In the 2013 season, the race calendar of the planet’s most competitive young-gun series will comprise 10 race weekends in six European countries. The season will be kicked off as early as on 23 and 24 March in Italy, with the season finale (26-27 October) being held in France. The hopeful Formula 3 talents will race in the,support programme of WTCC, WEC and DTM races at tradition-rich motor-racing venues that always are attended by big crowds. In spring, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship will race at the prestigious Formula 1 circuits of Monza (Italy), Silverstone (UK) and Hockenheim (Germany). The following race weekends are held at Brands Hatch (UK), Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring (Austria), Nuremberg’s Norisring (Germany), the Nürburgring (Germany), Zandvoort (Netherlands) and – a second time – the Hockenheimring. Afterwards, the season will be completed with the season finale at the Circuit Paul Ricard (France), on the last round of the French GT Tour.

The race weekend will begin for the young drivers as early as on Friday – with two 40 minute practice sessions. In addition, they will contest two 20-minute qualifying sessions to battle it out for the grid positions for the three 35-minute races. Two of the three races will be held on Saturday - and on Sunday, in round three, the young guns will again fight for valuable championship points that are awarded according to the Formula 1 scoring system. A total track time of about four hours per weekend offers the young drivers the chance of gathering a lot of experience at the wheel of their single-seaters and consistently improving their cooperation with the teams at the same time.

Although the number of allowed days of testing remains limited for cost-reduction reasons, the teams and drivers involved are provided extensive testing opportunities. From 8 to 9 March, the rivals will meet for the first time for two days of testing in Spain, at Barcelona’s GP circuit. And just a few days prior to the season kick-off, from 18 to 19 March, the up-and-coming stars will have the chance of familiarising themselves with Monza, the venue of the Italian GP and the FIA Formula 3 European Championship season kick-off. In addition, there will be another two-day test during the season and the teams and drivers may contest six individual days of testing.

The 2013 race calendar at a glance:

Pre-season tests 2013:

Race weekends 2013*:

*Subject to approval by the ASN and the FIA WMSC.