Often regarded as one of the most unpredictable and fun-to-watch championships in the feeder series world, Formula 3 is getting ready to begin after a spectacular season in 2023 that saw Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto storm to the title. Thirty of the most promising talents on the motor racing scene will be racing on ten different tracks to showcase their strengths and continue climbing the feeder series ladder. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 2024 F3 season.

By Daniele Spadi

Months of preparations have gone by since the final race of the 2023 season last September, and F3 is now gearing up for yet another season – the sixth after its rebrand back in 2019.

With seven drivers graduating from the series to F2 this year – including the top five from last season – the door is wide open for anyone to make an impact and fight for a title that would greatly increase their chances of making it to the top. This year’s grid will feature a healthy mix of new names and seasoned competitors: from 2023 champions such as Kacper Sztuka and Callum Voisin to F3 race winners like Gabriele Minì and Oliver Goethe, this year’s title fight promises to be one of the most exciting to follow.

The calendar

For the 2024 season, the calendar is left unchanged. Ten of the most renowned tracks in the world will host a total of 20 races in nine different nations, with Italy having two races as Imola gets ready to host the series once again after last year’s cancellation. Last year’s new entries – Melbourne and Monaco – are therefore confirmed for a second season after their successful debuts in 2023. Here’s the full 2024 F3 calendar:

• Round 1: Bahrain International Circuit (29 February–2 March)
• Round 2: Albert Park Circuit (22–24 March)
• Round 3: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (17–19 May)
• Round 4: Circuit de Monaco (24–26 May)
• Round 5: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (21–23 June)
• Round 6: Red Bull Ring (28–30 June)
• Round 7: Silverstone Circuit (5–7 July)
• Round 8: Hungaroring (19–21 July)
• Round 9: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (26–28 July)
• Round 10: Autodromo Nazionale Monza (30 August–1 September)

The format

Format-wise, the championship is set to keep its usual two-race schedule that has now become a staple of the series – with the sole exception being the three-race format trialed by the championship in 2021. This means that Friday will see a 45-minute free practice session to let the drivers get their first official bits of track time during the weekend, followed by 30 minutes of qualifying later in the afternoon.

Saturday is sprint race day – a shorter 40-minute race where the grid is set by the qualifying results with the top 12 drivers reversed. The top ten drivers will be eligible to score points, with the winner earning ten championship points. 

The main event will then take place on Sunday. The Feature Race will award 25 points to the race winner, with the points system mirroring the one used in Formula 1.

Where to watch

As in previous seasons, every F3 session will be streamed by F1 TV. However, the pay-per-view platform that gives fans the chance to see every second of on-track action is only available in selected countries. Other countries may have exclusive deals with specific entertainment companies that will broadcast the sessions on their channels.

Teams and drivers

Prema Racing

As the reigning teams’ champions, Prema will be the one to beat in 2024. The Italian outfit had yet another strong season last year, claiming five race wins along the way, but it wasn’t as easy as many expected, though, with the teams championship being decided at the final race of the season. Moreover, Prema failed to win the drivers’ title for the second year in a row – but their 2024 line-up seems to be a perfect one to end the drought.

Dino Beganovic (#1) is the only driver to be retained by the Italian team, and the 2022 FRECA champion will be eager to show that he’s ready to fight for the title. The Swedish finished sixth last year – but crucially, he was beaten by both of his teammates, who will now race in Formula 2. Can the Ferrari Academy driver step up to the plate and be the one to be crowned champion come the end of the season?

If anyone can stop that from happening, it’s Dino’s teammate Gabriele Minì (#2). The Italian collected two wins en route to seventh in the standings last season with Hitech – only four points behind Beganovic – and looked at times to be among the fastest drivers on the grid. Inconsistency and a couple of rookie mistakes prevented him from being in the title hunt, but 2024 could prove to be his year.

The third car will be handed to Arvid Lindblad (#3). The Red Bull Junior driver looked to be running away with the Italian F4 title halfway through the 2023 season, but a slightly disappointing second half of the year saw him drop to third by the end of his maiden single-seater campaign. Nonetheless, the Brit showed incredible speed and adaptability at times, and if he can replicate that in his rookie F3 year, he could end up being among the ones to watch.

Trident

Talking about Italian teams, Trident had the best season of their history in F3, winning the drivers’ title with Gabriel Bortoleto and missing out on the teams’ crown by just 19 points. The Italian outfit was the best team in the series back in 2021, and after such a strong season last year, it’s fair to say that their 2024 goal will be to be back on top.

