Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
PHM Racing by Charouz will not take part in the FIA Formula 3 World Cup, which is being held in Macau from November 16-19.
In June it was announced that F3 – for the first time since 2019 – would race in Macau as part of the 70th edition of the famed Asian street race. All 10 teams competing in the FIA F3 championship were invited to participate in the event. However, not all of them will be present.
PHM’s sporting director Roland Rehfeld spoke to Formula Scout at FIA F3’s season finale at Monza, where he confirmed and explained the team’s decision of not attending the grand prix at the Guia Circuit.
“We are still a young team now and we have just taken over now the full responsibility of the services,” he stated. “Just to be well sorted for the main target of being competitive next year in F3, we said this season we cannot afford to do so [go to Macau].
“We are still in the process of developing the team, moving out all the assets from Prague to Germany to our new workshop, and this is the main target now to set up the team. Therefore, next year it’s a completely different story, then for sure we will target also to Macau, but this year it’s a little bit too early for us.”
PHM took over Charouz Racing System’s entries in both Formula 2 and F3 ahead of the 2023 seasons. Czech squad Charouz still ran the operations this year, but PHM is now ready to take care of the whole process from 2024 onwards.
Formula Scout understands that PHM may not be the only FIA F3 team absent from Macau, as there is at least one other evaluating whether to participate or not.
Some teams aim to enter Macau with the drivers they will run in the 2024 FIA F3 season, whereas others are expected to use their line-ups from the season just gone or bring in drivers specifically interested in – and have experience of – the event.
Richard Verschoor, who won the last running of the FIA F3 World Cup in Macau and is now a F2 driver, is currently weighing up team options to take part in the grand prix and defend the win he achieved with MP Motorsport in 2019.
Charles Leong was the Macau GP victor in 2020 and ’21 when it ran for Formula 4 cars, and the home hero wants to become only the second ever three-time winner. Several FIA F3 drivers also shared that they plan to make their Macau debuts.
“Being part of the history of F3, Macau is always something very important,” Prema team principal Rene Rosin told Formula Scout. “We are discussing with drivers. We have not made any final commitment. I saw some Macau people around the paddock this weekend, and after that I will start working on it.
“Of course, before Macau, there is all the preparation for the next year that will be going on with the post-season testing, and that is a fundamental part of the season for us.”