No works F3 team from Lola

As exclusively revealed in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine, Lola is gearing up to break the stranglehold that Italian company Dallara currently has on the category in 2003 as part of its growing diversification.

The Huntingdon-based outfit has designed and built a sportscar, touring car and the all-new Formula 3000 International machine within the last year. Formula 3 is the next step and the new car will be developed over the next year, and while one or two teams will help with development, Lola is keen not to have a works outfit.

"We are primarily a customer operation," said Lola's marketing director Christopher Tate. "While we will obviously have to work with certain teams to develop the car, it is not the plan to have a works team. It would go against what we're trying to do.

"Dallara has a great car and has been very successful, but after our success in Champ Cars, we think it's time we came back to Formula 3."

The decision to return to F3 is thought to have been in the pipeline for the last six months, but the announcement coincides with the recruitment of new marketing consultant Rick Gorne from Lola's arch-rival Reynard.

Gorne will be charged with marketing the new F3 chassis around the world and he is confident that despite Dallara's current monopoly. Lola can have an impact.

"Dallara were handed the monopoly on a plate back rather [back in 1993] with the demise of Ralt and Reynard going back into forgoing F3 for Champ Cars," Gorne told this week's AUTOSPORT magazine. "But now Dallara are in the Indy Racing League and other areas, so the timing is right for Lola."