British Formula 3

Formula 3 has a long history in Britain with the first national championship being competed as early as 1951. Until the end of the 1970s it was common for different clubs or promoters, such as MCD, the BRDC and the BARC, to run separate championships. Since 1979, the BARC and BRDC have run a unified championship.

Autosport sponsored the first three national championships from 1951 to 1953 after which the BRSCC championship ran until 1961. After an interruption for Formula Junior, the MCD series emerged in 1966, then under Les Leston's banner, and ran until 1974 producing such champions as Tim Schenken, Emerson Fittipaldi, Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Brian Henton. A rival BARC series started in 1972 and was won by Williamson, Ian Taylor, Henton, Gunnar Nilsson, Rupert Keegan, Derek Daly and Nelson Piquet up to 1978. A BRDC series started in 1976 and could boast Bruno Giacomelli, Stephen South and Derek Warwick as its champions before merging with the BARC series.

This series, with Vandervell, Marlboro and Lucas as title sponsor continued to be a production line for F1 talent throughout the 1980s. Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle went straight into F3 after their 1983 duel but the British F3 champion could generally expect to step up just to F3000 thereafter.

British F3 seasons covered so far

The 1973 season: Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Thruxton, Snetterton, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Zandvoort, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Snetterton, Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Croft, Brands Hatch, (Mallory Park), Silverstone, Castle Combe, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Brands Hatch

The 1974 season: Oulton Park, Silverstone, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Snetterton, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Thruxton

The 1975 season: (Thruxton), Thruxton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Snetterton, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Knockhill, Thruxton, Silverstone, Silverstone, (Brands Hatch), Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Thruxton, (Thruxton)

The 1976 season: Thruxton, Silverstone, (Oulton Park), Silverstone, Thruxton, Zolder, (Mallory Park), Thruxton, Brands Hatch, (Silverstone), Silverstone, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Snetterton, (Mallory Park), (Brands Hatch), Thruxton

The 1977 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Monte Carlo, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Donington Park, Thruxton, (Donington Park), Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Donington Park, Snetterton, Donington Park, Silverstone, (Mallory Park), Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Donington Park, Thruxton, (Thruxton)

The 1978 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Thruxton, (Donington Park), Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Donington Park, Silverstone, Monte Carlo, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Paul Ricard, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Mallory Park, Donington Park, Silverstone, Silverstone, Snetterton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Thruxton, (Thruxton)

The 1979 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Snetterton, Donington Park, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, (Donington Park), Monte Carlo, Silverstone, (Donington Park), Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Silverstone, (Donington Park), Snetterton, Mallory Park, Silverstone, (Mondello Park), (Donington Park), Oulton Park, Thruxton, Silverstone, Thruxton, (Thruxton).

The 1980 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Silverstone, (Donington Park), Thruxton, Snetterton, Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Silverstone, (Mondello Park), Mallory Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Thruxton, (Thruxton).

The 1981 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Thruxton, Thruxton, Snetterton, Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Snetterton, Thruxton, (Thruxton).

The 1982 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Donington Park, Thruxton, Mallory Park, Snetterton, Silverstone, Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, (Thruxton).

The 1983 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Donington Park, Thruxton, Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Snetterton, Silverstone, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Thruxton, Silverstone, Thruxton, (Thruxton).

The 1984 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Zolder, Thruxton, Thruxton, Donington Park, Silverstone, Snetterton, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Silverstone.

The 1985 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Thruxton, Donington Park, Zolder, Thruxton, Thruxton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Donington Park, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Silverstone.

The 1986 season: (Silverstone), Thruxton, Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Donington Park, Silverstone, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Zandvoort, (Brands Hatch), Donington Park, (Brands Hatch), Snetterton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Spa-Francorchamps, Zolder, Silverstone.

The 1987 season: Silverstone, Thruxton, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Thruxton, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Silverstone, Zandvoort, Donington Park, Silverstone, Snetterton, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Spa-Francorchamps, Thruxton.

All results and car histories compiled by Chris Townsend.

Please email Allen if you have any British or European F3 race programmes.