Just like Prema, only one of the team’s three drivers from 2023 has stayed with them, and that is Leonardo Fornaroli (#4). The Italian had a promising rookie season last year, scoring three podiums and proving to be one of the fastest drivers on one-lap pace. He will now likely take on a more leading role in the team after Bortoleto’s departure, and this may make him one of the favourites for podiums and race wins every single weekend.

Alongside Fornaroli there will be two promising rookies who are making the step up from FRECA. On one hand, Sami Meguetounif (#5) finished ninth in the standings with MP Motorsport thanks to three podiums, showing glimpses of raw speed that earned him a shot at F3. It will be curious to see if he can adapt quickly to a brand new car – and if he does, he will be an instant threat

On the other hand, Santiago Ramos (#6) was among the fastest drivers in the first half of the season, dragging his RPM to the front of the field in qualifying and hanging on to the top six on five occasions, including a podium in Hungary. However, he only collected a single point in the final eight races, dropping to 11th in the standings. Consistency will be key for him, as a championship that values qualifying performance as high as Formula 3 does could be a huge opportunity for the Mexican’s qualities to shine.

MP Motorsport

Despite getting all three of their cars disqualified for the sprint race at Melbourne after a technical infringement – which cost Franco Colapinto the win – it was MP Motorsport who won the battle for third in the teams’ standings in 2023. The Dutch outfit managed to jump from fifth to third on the final round of the season, winning both races in Monza and putting two cars in the top six on both occasions. 2024 could be another great year for the team, and although their driver line-up features three rookies, it promises to be among the best of the series.

FRECA race winner Tim Tramnitz (#7) will make his F3 debut with the Dutch team in Bahrain. The German, who finished third last year in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with three wins and seven additional podiums, is now a Red Bull Junior driver, and he could make a name for himself this season if he can replicate the pace and racecraft he showed throughout last year.

Another addition to the Red Bull Junior Team is his teammate Kacper Sztuka (#8). Despite some funding issues that left his future uncertain at the start of 2023, the Pole was the star of Italian F4 – making up more than 100 points on Lindblad to win the title for US Racing. Sztuka will make the jump straight to F3, something that needs to be taken into account when evaluating his performances at the start of the season.

In a surprising turn of events, it was announced that the final seat would go to Alex Dunne (#9). The Irish racing driver, who looked to be out of the running after lacking the budget needed to race in F3, has instead managed to secure a seat with the Dutch outfit. The 2023 GB3 and 2022 Italian F4 runner-up impressed in his F3 debut in Macau, finishing a brilliant second in the qualifying race before crashing out in the main event while fighting for the win with Luke Browning. Nevertheless, he will be a great addition to the 2024 grid without a doubt.

Campos Racing

Campos was most definitely the surprise of 2023. It was the best season in the history of the Spanish team, including three wins and a championship contender in Pepe Martí. In fact, Campos made huge strides forward last year, and the objective for 2024 will be to keep building on the very solid foundation that the team now has. The Spanish outfit has changed its entire line-up, electing to go for three experienced drivers that already raced in the series in 2023.

One of them is race winner Oliver Goethe (#10). The German had a very tough season to understand last year. Racing with Trident, Goethe managed to score points in just six of the 18 races he took part in, but he always finished in the top six when doing so – including a race win in Silverstone and a podium finish in Bahrain. Consistency will be the keyword for him in 2024, and if he can put the pieces together, he may be just what the team needs to try and win the drivers’ championship for the first time in F3.

Next to Goethe will be Sebastian Montoya (#11), with the Colombian driver switching from Hitech to the Spanish outfit. Montoya was a consistent presence in the top 10 when things went his way; however, he was also involved in many incidents throughout the season, though many of them not actually being his fault. He could really benefit from a second year in the series, and the experience gained in 2023 could see him make a big step forward this season.

The same can be said for Mari Boya (#12), who will complete Campos’ line-up for the 2024 season. The Spaniard, who made his full-time debut in the series with MP Motorsport last season, had a tough time adapting to the car, especially in qualifying. At times, however, he was extremely competitive – finishing in the top seven in both races at his home event in Catalunya and in Monza, where he stepped on the podium for the first time in the sprint race.

Hitech GP

Hitech GP finished fifth in the teams’ standings in 2023 after what could be seen as a slightly underwhelming season considering their expectations and their line-up. After a positive start to the year, the team managed to put two cars in the top ten just three times in the last twelve races, which was a deciding factor in the fight for third place in the teams’ championship.

