Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
FIA Formula 3’s chief executive Bruno Michel has revealed that Dallara has designed the chassis and Mecachrome is providing the engine for the championship’s new car being introduced next year.
The Dallara F3 2019 is now in its sixth season of use, and its successor will have the same lifespan which means it will be the championship’s spec car from 2025 to 2030.
Last June the FIA published the invite to tender to supply the engine for the new car. There was not an equivalent document for the chassis, with Dallara to continue in a role it has held since 2010 when the championship was known as GP3.
Mecachrome’s successful tender on the engine side means it will join Dallara in spending over two decades as an exclusive parts supplier to the paddock.
“We will work again with Dallara and Mecachrome for the new car. We are already quite advanced in the development process,” Michel said in a call with media including Formula Scout two weeks ago.
“We passed a few of the safety tests last week, and there’s still some to come. And the idea, it would be to try to have the car ready for a shakedown end of June or beginning of July. And then start a quite heavy development programme.
“Because we want it to be ready as early as possible, and the calendar is always a little bit complicated together. Now we know that we will start in Melbourne next year. So we need to be ready as early as possible and to try to test as early as possible for the teams as well. So it’s all going according to plan. But it’s a lot of work.”
Melbourne will be hosting the opening round for Formula 1 and F3 on March 14-16 next year, with Formula 2 yet to confirm its place on the support bill of the Australian Grand Prix.