The GP3 series is a newly formed championship which has started its inaugural season in 2010. Already in its first season it has proven to be a well established series, attracting a lot of young professional race drivers. Seen as a competition to the well known Formula 3 Euroseries, it already supplied its first Formula 1 test driver to Sauber Motorsport F1.

Concept
At the end of 2008, the organizers of the successful Formula 1 feeder series GP2, announced that a newly formed GP3 series would enter the European Formula One Grand Prix events from 2010 onwards. As quoted by Bruno Michel (Head of GP2 organizations) “We’ll take care that the GP3 series will be as successful as the GP2 series has proven to its fans and Formula 1 teams. The series will be similar to the level of European formula three, where young gun drivers will be taught to step up to the next level of racing”.

Similar to its elder brother GP2, the GP3 series has made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine and tyre supplier so that true driver ability is reflected. In order to ensure that Team entrants would be capable of fielding all of its three car line up, the series organizers set up a registration for interested teams of which ten teams were picked to run the 30 car field for a minimum of 3 years. Long term top running Formula 3 Euroseries team; Mücke Motorsport was chosen to run a team with former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher. Joining forces under the RSC Mücke Motorsport banner, Nigel was contracted for the inaugural season.

Didier Perrin (Technical Director) explains the philosophy of the newly formed series; “We’ve designed a car that should better prepare young talented drivers for a future in GP2 and Formula One. To do so, we’ve spent a lot of energy to create a balance between drivetrain power and aerodynamic down force”.

Bron: www.formule1.nl