For the FIA Historic Motor Sport Commission, the key idea of launching this Formula 3 European Cup – deliberately focussed on just one event – was to establish a great celebration of a single-seater category which held a centre-stage role in motor sport, both at a national and international level, and which had a major impact on the career of many leading drivers.

The chassis constructors and the engine suppliers involved in Formula 3 were numerous in the seventies and eighties and this variety will be reflected in the first major international gathering of historic Formula 3 cars in Zandvoort, the Netherlands next September. With registration closed three months before the event, the list of competitors totals 35 cars, including no less than nine different makes of chassis: Ralt, March, Chevron, and Martini will be, just like in the old days, the most represented, but the grid will also include an Argo, a Brabham, a Safir, a Lola and a GRD. Among them will be some examples made famous by the upstarts who drove them at the time with such brilliance that they rocketed to the top, be it in F1 or in CART. Thus, the start line will see an ex-Senna/Berger Ralt RT3, an ex-Patrese Chevron B34, an ex-de Angelis Chevron B38 and the Ralt RT3 that was driven to victory by Ross Cheever in the British Championship round that was held in Zandvoort in 1984. As for the engines, the variety will also be large: the Toyota engine will be the most present in numerical terms, but several single-seaters will also have Alfa Romeo or VW engines, and two of the oldest will even be mounted with one made by Ford.

As is typical for any international celebration, this new European Cup will gather drivers from different horizons, all active in championships or national series dedicated to historic F3. Nine nationalities will be represented among the 35 registered drivers. Ten Germans will take on the eight British, five French, four Italians, three Danes, two Monegasques, one Luxembourger, one Belgian and one Swiss.

The FIA Historic Formula 3 European Cup will be contested from Friday, 31 August to Sunday, 2 September as part of the ever-popular Zandvoort Historic Grand Prix. The drivers will be on the track on four different occasions, starting with a free practice session, followed by one qualifying session and two races. The Cup is divided into two categories, the first one being reserved for cars from 1971 to 1978, and the second from 1979 to 1984. This same Zandvoort Historic Grand Prix will also serve as the basis for the legs of the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship, the FIA Masters Historic Sports Car Championship and the FIA Lurani Trophy for Formula Junior Cars.

To consult the list of entrants in the FIA Historic F3 European Cup click here.