The event was first held in 1991. David Coulthard was the champion of the inaugural 1991 event. The starting grid for the race was determined by two qualifying races held on Saturday. The winner of the first qualifying race determined the odd-numbered starting positions, while the winner of the second determined the even-numbered positions, meaning the fastest qualifier did not necessarily start from pole position.
Zandvoort hosted the Masters for most of its existence. Due to noise restrictions in the Zandvoort area, the 2007 and 2008 races were relocated to Zolder in Belgium. The event returned to Zandvoort for the 2009 race.
In 1999, the FIA designated the Pau round of the French Formula Three Championship as the new official European Cup. However, the Masters maintained its status as the de facto international meeting for up-and-coming drivers from various European championships, including the British, French, German, and Italian series. When the French and German series merged to form the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2003, the Masters was not included in its calendar, but its position as the premier international F3 meeting in Europe remained unaffected. The strict regulations in Formula Three meant that cars were very evenly matched, with the Dallara chassis being particularly popular; in 1998, 52 of 58 entries used Dallara chassis, with the remainder using Martini chassis. This emphasis on driver and team quality could lead to limited overtaking during races.
Marlboro sponsored the Masters from 1991 until 2005. This sponsorship ended after tobacco advertising was banned in the European Union after July 31, 2005. Subsequent sponsors included BP Ultimate (2006–2007), RTL (2008), Tango (2009), and RTL again in 2010.
The series took a one-year break in 2017, the first interruption since its inception. This was due to circuit calendar changes and FIA Formula 3 European Championship regulations that prohibited racing activity at a circuit prior to a championship round at the same venue. The race did not return in 2018, making the 2016 edition the final running of the event. However, a Masters of Formula 3 Grand Prix was won by Callum Ilott in 2018, David Saelens in 2019, and Stefano Leaney in both 2020 and 2021. No races were held in 2022. The event has a history of showcasing top drivers in Formula 3.
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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