Dallara outlines Formula 3 chassis facelift for 2017

The current-generation car, which was first used in 2012, will continue until the end of '19.

Dallara has been tasked with a raft of safety and performance improvements to be included in an update kit introduced for use in the European and Japanese championships in 2017.

Talking about the safety modifications, F3 project manager Jos Claes said that there will be extra zylon protection around the front of the monocoque, a lowered nose, wheel tethers that can cope with a force of 4-6kJ and an extra carbon-fibre 'hat' structure within the rollhoop for head protection.

The lowered nose theoretically means there is less chance of a car going airborne if it clips the rear tyre of the car in front, while teams have already been using the 'hat' in the wake of Gustavo Menezes's aerial crash at Spa last year, when the American's rollhoop broke.

On performance, Dallara is introducing a larger front wing with 3D endplates in a bid to make downforce more consistent and increase overtaking.

"We are trying to bring in the concept where the car can stay closer to the car ahead," said Claes.

"This changes the flow of air to go around the wheels and improve aero stability."

A longer diffuser, starting from 600mm ahead of the rear axle instead of the current 280mm, should make the cars faster.

Because this would bring the balance of the car forward, an extra rear-wing profile will be introduced.

Claes added that this is the biggest facelift yet for the current F3 car.

"We have to try to always improve safety," said the Belgian.

"We are now using the same car for eight years, and safety levels improve, so it's good that when we have new ideas we can implement them.

"And it's also good when we can make Formula 3 cars faster, because no category below us is making their cars go slower!"