnathan Chan. Christian Jones Motorsports return in 2004 after competing in the last few rounds of the series in 2003, along with Team BRM of Australia. Team Goddard was renamed Minardi Asia Team Goddard after the former F1 team joined the series and collaborated with Mark Goddard's team, while in 2009, the team opted to join the Formula 3 Australia series leaving the Asian Formula 3 which it had won numerous drivers and teams championship.
Regulations
Formula ThreeFormula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
championships subscribe to the technical regulations that are set by the FIA, and the Asian F3 Championship is no exception, but there are some important differences in this instance. Formula Three is traditionally an open formula, which means that it does not restrict competitors to a single chassis or engine. Most series now use single "control" suppliers for tires and fuel, both of which are subject to the FIA's regulations, but Asian F3 goes a step further by using a single engine builder (TOM's
TOM'S
is a factory supported racing team and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The name stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport. Their head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. They are currently heavily involved with Super GT racing and Formula 3 racing...
-Toyota) and prohibiting the latest chassis specifications according to their age. These measures are part of a dedicated effort to minimise running budgets. The tires are supplied by Yokohama
Yokohama Rubber Company
is a tire company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company founded and started in 1917 in a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and B.F. Goodrich. In 1969 the company expanded to the United States as Yokohama Tire Corporation. The Aspec A300 was the driving force behind its tremendous...
(now are Dunlops).
Like the British, Spanish and European
Formula Three Euroseries
The Formula 3 Euro Series is a European-based junior single seater formula for Formula Three chassis that was launched in 2003 as a merger of the French Formula Three Championship and German Formula Three Championship...
championships, Asian F3 supports two championship classes: positioned below the International Class is a Promotions Class specifically for older chassis specifications. It is aimed primarily at younger, less experienced drivers. In the 2006 season, International Class drivers used the two-year old Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
F304 and the five-year old F301, and Promotions Class drivers used the eight-year old F398. Each of these specifications are part of a different three-year lifecycle in Dallara's update program.
Event schedule
Each event in the championship is normally run to a four-day schedule. It comprises three races, plus three hours of free practice and one 30-minute qualifying session. The free practice is divided into six 30-minute sessions, split between the first two days of each four-day event. Qualifying is held on the third day, prior to the first race, with the second and third races held on the final day. Each race is at least 20 minutes in duration, over a distance of at least 40 km. Where a shorter two- or three-day schedule must be used, the dropped practice days are supplanted by equivalent test days earlier in the same week.Circuits
The Asian F3 Championship visits circuits located throughout the Southeast Asian region, which have included SentulSentul International Circuit
Sentul International Circuit is a permanent motor racing circuit located in Babakan Madang, Bogor. Away from the Toll Gate of Jakarta towards Bogor, Indonesia. Its pit facilities got easy access from the Jagorawi Toll Road. The course is actually a truncated version of the original design...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
; Zhuhai
Zhuhai International Circuit
Zhuhai International Circuit is located at Jin Ding town in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.Motorsport started in Zhuhai when it hosted a race on its street circuit in 1993, racing continued until 1996 when the motor racing circuit was constructed and became China’s...
and Goldenport Park in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; Autopolis
Autopolis
Autopolis is an international racing circuit located near Kamitsue village in Ōita Prefecture, Japan . Opened in 1990, it hosts a range of domestic and international motorsport events throughout the year. Although the track meets a high standard in terms of its facilities, it has never hosted a...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; and Subic
Subic International Raceway
Subic International Raceway is a racing circuit in the Philippines, built in 1994 on the site of a US naval base destroyed by eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Established through the efforts of famed race car driver Pocholo Ramirez, the site was bought by Sport Values Inc.The racing circuit is built...
and Batangas
Batangas Racing Circuit
Batangas Racing Circuit is a permanent circuit in Barrio Maligaya, Rosario, Batangas, Philippines. The circuit is 3.4km long and held a round of Formula Toyota, Toyota Corolla Cup, National Touring Car, Circuit Showdown, Motorcycle Road Racing in Philippines....
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. In 2007, Asian F3 visited Albert Park
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a racetrack for the Australian Grand Prix and associated support races.-Design:...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as a support race for the 2007 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
.
Champions
| Season | Series Name | Champion | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Asian Formula Three Championship |  JoJo Silverio |
 TOM's-ZedTOM'S is a factory supported racing team and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The name stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport. Their head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. They are currently heavily involved with Super GT racing and Formula 3 racing... |
| 2002 | Asian Formula Three Championship | Mark Goddard Mark Goddard (racing driver) Mark Goddard is the current managing director of the Asian Formula Three Corporation that runs the Asian Formula Three Championship and is a former racing driver. He is also the team proprietor of Team Eurasia, formerly known as Team Goddard and Minardi Team Asia... |
Team Goddard |
| 2003 | Asian Formula Three Championship | Pepon Marave |
Kinetic F3 Racing Team |
| 2004 | Asian Formula Three Championship |  Christian JonesChristian Jones Christian Jones is an Australian racing driver; he is the adopted son of 1980 Formula One World Champion Alan Jones. Winning several Karting championships in his early teens, Christian moved to Australian Formula Ford in 1996-1998, with his best season finish of 2nd in 1998... |
Christian Jones Motorsport |
| 2005 | Asian Formula Three Championship |  Ananda MikolaAnanda Mikola Ananda Mikola is an Indonesian racecar driver.Mikola competed in the Italian and International Formula 3000 series from 1999 through 2001 and was champion of Asian F3 in the 2005 season. He was out of racing for a couple of seasons before driving for A1 Team Indonesia in A1GP. As of the April 2... |
Three Bond Racing |
| 2006 | Asian Formula Three Championship | James Winslow James Winslow James Winslow is a British racing driver. He is the winner of four motorsport championships and currently competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series and the Australian Drivers' Championship.-2004-2008:... |
JA Motorsport |
| 2007 | Asian F3 Pacific Series | Dillon Battistini Dillon Battistini Dillon Battistini is an English-born racecar driver from Ewell.Battistini competed in various classes of karting before moving to cars in the Caterham R400 challenge in 2003. In 2006 and 2007 he raced in the Asian Formula Three Championship, finishing 4th his first year and winning the 2007 series... |
Aran Racing |
| 2007–08 | Asian F3 Pacific Series |  Frédéric VervischFrédéric Vervisch Frédéric Vervisch is a Belgian racing driver who currently races for Luxembourg in the Superleague Formula.-Early career:... |
Team Goddard |