Formula 3 drivers ‘Powered by Volkswagen’ in 2010
Volkswagen will again line up on the starting grids of three of the most prestigious European Formula 3 championships with a high calibre driver line-up. Macau Grand Prix winner Edoardo Mortara (Italy), last year’s ATS Formula 3 Cup runner-up Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and 2009 ADAC Formula Masters champion Daniel Abt (Germany) are heading a squad of seven teams contesting the British Formula 3 Championship, Formula 3 Euro Series and ATS Formula 3 Cup using ‘Volkswagen Power’ in the form of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine developing close to 210 PS.
British Formula 3 Championship
Current champions, Carlin Motorsport, will enter four Dallara-Volkswagen cars as they start the defence of the British Formula 3 Championship. Trevor Carlin’s team won the 2009 championship with Red Bull Formula 1 reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo and aims to repeat its title win with Jean-Eric Vergne from France and the Britons James Calado and Rupert Svendsen-Cook. The fourth seat is still available.
Team T-Sport, headed by Russell Eacott, will enter two Volkswagen-engined vehicles with one of the drivers confirmed as Alex Brundle, the son of former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans winner, Martin.
Talking about his son’s switch to racing in the British Formula 3 Championship for the 2010 season, the current Formula 1 commentator explained: ‘Generations of drivers have benefited from competing in British F3, including myself with Volkswagen power. I like the attitude and approach of the T-Sport team and I’m confident about Alex’s rookie F3 season.’
In addition, the group of Volkswagen squads challenging for the British series have been joined by Hitech Racing, with team principal Ryan Sharp, who plans to field three cars with Volkswagen Power.
Formula 3 Euro Series: experience paired with ambition
In the Formula 3 Euro Series, Volkswagen will be represented by the French Signature team and by the German Motopark Academy squad that has now joined the ranks of teams using Volkswagen power as well.
Edoardo Mortara, who won the 2009 Macau Grand Prix at the end of 2009, and Signature are already accustomed to working with each other with the Italian finishing the 2008 Euro Series as the runner-up with the seasoned squad of Philippe Sinault. He lines up alongside the experienced 18-year-old Laurens Vanthoor – last year’s commanding champion of the ATS Formula 3 Cup thanks to Volkswagen Power – and Marco Wittmann, who is currently the only German racer in the Formula 3 Euro Series.
In contrast, the up-and-coming Motopark Academy team, headed by Timo Rumpfkeil, will contest the Europe-wide championship with three Formula 3 rookies. Portuguese António Félix da Costa won the 2009 Formula Renault NEC while the Briton Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Matias Laine from Finland are moving up from the junior class too.
ATS Formula 3 Cup: title defence project against strong rivals
For the Van Amersfoort Racing team, the ATS Formula 3 Cup will be marked by the title defence project. Team principal Frits van Amersfoort is banking on last year’s runner up Stef Dusseldorp (Netherlands), 17-year-old Daniel Abt and Willi Steindl (Austria) in this endeavour.
However, they will face strong competition from the British-Swedish Performance Racing team of Bobby Issazadhe. The Volkswagen-powered team will contest the series with Asian Formula Renault champion, Alon Day (Israel), and the Swedish Formula Renault champion Felix Rosenqvist.
In addition, there will be two other teams – Motopark Academy and HS Technik – competing in the Cup with Volkswagen engines this season. The squad from Oschersleben is placing its trust in the Dane Kevin Magnussen, the son of former Formula 1 driver Jan Magnussen, Luis Derani (Brazil), Jimmy Eriksson (Sweden) and Rene Binder (Austria). The Austrian HS Technik team and its team principal Michael Hascic are planning to field three vehicles in Germany’s top-ranking Formula series.
