The first in a new tier of regional FIA Formula 3 competitions has been confirmed as the F3 Americas Championship, which was unveiled on 19 October at the FIA Formula One United States Grand Prix. The announcement follows the agreement of the World Motor Sport Council in September to the launch of an intermediate single-seater category between Formula 4 and the upcoming Formula 3 International Championship, which will begin in 2019.

The F3 Americas Championship, which will run its first season in 2018, will be recognised by the FIA and sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing in a similar model to the successful FIA Formula 4 championships which are currently held in 12 regions around the world.

The FIA Formula 4 US Championship has been a great success story, with entries consistently increasing since its inaugural 2016 season to see grids in excess of 30 cars in recent races. The addition of F3 Americas will bolster the FIA single-seater pyramid in the region, giving the most talented local junior drivers an ideal next step in their careers.

This new F3 race car will feature an all-new Ligier Crawford chassis, developed by Onroak, and will be powered by a 270-horsepower turbocharged engine (a non-turbocharged version is used in the F4 U.S. Championship).

FIA Director of Single-Seater Championships, Charlie Whiting, said: “It’s great to see that this region has jumped on the concept of an intermediate F3 championship following the huge success of the F4 US Championship. With so many young drivers in the Americas choosing FIA F4, it’s important for them to have another accessible step up in their careers close to home. We are continuing to refine the FIA single-seater pyramid, and in 2019 will have an F3 International Championship which will be the place for the best regional F3 drivers to test their skills on the world stage. Hopefully we will see more F3 regional championships take shape in the near future to help strengthen the ecosystem even further.”

Steve Oseth, Vice President/General Manager of SCCA Pro Racing, said: “SCCA Pro Racing’s introduction of an FIA F3 race series is a great opportunity for our partners and SCCA Pro Racing to reset the current paradigm of open wheel racing in North America. Its introduction, combined with the steps above and below the F3 series, will work to greatly lower the running costs of open-wheel race cars.”