Hillspeed Fully Supportive Of Revised British F3 Calendar
This year’s BRDC British Formula 3 Championship season will get underway seven weeks later than originally scheduled, on 22nd/23rd May at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, and the decision has been enthusiastically supported by Hillspeed team principal Richard Ollerenshaw.
In light of the ongoing situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, British F3 and the Intelligent Money British GT Championship – which runs as a co-headline category with Formula 3 for the bulk of the season – have now made proactive steps with regard to the provisional calendar.
Making a series of revisions to the 2021 schedule to ensure the full 24-race BRDC British F3 season can take place unencumbered, the new season will now conclude over the weekend 16th/17th October at Donington Park.
Hillspeed’s Ollerenshaw says the decision taken is absolutely the right one to make, particularly so early in the New Year with plenty of time in hand, and believes it will be to the overall benefit of British F3 as a whole.
“It’s an unfortunate decision but one that we support”, he said, “First of all, you have to look at keeping everyone safe and trying to return the sport to as close to the old normal as possible. Hopefully pushing back the start of the season will allow us to race again in front of the spectators that we all missed throughout the 2020 season.
“We are taking the positives from the announcement and this will allow us to commence our pre-season testing program later than originally planned. This will give our overseas drivers increased clarity on any travel restrictions and allow them to begin their testing in the Spring rather than the Winter, with all of the difficulties that can sometimes entail with the weather.”
Ollerenshaw added: “I do think the decision is very sensible indeed, the only logical choice in view of where we are currently. Teams and drivers want as much certainty as possible, to enable us to plan, and this move certainly means we are as well placed as we can be.”
Now beginning on 22nd/23rd May at Brands Hatch GP Circuit in Kent, BRDC British F3 will then move on to Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit in Northamptonshire on 26th/27th June. Hillspeed’s ‘home’ track, Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, will host the third event of 2021 on 10th/11th July, with the overseas visit to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium taking place on 24th/25th July.
Snetterton 300 Circuit in Norfolk comes next on 7th/8th August, before a return to Silverstone GP for a standalone event one week later. Oulton Park in Cheshire, which was originally set to host the season curtain-raiser, will now be the penultimate event on 11th/12th September with Donington the venue for the championship finale in mid-October.
Hillspeed, of course, is currently in discussion with drivers for the team’s race-winning entry and warmly welcomes further such enquiries. Competitors interested in racing in one of the globe’s premier F3 categories, are invited to contact Richard Ollerenshaw on 07966 650400 or by email to info@hillspeed.co.uk
Revised Provisional 2021 BRDC British F3 Calendar
22/23 May – Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, Kent
26/27 June – Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, Northamptonshire
10/11 July – Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, Leicestershire
24/25 July – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
7/8 August – Snetterton 300 Circuit, Norfolk
14/15 August – Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, Northamptonshire*
11/12 September – Oulton Park International Circuit, Cheshire
16/17 October – Donington Park, Leicestershire
*Standalone MSVR event – all other events are co-headline with British GT
