Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won the Euro Series drivers' title in 2005. Champions Paul di Resta (2006), Romain Grosjean (2007), Nico Hülkenberg (2008), and Jules Bianchi (2009) all subsequently drove in Formula One. Additional Formula One drivers who raced in the series include four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, Adrian Sutil, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nico Rosberg.
The concept of a European Formula Three championship dates back to 1975, with a five-race series known as the F3 European Cup. Races were held at Monaco, the Nürburgring in Germany, Anderstorp in Sweden, Monza in Italy, and Croix-en-Ternois in France. The title was won by Australian Larry Perkins, driving a Ralt-Ford run by Team Cowangie.
In 1976, the Cup evolved into a full-scale ten-round European F3 Championship, which ran until 1984. Among its champions were future Formula One drivers Riccardo Patrese (champion in 1976), Alain Prost (1979), and Michele Alboreto (1980).
The modern-day Formula 3 Euro Series was inaugurated in 2003 through a collaboration between the Fédération Française du Sport Automobile (FFSA) in France and the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund (DMSB) in Germany. The partnership ended the French Formula Three Championship. Germany's national championship was effectively supplanted by the creation of the Recaro Formel 3 Cup, formed by ADAC, the F3V (Germany's Formula Three Association), and several key German teams, including Bertram Schäfer Racing, whose owner acts as the series' promoter. The DMSB initially attempted to block the Recaro Formel 3 Cup's creation.
The FFSA and DMSB jointly determined the sporting regulations of the Euro Series. Organisation and promotion of the championship was handled by ITR, which also managed the DTM touring car championship.
The championship consisted of ten events, each comprising two races, held at various European circuits. Approximately 50–60% of events took place at circuits in Germany, while others were held in Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and Spain. Most rounds were shared with the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. Notable venues included Pau and Le Mans in France; Brands Hatch in Britain; Circuit de Catalunya in Spain; Estoril in Portugal; Adria in Italy; and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
From 2004 onwards, the Masters of Formula 3, held at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, was included as a championship round. In 2005, the series visited Monaco as a Grand Prix support event, the first Formula Three event at Monaco since 1997.
The championship was built around the FIA-sanctioned F3 formula of multiple chassis builders and production-based 4-cylinder 2-litre engines, with control supplies of tyres and fuel. The Italian company Dallara was the dominant chassis supplier. Entry was initially planned to be restricted to two-car teams, but this requirement was later relaxed.
Formula Three chassis regulations permitted major updates only periodically. When the Euro Series launched, all entrants used the two most recent available specifications, as no lower-tier class was created. A Rookie of the Year title was awarded to drivers not previously competing in the championship. The Drivers' Trophy, introduced in 2006, provided a class title for drivers using chassis between two and four years old; eligibility was restricted to drivers aged 22 or younger at the start of the season. This class was discontinued after 2006.
In 2006, testing was restricted to a maximum of 10 days per driver per car, with no testing at race venues. Test sessions during race weekends had already been reduced from 90 to 60 minutes in 2005. Tyre usage was limited to three sets per car per race weekend, with no limit on wet-weather tyres when deemed necessary by officials. Tyre warming devices were not permitted. An unauthorised engine change during a race weekend triggered a ten-place grid penalty.
Each race weekend began on Friday with a 60-minute practice session and a qualifying session determining the starting grid for Race 1. Two races followed: one of approximately 100–110 km on Saturday and one of approximately 70–80 km on Sunday. The grid for Race 2 was determined by Race 1 results, with the top eight positions reversed, giving pole to the eighth-placed finisher. This single-qualifying and reverse-grid system was introduced for the 2006 season; previously the second race had its own qualifying session.
Points in Race 1 were awarded to the top eight finishers, with 10 points for a win, plus one bonus point for fastest qualifying time. The shorter Race 2 awarded points to the top six finishers, with six points for a win, a revision introduced for 2006.
Three engine suppliers joined the championship at inception: Mercedes-Benz, produced by HWA; Opel, produced by Spiess; and Toyota, produced by TOM's. A limited number of teams also competed with Renault and Mugen-Honda powerplants. In the series' first year, HWA-Mercedes supplied engines to seven entrants from three teams, including ASM Formule 3, with whom it developed a highly successful partnership. The 2007 season was the last to feature Opel engines; Volkswagen entered the series that year.
All entrants initially used the Dallara F302/F303. Alternative chassis were occasionally tested or raced. In the opening round of 2004, Coloni Motorsport entered Lola-Dome F106/03 chassis before returning to the Italian F3 Championship. Lola later developed the B05/30 while Dome continued with the F106. In February 2005, AM-Holzer Rennsport announced plans to enter a Mygale 05F3, but returned to the Dallara F305 by the start of the season. The French team Signature developed its own SLC chassis; a single SLC-Opel was raced by Fabio Carbone in 2005 alongside three Dallara F305s, but the team returned to an all-Dallara line-up in 2006. Updated versions of the Lola, Mygale, and SLC have since competed in the ATS F3 Cup.
The series attracted approximately 12 to 15 nationalities regularly. It also drew top junior single-seater teams from France, Germany, Britain, Italy, and Switzerland. Many graduates moved to the DTM touring car series and the GP2 Formula One support series, as well as securing roles in Formula One. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg both earned their Formula One seats via championship-winning seasons in GP2. Adrian Sutil raced for Force India; Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull Renault; Kazuki Nakajima for Williams; and Romain Grosjean for Renault F1 in 2009. Alexandre Prémat, Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler, and Alexandros Margaritis competed in the DTM.
The inaugural season attracted the best teams from the merged French and German championships. The first drivers' champion was Ryan Briscoe of Australia, driving a Dallara-Opel F303 run by the Italian-based Prema Powerteam. Race wins were shared among eight drivers, six teams, and three engine manufacturers. Briscoe was a protégé of Toyota's driver development programme and had tested a Formula One car at age 20. Three drivers from the 2003 field — Robert Kubica, Timo Glock, and Nico Rosberg — later competed in Formula One.
Briscoe's 2003 title was the only one for an Opel-powered car. The Mercedes-backed ASM Formule 3 rose to prominence, with Jamie Green of Great Britain taking its first drivers' title after achieving seven race wins and seven additional podium finishes. Green graduated to the DTM with Mercedes backing.
The championship was dominated by Britain's Lewis Hamilton, a protégé of the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One team. He achieved a record-setting 15 race wins from 20 starts, thirteen pole positions, and ten fastest laps. Hamilton graduated to GP2, winning that championship in his rookie year, and subsequently became the youngest Formula One world champion in 2008. Sebastian Vettel also competed in 2005, finishing as the highest-placed rookie.
For the third consecutive year, the teams' title was won by ASM Formule 3, and the champion driver, Paul di Resta, used one of its Mercedes-powered Dallaras. Sebastian Vettel joined di Resta in ASM's expanded line-up, finishing the year as championship runner-up. The reverse-grid system contributed to a record number of winners, with eleven different drivers reaching the top step of the podium. Mercedes placed di Resta in the DTM; he later raced for Force India.
The 2007 drivers' championship was won by Romain Grosjean, with Sébastien Buemi as his closest challenger.
2003: Ryan Briscoe
2004: Jamie Green
2005: Lewis Hamilton
2006: Paul di Resta
2007: Romain Grosjean
2008: Nico Hülkenberg
2009: Jules Bianchi
From 2003 to 2008, the rookie championship was decided by separate standings. From 2009 to 2012, the best rookie was determined by the highest place in the overall driver standings.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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