British Formula Three Championship - History

History

The first Formula Three championship to take place in the UK was the Autosport F3 championship held in 1951, which was won by Eric Brandon. By 1954, it had evolved into a national-level series and was organised by the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC). This was the 500cc period of Formula Three, which was active in the UK and other countries until 1959, at which point Formula Three was adapted into Formula Junior. In this period, there were often two or three series running concurrently and a single national series had yet to be firmly established. The FIA reintroduced Formula Three in 1964, and there were two F3 championships held in the UK that year, won by Jackie Stewart and Rodney Banting. This was not the last occasion of two or more F3 championships running concurrently in the post-1964 era: from 1970 to 1973, there were three regional series (the Lombard North, John Player, and Forward Trust championships) and there were normally two series between then and 1978. In 1984, the series adopted a B class for competitors with older chassis, which is now known as the National class. From 2011 the National class will be renamed Rookie Championship. In 2011 Formula Three in the United Kingdom will celebrate its 60th anniversary season.