The 2008 British F3 Season Preview

The introduction of new chassis from constructors Dallara and Mygale ushers in a new era of F3 this season, and the departure of several series veterans has made room for the emergence of some fresh talent in this year's British championship.

Gone are the third and fourth year drivers that could rely on a wealth of experience to overcome younger, and perhaps quicker, rookies. Even race-winning second year drivers are in short supply this year with just six career F3 victories between the 25 drivers so far registered - and only two of those in Britain.

The 2008-specification chassis further level the playing field by bringing a whole new set of tricks and secrets that reduce the advantage held by the returnees. A year's experience in the championship is still a great asset but the blank page gives every driver the chance to get the best out of the new machinery first.

It also gives the teams a new lease of life, with a car at the very beginning of its development cycle. There's plenty of scope in F3 for the teams to make their own subtle adaptations to the cars and the best will find a few tenths over the base models.

The first year of a new cycle also gives the National Class runners their best opportunity to mix it with the Championship Class cars. Their cars are older, but have been through three years of improvement so don't be surprised to see them make the odd appearance at the sharp in the early part of the season.

The runners and riders

Atte Mustonen © LAT

Reigning champions Hitech Racing don't start in as strong a position as they did last year, and without an experienced team leader it will be difficult for them to take the fight to the likes of Carlin and Double R over the course of the season. Walter Grubmuller and Max Chilton have a year each behind them, but both are still inexperienced and have a lot of progress to make before being considered genuine title threats.

Raikkonen Robertson Racing has retained Atte Mustonen in the hope that he can develop along the same lines as his compatriot team owner. The Finn was fast last year and, after getting his maiden win under his belt at Thruxton last August, the championship is his only target in 2008. But he'll have to reign in his wild nature if he's to mount a strong challenge in what is sure to be a hugely competitive season.

Second year Aussie John Martin joins the team, along with Formula BMW race winner Henry Arundel. Martin impressed on occasion last year and will be hoping that his A1GP experience since will stand him in good stead. Arundel's consistency kept him in the BMW title fight all the way to the finale last year, but he'll need to raise his game to repeat that result in the more competitive world of F3. Alistair Jackson completes Double R's line-up, returning for a second season with the team.

The record books will tell you that Carlin Motorsport are the top team in the championship, but they've been pipped to the crown by Double R and Hitech in the last two seasons and are hungry to reclaim their place at the top. Nobody embodies the spirit of emerging talent quite like Carlin this year, with four rookies fielded in the top class - but every one of them is a potential winner.

New Zealander Brendon Hartley set the pace in pre-season testing and, although it may be a bold suggestion considering his experience, he looks to be the driver that's getting the best out of the new car first could well find himself in a strong position after the first few races.

Former McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Oliver Turvey and Formula Renault race winner Jaime Alguersuari have been within striking range of Hartley throughout the pre-season, and Australian Sam Abay will join the party on the days when he gets it all hooked up.

For a team that has utterly dominated the lower formulas in recent seasons, Fortec has had something of a drought when it comes to F3. They've managed to notch up a race win or two in the last few seasons, but never presented a sustained challenge for honours.

There won't be a better chance to put that right than this season, though, with race winner Sebastian Hohenthal sticking with the team for another year, and fellow Swede Marcus Ericsson stepping up after winning the Formula BMW title for Fortec last season.

Hohenthal's new chassis arrived just hours before the first test so he's been on the back foot a little throughout testing, but by contrast, Ericsson has charged out of the blocks and was fastest of all at the final test at Oulton Park last week. Both should be in the thick of the title hunt. The team's third driver is Formula BMW USA graduate Philip Major, but the Canadian will have a lot to learn before keeping pace with his teammates.

Sergio Perez, T-Sport Dallara F308 Mugen/Honda © LAT

Reigning National Class champion Sergio Perez is back with T-Sport for a Championship Class assault and has made a good start, placing regularly in the top three during testing. The team will be looking for their first top class victory this season and Perez is quick enough to bring it home if they have a good day.

The Mygale assault will be led by three cars from Ultimate Motorsport. The team were tempted to switch to Dallara this season, but the new Mygale made such an impression during the first test that they stuck with it. The experience of Esteban Guerrieri and Michael Devaney will bring success if the team can get on top of the new car.

Ultimate will have Mygale rivalry this year too, from Nick Tandy and JTR. The Formula Ford race winner is the team's sole entry but they've made a good fist of the pre-season and will be out to spring an upset on the pack.

Carlin's Andy Meyrick has led the way so far in the National Class, but Fluid Motorsport's McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Stefan Wilson and Formula Ford race winner Jay Bridger shouldn't be far behind once racing gets under way.

T-Sport will also field two National Class cars for Salman Al-Khalifa and Steven Guerreero, and Hywel Lloyd, Craig Reiff, and Kristjan Einar, while Team Loctite hope to join in time to field ex-Formula BMW racer Niall Quinn at Oulton Park on Monday.