2011 British F3 off Season/Silly season news etc (merge)

[Deemun]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

I'm well aware of that. It still annoys me that hopeless drivers announce their plans before they've achieved ANYTHING at a much more junior level. Chilton was obviously with much more established teams than Fong, but at least he steadily improved and showed flashes of real speed with Hitech and Carlin. Not that I rate him, mind.

Yes Jon I agree with everything you say above but that is the highly frustrating part of the sport we follow! It is littered with talented drivers who didn't make it or won't make it because they don't have access to the money and there are those that have an abundence of wealth behind them but nowhere near the ability required to make a decent driver.

If only I were wealthy I would do something about this and set up a proper scheme to help under funder motorsport talent. In the meantime all I can do is moan about it on here!

[strider]

Originally Posted by Deemun

If only I were wealthy I would do something about this and set up a proper scheme to help under funder motorsport talent. In the meantime all I can do is moan about it on here!

That's what the guy behind the Racing Steps Foundation is doing and I sometimes think he doesn't get enough credit for it. I have met him and I'm embarrassed to be unable to remember his name, but that's how he is. He keeps a very low profile but hopefully gets a lot of pleasure when he sees the drivers whose careers he is supporting do well.

[Deemun]

Originally Posted by strider

That's what the guy behind the Racing Steps Foundation is doing and I sometimes think he doesn't get enough credit for it. I have met him and I'm embarrassed to be unable to remember his name, but that's how he is. He keeps a very low profile but hopefully gets a lot of pleasure when he sees the drivers whose careers he is supporting do well.

Derek Walter & Graham Sharpe. RSF is good but it only goes so far and it is very rigid in its selection criteria which means that some deserving cases are excluded. I know for a fact that at least one of last years McLaren Autosport Award finalists met all the selection criteria but was excluded because he was considered too old at 21 even though he had achieved a great deal in the less than two seasons that was the total of his entire car racing career. It seemed bizarre that he was good enough to be nominated for the McLaren award but too old for RSF.

[dave not neil]

Originally Posted by Frosty11

interesting, manor lineup is gonna be interesting hope they give wayne boyd a chance

Seriously, where do you come up with this stuff??

Manor sold all there F3 stuff to CF and Sino Vision last year. They provided technical support to CF, however Hywel Lloyd seemed to go better in 2009 when he was going it alone.

[Frosty11]

http://www.imagevaults.co.uk/formula...LA%203_WEB.pdf

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by Deemun

If only I were wealthy I would do something about this and set up a proper scheme to help under funder motorsport talent. In the meantime all I can do is moan about it on here!

Indeed, as a mere fan/spectator, all I can do is reserve the right to moan about how things are so unfair and dream of motorsport becoming a meritocracy.

[Peter Cammish]

Deemun, I strongly suspect that age will become less of an issue over the next few years, the economics of the world will see to that, a lot of very wealthy young drivers are now having to take sideways moves to keep racing so the conveyor effect will diminish. It is important to understand just how expensive motorsport is. Most of the Guys in F3 will need around £2M for 2 years in FR and 2 in F3. As none are from the dad and lad band of Karters then throw in another 500K for the Karting and you are at 2.5M. That is a lot of cash, I know of some presumed very wealthy guys who are now feeling the pressure of continuing the funding of there sons careers, these guys just wont stop they will move the lad sideways and keep going hoping for an economic recovery and then push on again, this will have the effect over the next few years of making the F1 teams take older drivers. Maldonado is 25-6? Is D, Amborosio same? On RSF, i suspect that they too are finding it tough hence the GP3 route for James Calado, if the investments the RSF guys are using to fund the drivers are not paying out quality returns then they will quickly begin to spend the "future" which I doubt is the plan. 2011 wil be a strange season i predict, looking forward to the racing starting.

[dave not neil]

Just because they're listed on there doesn't mean they've entered.

I can't see why anyone would sell off all there kit, only to buy a load more and come back 1 year later...

[kipper]

Originally Posted by dave not neil

Just because they're listed on there doesn't mean they've entered.

I can't see why anyone would sell off all there kit, only to buy a load more and come back 1 year later...

I guess that if a driver turned up on Manor's doorstep with a big cheque, then they could enter. However, given the state of the economy and I'm not aware of any driver being linked to a Manor drive so far such a scenario must be extremely unlikely.

[strider]

Sino Vision Racing is to return with Addeley Fong and another driver yet to be announced.

We need West-Tec and Litespeed to confirm what their plans are and the grid will start to look acceptable.

The Media Day is not until March 8th, but there is testing to be done before then.

[dave not neil]

Originally Posted by strider

We need West-Tec and Litespeed to confirm what their plans are and the grid will start to look acceptable.

In terms of numbers maybe, yes. But in quality, I think not. Realisticly, neither west-tec nor litespeed are going to attract any particularly talented (for want of a better word) drivers.

