“The quickest will always win” says ART boss Phillipe ahead of F3 reformat

ART Grand Prix Team Principal Sébastien Phillipe is excited by the prospect of even more fighting and even more overtaking in the reformatted Formula 3 Championship next season, believing that the addition of a second reverse grid race will only increase the competition as a spectacle.

F3 has undergone a makeover for the 2021 campaign, which includes a new weekend format, with two reverse grid races on a Saturday and a third race on the Sunday morning before the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

This change will see the number of races during the season increased from 18 to 21 and was the headline feature amongst a raft of cost-cutting measures, designed to safeguard the future of the Championship. Full details of which, can be found HERE.

Phillipe is backing the changes to be a success. “I think it was necessary in the global situation to try and find some budget cuts,” he began. “But we will need to see how it goes – it is always difficult to have a clear view before the start of the season.

“From a sporting point of view, I think it is good because it will be a different situation for the drivers to take on, and there will be a lot of fighting and overtaking with two reverse grids. It will be more difficult for the staff, doing three races in the same weekend, with two in one day on the Saturday.

“At the end of the day, the quickest will always win - that won't change.”

The changes will also see F3 race at separate venues to F2 for the first time, allowing Phillipe’s team to focus more on each individual Championship.

In terms of their overall preparation for each round, he doesn’t believe too much will change, though he does feel that it could take some getting used to for the drivers.

“For the drivers, it will be a bit different,” he continued. “They will need to think differently because the format is different. The good thing for me is that Race 1 and Race 2 are separate from Race 3.

“Previously, if you didn’t finish or struggled in Race 1, then you were killing your full weekend. Now, if you do not finish the first race, then you are only damaging Race 2.

“This will make Quali more important though, because if you struggle in Qualifying, then you could damage your entire weekend. So yes, it will require a different approach from the drivers, but it is the same for everyone.

“We’ll have a better view when we’ve done a few rounds. I don’t think that it was a bad way to go and I am happy with it.”