The team, however, finished on a high in 2023, winning the Macau Grand Prix with Luke Browning (#14). The Brit will stay with the team for a second consecutive year, becoming the de-facto leader of the British outfit. After a disappointing rookie season in 2023 that saw him score only three points in the final 11 races, Browning will be eager to keep his momentum going after his phenomenal performance in Macau – which he seems to have done, since he was able to set the fastest lap on day two and three of pre-season testing.

Alongside him will be one of the surprises of 2023: Martinius Stenshorne (#15). The Norwegian wowed everybody when he won on his FRECA debut in Imola, and was the only driver to consistently challenge Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the title during the season. He ultimately fell short and finished in second, but the raw speed on both one-lap pace and race trim was unmatched at times. A master of the FRECA car, Stenshorne will have to adapt to the faster, more nimble F3 car pretty quickly if he wants to make the same impact on the series as the one he made in FRECA.

The final seat will be occupied by Cian Shields (#16). The 2023 Euroformula Open runner-up has already taken part in post-season testing with Hitech, which was very helpful to get to know everyone in the team and to start understanding the car. He will have two very capable teammates alongside him, which could help him develop as a driver and fight for points during every single weekend.

Jenzer Motorsport

Much like Campos, Jenzer Motorsport is fresh off their best ever season in F3. The Swiss team did not have big expectations ahead of their 2023 campaign, but a big update to their brakes during the in-season break meant that they would enjoy a great run of form. The team managed to get back to winning ways in Spa with Taylor Barnard and achieved four additional podium finishes between the Brit and Nikita Bedrin.

For the 2024 season, Jenzer is ready to field a completely new line-up. Charlie Wurz (#17) is expected by many to be the one to lead the team and consistently fight for points. The Austrian had a rough first part of 2023 in FRECA, but a late switch to Euroformula Open saw him rack up a win in Monza and four further podium finishes, leading him to sixth in the standings. The 2023 FROC champion is ready to impress in F3, and taking on a leading role could give him the confidence that he needs.

After racing in both Silverstone and Budapest with Carlin in 2023, Max Esterson (#18) is ready to start his first full-time season in F3. The American is a GB3 race winner and has taken part in the British series for the past two years. With his experience in GB3 and two full F3 race weekends under his belt, he may have the chance to score some points and have the better of his teammates early on in the season.

Lastly, Jenzer will give their third car to FRECA graduate Matias Zagazeta (#19). The 2021 British F4 runner-up finished the season down in 22nd with R-ace GP, with a best finish of fifth in Imola. The Peruvian already partook in post-season testing with the team and in the Macau Grand Prix, where he finished 17th.

Van Amersfoort Racing

Perhaps one of the underperforming teams of last season, Van Amersfoort Racing is looking to bounce back in 2024. 73 of the team’s 75 points were scored by Caio Collet, who took the team’s last win to date in Spa. With the Brazilian switching to Indy NXT, the team was left looking for new talents to add to their roster.

The first new name is the 2023 Euroformula Open champion Noel León (#20). The Mexican, who was dropped by the Red Bull Junior Team after his performances in FRECA in 2022, bounced back in the best of ways last season, dominating EFO from start to finish – ending the season with seven wins and a total of 16 podiums in 23 races. The step up to F3 is more than deserved, and it will be interesting to see what he will do if VAR manage to give him a competitive car – especially after having topped the standings on day one of pre-season testing.

The other new entry for the Dutch team is a more seasoned, yet very exciting name: Sophia Floersch (#21). Now ready for her third full season in the championship, the German showed to have made some important progress in 2023. Her racecraft looked to have improved, and the highlight of her season came in Spa, where a great strategy call and some smart driving led her to seventh place – the only points that PHM Racing scored during the season. Now with the chance of racing with a competitive team, can Floersch finally have her big break in open-wheel racing?

The two of them will be joined by Tommy Smith (#22), the only driver to be retained by Van Amersfoort Racing from last year. The Australian had a very tough rookie campaign in 2023, going pointless with a best result of 12th in his homeland’s feature race. However, he has already had some track time in 2024, racing part-time in FROC with MTEC Motorsport, an advantage that could prove effective at the start of the season.

