British F3 2006 Silly Season - Page 4

jondownunder · 17 Dec 2005, 22:36 (Ref:1485893)

That would be interesting to see... but will Carlin be able to compete with the Mercedes teams?

shambles · 17 Dec 2005, 23:35 (Ref:1485911)

I tell you what guys, I have a feeling BIF3 2006 is going to be one of the best season's we've seen in years, even without Knockhill.

Getting Merc involved is a massive coup for the series IMO.

PAUL

Go_For_Pole · 18 Dec 2005, 00:00 (Ref:1485917)

A coup?!! Mercedes is looking for customers for their engines, hardly getting involved.

Actually now that I think of it, getting Mercedes "involved" is historically the fastest way of killing a championship.

**bella** · 18 Dec 2005, 14:45 (Ref:1486098)

the thing is, nbe's engine was dominant to the same degree in 05 and to a degree 04, but nobody was hailing that to be the end of the championship were they?

while i appreciate the budgets available to the different companies are a little... well, different, i think the introduction of a competitive alternative should do nothing but encourage competition and move engineering forward a couple of steps.

how "old" is this version of the mercedes engine in comparison to the new mugen?

jondownunder · 18 Dec 2005, 15:42 (Ref:1486116)

Anyway, correct me if I'm wrong, but there should be 9 Mercedes-engined cars next year (3 each for RRR, Fortec and Hitech)? So even if the Mercedes did prove dominant, there's plenty of scope for a competitive championship. If it was just one top team with Mercedes engines I'd be more worried about the championship's future.

Go_For_Pole · 18 Dec 2005, 16:13 (Ref:1486124)

That's one way of seeing things, the other is that an NBE engine is available to any team while Mercedes has chosen a limited number of teams. So if Mercedes does prove dominant, there will be a situation very similar to that in Euroseries: In other words "get a Mercedes car or don't bother".

littleman · 18 Dec 2005, 16:45 (Ref:1486128)

If you look at the performance of the latest Mugen-Honda at both Silverstone and Macau, then I don't think Mercedes are going to have it all their own way.Clearly Carlin are going to receive special attention from NBE, so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a Honda powered car take the title again.Apart from possibly Conway at RR, I don't particularly rate any of the Merc drivers thus far signed. Merc need to help Fortec put a top line driver in one of their cars or they may well get beaten!

EuroF3 · 18 Dec 2005, 16:59 (Ref:1486130)

Well said littleman. I think thats why Kane is with Carlin, Go for it NBE do the Germans!

littleman · 18 Dec 2005, 17:25 (Ref:1486145)

IF i was Mercedes and IF they are available,I'd put someone like Carbone,Watts or Dahlgren in a Fortec car.On his own, Conway will struggle against the likes of Kane,Kimball and Bakkerud driving probably the best sorted Dallara's on the grid.

Go_For_Pole · 18 Dec 2005, 20:06 (Ref:1486199)

It is not very Mercedes-like to leave their teams without excellent drivers, is it?

**bella** · 18 Dec 2005, 21:11 (Ref:1486230)

well everyone's just a customer of mercedes aren't they...

Go_For_Pole · 18 Dec 2005, 22:07 (Ref:1486255)

Hehehe ok, point taken

(then again the cynic in me can imagine Haug loving the idea of RR winning the title)

Pink_penguin · 18 Dec 2005, 22:08 (Ref:1486256)

rumour is Craig Dolby might be making a move to f3...

strider · 19 Dec 2005, 13:28 (Ref:1486678)

A few random facts.

Carlin Motorsport have supplied the title-winning BF3 driver in 2001, 2003 and this year.

None of the teams to have Merc engines next season have ever won the title. That's a little unfair on Raikkonen Robertson Racing, who only started this season with a couple of rookie drivers, but Hitech have been around a few years now, with decent drivers like Watts, Salignon etc., whilst Fortec have been trying much longer without success, despite having had drivers like Montoya, Smith, Kovalainen, Carbone and Rossiter, to name only a handful.

NBE have upped their game and I certainly wouldn't write off Carlin's chances next year.

Freddie · 19 Dec 2005, 13:48 (Ref:1486691)

Littleman, why would Mercedes want to help Fortec over any other team? Surely they just want a mercedes to win the title. Do you know something we don't??

littleman · 19 Dec 2005, 18:12 (Ref:1486842)

No, not at all. It's just that all available seats at RR have already been taken and Fortec have consistently supplied an excellent F3 car for many seasons.Their only weakness, up until now, has probably been their choice of engine.

powerflowmotors · 20 Dec 2005, 19:57 (Ref:1487582)

I've heard that tim bridgeman might be returning for another year, although i doubt he would be with hitech!

Marcel ten Caat · 20 Dec 2005, 21:20 (Ref:1487633)

I thought he was aiming for a ride in the Champ Car Atlantics?

Mr Jinxx · 21 Dec 2005, 10:53 (Ref:1487937)

He did an Atlantic test recently

jondownunder · 23 Dec 2005, 18:34 (Ref:1489414)

I see Italian FRenault and Renault World Series driver Davide Rigon has tested for Carlin.

Emma · 28 Dec 2005, 14:41 (Ref:1490982)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stranger

I thought he was aiming for a ride in the Champ Car Atlantics?

He is. Or BTCC.

bernard_lyon · 1 Jan 2006, 17:59 (Ref:1492928)

Hello, I heard that the British F3 will have a race in Pau in 2006. Do somebody has confirmation of that?
Thanks

jondownunder · 1 Jan 2006, 20:00 (Ref:1492973)

It's certainly on the last calendar I saw, for June 4th (no F3 Euro Series there this year). Not sure if that's been made official yet.

**bella** · 1 Jan 2006, 20:27 (Ref:1492987)

i think it's as official as these things get.

Mygale · 1 Jan 2006, 21:45 (Ref:1493018)

Thats very good news , Pau is a fantastic circuit .

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