So far: Carlin have got 5 (maybe 6), Fortec 3, Hitech (maybe 3?), T-Sport 3, Double-R 1 (maybe 4?), SVR 1 (maybe 2/3?)

13 confirmed, its almost is sparse as the Euroseries grid!

[peebee2]

I beleave West-Tec are concentrating on the European F3 Open this year.

Litespeed are very quiet and Hopkins have been heavily advertising the truck they were renting.

I like it that A Fong is delighted to be back with SVR. Being as he owns the team it really isn't that much of a surprise!

What about Hitech Sharp? Not much news there.

[strider]

Originally Posted by dave not neil

In terms of numbers maybe, yes. But in quality, I think not. Realisticly, neither west-tec nor litespeed are going to attract any particularly talented (for want of a better word) drivers.

So far: Carlin have got 5 (maybe 6), Fortec 3, Hitech (maybe 3?), T-Sport 3, Double-R 1 (maybe 4?), SVR 1 (maybe 2/3?)

13 confirmed, its almost is sparse as the Euroseries grid!

Carlin have got 6, trust me on that one.

However I don't know about Double R and Hitech. T-Sport have the only confirmed entry for the Rookie Cup or Class (not sure which it is and am not bothered).

What I am bothered about is the overall lack of entries. You need 20 to be respectable and 24 to be good. Being blunt, neither is remotely in sight at the moment.

[MKII]

Originally Posted by dave not neil

In terms of numbers maybe, yes. But in quality, I think not. Realisticly, neither west-tec nor litespeed are going to attract any particularly talented (for want of a better word) drivers.

So far: Carlin have got 5 (maybe 6), Fortec 3, Hitech (maybe 3?), T-Sport 3, Double-R 1 (maybe 4?), SVR 1 (maybe 2/3?)

13 confirmed, its almost is sparse as the Euroseries grid!

Where did you get this from? From what I hear Hitech have no one signed, and arent close to signing anyone! Theyve had a handful of people leave/move to other teams on the grid... Doesnt look to good.

[dave not neil]

Originally Posted by MKII

Where did you get this from? From what I hear Hitech have no one signed, and arent close to signing anyone! Theyve had a handful of people leave/move to other teams on the grid... Doesnt look to good.

I know this, but they do own at least 3 chassis, so anything is possible...

[Frosty11]

Jaafer confirmed at carlin so I wonder where gabriel dias will be

[strider]

There's plenty of choice now Carlin are full. Double R are the best bet.

[strider]

Double R are said to have 3 drivers, but still have a fourth car available because they have bought the ex-Manor one. No announcements expected just yet, though.

Hywel Lloyd will be the second driver for Sino Vision, so they must have combined forces with CF Racing.

Not much news about Hitech.

[brakedisc]

How well will Double R perform without the Robertsons ?

[Frosty11]

seems like a decent grid for this season as there are 18 already on the grid including the 3 that are unconfirmed at double r. We just need Litespeed to confrim their plans and hopefully they would be able to run 2 cars.

Rookie championship seems weak, if they are no more people confirmed for the rookie championship, hylkema may as well not turn up.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Frosty11

seems like a decent grid for this season as there are 18 already on the grid including the 3 that are unconfirmed at double r. We just need Litespeed to confrim their plans and hopefully they would be able to run 2 cars.

Rookie championship seems weak

Based purely on the 15 cars that have been confirmed, I would suggest that the championship is likely to be on the weak side. However, if Double R can fill their cars; someone with a pot of gold turns up on Hitech's doorstep and Litespeed can get a driver then the complexion of the championship. The Rookie Cup is very weak though; I'm guessing it is perhaps less attractive to drivers when compared to Formula Renault, F2, etc.

[strider]

Originally Posted by brakedisc

How well will Double R perform without the Robertsons ?

They'll be fine. I don't think the Robertsons had any engineering input to the cars, lol, and they didn't give the money away freely.

It would have been nice if they had kept Nasr with Double R, but maybe a clean break is for the best. Boyo has Malcolm Swetnam to help him as team manager and he does a good job.

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Richard B

Posted 5 Feb 2010
By my reckoning there are 13 drivers signed (1 National Class) doesn't seem a lot does it? Interestingly 19 were at the opening race last year, so there is time to get to that sort of number.

My post from Feb 2010, it would seem we are in better shape for 2011 than we were this time last year...

[FFfan]

Originally Posted by Richard B

My post from Feb 2010, it would seem we are in better shape for 2011 than we were this time last year...

We hope to get Scott into a couple of rounds in the Rookie class...we are in dialogue with a team about this at the moment...unfortunately we cannot raise the funds for a full campaign at the moment but may be able to join in later in the year

[alias99]

No mention of James Cole, forgot he even raced last year! Article in MN suggest he is taking part in F3 this but no mention of what series. Anyone know what his plans are?