ART Grand Prix

Unfortunately for ART, the 2023 F3 season was one of the worst for the French team. Despite a promising start by Grégoire Saucy, who seemed to be one of Gabriel Bortoleto’s main rivals for the drivers’ title, the second half of the season was a tough one for the whole team. With the hopes of turning over a new leaf, ART has kept only one of their 2023 drivers, choosing an experienced driver and one of their own for the remaining two seats.

After a pretty successful year with Campos, Christian Mansell (#23) will race with the French outfit in 2024. The Australian was one of the surprises of the season, finishing in P12 with two podiums and showing some great speed in the second half of the season, often getting close to – or even matching – teammate Pepe Martí. With a new team and perhaps the motivation to be the lead car within said team, Mansell may have the chance to thrive and fight for points and podiums here and there, provided that ART goes back to the level of performance that they are used to.

Next to Mansell will be two-time FRECA podium finisher Laurens van Hoepen (#24). Despite a tough time in the first half of the season, the Dutchman finished third in both his home races at Zandvoort with ART, and the improvements shown throughout the year were enough to convince the French team to promote him to F3. Van Hoepen also finished 10th in the Macau Grand Prix, showing that he is already comfortable with the car.

Though it seemed that he could not find an agreement to be back on the grid in 2024, the only driver to be retained by ART is Nikola Tsolov (#25). The Bulgarian struggled to understand the car last year, proving just how difficult jumping straight from F4 to F3 can be. Towards the end of the season he showed some signs of improvement, finishing in the points in both Spa and Monza – a run of form that he will have to replicate if he wants to have an impact this season.

PHM Racing

In their first official season in the series, PHM Racing tried to gain as much racing experience as possible. Taking Charouz’s place, the German outfit scored six points throughout the season, clearly struggling to stay on pace with their rivals but taking some steps in the right direction come the end of the season. For their 2024 campaign, the team gained a title sponsor in AIX. That, together with a thorough change in team personnel compared to last season, could make them a new threat for the points-paying positions.

Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (#26) will be behind the wheel of PHM’s first car. The Thai driver will make his debut in the series in Bahrain, and he’s fresh off a positive FRMEC campaign, where he collected three podiums on his way to ninth in the standings. After a good season last year in Eurocup-3, he is now ready to step up to F3. With a lot of on-track experience, he may be one of the quickest rookies to adapt to the series.

Nikita Bedrin (#27) will go back to the team he raced with in 2022. After a season with Jenzer, the 18-year-old is ready for a second season in F3, and going back to the team he raced in both Italian and ADAC F4 may be a further source of motivation for him. The two podiums he scored in the second half of the season showed that he has what it takes to compete at the top level, and if he can sort his qualifying performance out, he may be a surprising factor.

The final seat will be handed to Joshua Dufek (#28), who made his official F3 debut back in Monza last year, finishing 14th in both races while subbing in for Hugh Barter at Campos. The Swiss had a very positive first half of the season in FRECA, taking pole at the Hungaroring and finishing in the top six in five of the opening nine races. However, some engine issues made him decide to follow Charlie Wurz and switch to Euroformula Open, where he missed out on the podium just once and won race three in Monza.

Rodin Motorsport

Formerly known as Rodin Carlin, Rodin Motorsport finished bottom of the table last season, their only two points scored by Ido Cohen in a chaotic Sprint Race around Silverstone. It was certainly a season to forget for the team based in Farnham, who are eager to find the form that saw them finish on the podium and win races between 2020 and 2022.

In order to do that, the team is counting on reigning GB3 champion Callum Voisin (#29) to bring home some noteworthy results. The Brit, who raced with the team in the past two GB3 seasons, has thoroughly deserved this promotion, and he will make his official debut in Bahrain after taking part in last year’s post-season tests. It’s not going to be easy for him to be as successful as he was in GB3 last season, but he could be a driver to watch throughout his rookie campaign.

Alongside him, Piotr Wiśnicki (#30) will be back for more after racing in the first four rounds of the championship with PHM last year. The Pole failed to score points in those races, often trading places with teammate Roberto Faria but struggling to keep up with Sophia Floersch. A second chance, however, might be what he needs to have a bigger impact on the series.

Last but not least, Joseph Loake (#31) will round out the 2024 grid. The Brit finished third in GB3 last season with four race wins while racing with JHR Developments, and just like the two drivers that finished ahead of him in the standings, he is graduating to F3. Recently, Loake was the recipient of the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, and will therefore take part in a test session with the Aston Martin F1 car.

Editor’s note, 25 February 2024, 22:53 CET: A previous version of this article misstated the number of F3 rounds Imola has previously hosted.

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency