Carlin Motorsport...

[Canadian Formula 3 Championship]

When you look at budgets of any race teams in any formula, the ones that stand out are the most successful teams that usually have the biggest budgets.

Formula 3 in this regard is very similar to Formula 1 in that they are both a free, open-market enterprise. The more money you throw at it, the more likely that you're going to win.

Carlin Motorsport is like the McLaren International of Formula 3 racing. They have the Brabham Team's old wind tunnel and facility, and create their own scale models and spare aero parts.

The cost of such an operation is exorbitant, and this type of extravagance is copied by their rivals; Fortec Motorsport, ASM-ART Grand Prix, Mucke Motorsport, T-Sport, Prema Powerteam.

But the inflated race budgets of these teams racing all across Europe does not apply to this marketplace nor Formula 3 markets in Australia nor Brazil where it's proven to be affordable.

In Europe they do 25+ days of testing right up until the week before Christmas. The logistic and organizer costs to run at circuits like Silverstone, Hockenheim, Valencia, Spa and Monza are huge.

Does anybody in any junior formulas here in North America actually do a real test session at all? And what are the circuit fees to run at a Lime Rock or Mosport Park, very affordable comparatively.

So when people say that it is too expensive to run a Formula 3 car here in North America, I truly wonder if they have sat down to work out the metrics. Because if they did, they would surprise, then correct themselves, then they would buy a Formula 3 car and run one to their own delight.

[KevinFirlein]

uhm, you'd be surprised at how much private testing goes on in junior formula car racing here in the states. And while some tracks are affordable others get real expensive real quick and are still used.

[Franklin Futrelle]

Lots of private testing. i bet the front runnng f1600 teams have at least 5 private days this winter. Usf2000,star mazda prob 10 or more days

[Canadian Formula 3 Championship]

Testing for the drivers or testing to develop the racecar and new parts? I'm sure there is some driver tests going on, whose fast, who wants to pay for the race seat and so on, but how much testing for car development I'm wondering? And what are those costs for car development?

[Wren]

Both, but there is lots of serious car development work going on. Everything from a formula vee and up has spent time in the wind tunnel.

It costs whatever it costs. I heard a rumor of a couple of guys who bought CNC machines so that they could develop their own parts.

[Canadian Formula 3 Championship]

Many different types of racecars have seen the wind tunnel, and there is car development from many manufacturers all the time. This thread is mostly about team budgets and how the huge European team budgets don't apply here because no future North American Formula 3 team will go to the extent of what the European teams do in terms of testing and development. I don't want people here to wrongly look across the pond and think it's too expensive to get involved here.

[Purple Frog]

There is a reason that tracks like Roebling Road are booked 350 days a year.

[Canadian Formula 3 Championship]

cheap circuit costs?...and open to anyone whom wants to track any car. The Euro circuits aren't booked every day all year long, so they whack the teams with big fees for private testing and for big race weekends.

[KevinFirlein]

not to rain on your parade but series dont get to determine team budgets, the competition does. Year 1 is always the cheapest ( after the equipment is bought) as everyone feels each other out. As more cars come, and people get more serious the costs go up. Teams and drivers like to win and they will do and spend what it takes to do so.

[Canadian Formula 3 Championship]

...is my Series slogan so no raining on any parade. I openly welcome the competitive spirit of race participants. But a Series can control some costs with a certain allotment of tires per weekend for instance. Since we will target the used car market with old equipment and technology, there won't be any manufacturer development done on their older generation engines, chassis, electronics, etc. They've all moved on to their current and future product lines. But teams could be another story.