Francis Murac (France) is the Chairman of the Stewards of the meeting giving him the role of judge of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. His job is to see that sanctions are handed down in accordance with the facts that are brought to his attention. As he is following the whole championship, he can be totally objective while taking into account the history of the drivers’ and teams’ behavior. “When we have to carry out an investigation the most important thing is to talk to the people involved. Then we have to interpret what’s happened, as each situation is different. That’s why it’s crucial to officiate for the whole season. But it’s never a good when you have to convoke the same people frequently.”

 

Sven Stoppe (Germany) is the Race Director. First of all, he talks to the drivers during the briefing every weekend. Then it’s up to him (with the help of the stewards) to make sure that the rules are respected out on the track. “I love working with the young drivers in Formula 3 as we have to play the role of teacher with them. We have to instill the right way to behave out on the track whether it’s obeying the flags, respecting the racing line or overtaking,” explains Stoppe. “It’s a good sign when you see drivers who have raced in Formula 3 behaving well in the upper echelons. It means that they’ve learned with us.” 

 

Finally, scrutineering is just as rigorous. Robert Basset (Great Britain), the FIA Technical Delegate, has a specific structure at his disposal to carry out investigations with his three assistants. After each qualifying session and each race the technical department selects the cars to be checked at random: various parts are then measured and sealed or removed if necessary. “I’ve been involved in the world of single-seaters for many years,” says Basset. “First of all I was on the other side of the fence working with the teams. Now I’ve been the F3 technical delegate for several years so I know these cars inside out, which is very important in this job. First of all we put our equipment at the teams’ disposal so that they check their compliance, in particular concerning weight and the wings. Then we have to be vigilant and not let anything through.” 

 

With twenty cars in the same second after the first free practice sessions and qualifying, the officials will keep a weather eye open at Monza and elsewhere. This organization should lead to a season that will be as fair as it will be exciting so that the best will be able to display their talent.