British F3 set to revise pitstop plan

The championship introduced mandatory stop/go pitstops for the first time earlier this season, trialling the format in the new 20-minute reversed grid races at Rockingham and Silverstone.

The teams have suggested to championship promoter SRO that they would like to expand the pitstop format into five of next year's 10 planned race meetings, and spice up the stops by allowing teams to change tyres.

Each car would be required to have two of its wheels changed during the mandatory pit call. Standardised wheel gun and wheel retention devices would be employed to control costs, but discussions are ongoing and the details have yet to be finalised.

SRO Motorsports Group general manager Lisa Crampton said: "We want pitstop races at the circuits where the pitlane is large enough to accommodate it, for obvious safety reasons, and we would also like the pitstop race to be the longer, third race of the weekend, which will offer a larger and safer pitstop window."

AUTOSPORT understands the teams are reluctant to move pitstops into the 'feature' races because of the potential for the stops to have a greater influence on the championship outcome. The reversed grid races are only worth half points.

The British F3 National Class may also be re-named the 'Rookie Championship' next year in a bid to boost numbers. Grids for the class, which uses older chassis and standard Mugen-Honda engines, have struggled since the arrival of the relaunched Formula 2 in 2009.

"We want to promote the Rookie Championship as an affordable way to begin an F3 career, an ideal starting point for those with a smaller budget to get invaluable track time at some of Europe's leading Grand Prix circuits," added Crampton. The 2011 Rookie champion will win a free entry into the following season's International Championship.

Teams spokesman Peter Briggs said: "All these ideas have come from the teams and are under discussion with SRO. Nothing has been agreed as yet."

SRO is currently negotiating with circuits both in the UK and abroad to secure next year's 30-race calendar for British F3. It is likely that in 2011 there will be four events at Grand Prix-standard tracks in mainland Europe.

"We don't want to release the calendar until it is 100 per cent correct," said Crampton, "We are working hard to avoid clashes with other major events. We hope to have it finalised by early October."