The FIA will debut an International Formula 3 series from the 2019 season onwards to complete its redesign of the junior ladder from F4 to F1.

It has been long rumoured by publications such as Autosport that a series may develop to merge the existing GP3 Series and the F3 European Championship before today’s announcement at the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The governing body for motorsport is now searching for providers to develop a one-make chassis and engine, as well as a promoter for the category.

Every car will also be supplied with tyres from one manufacturer.

It is aiming to have a 24-driver grid of eight teams, with a similar calendar to that of F2 of nine or 10 events featuring two races per weekend.

Drivers will compete with a chassis that features a 350-bhp engine, an increase from the 240bhp of F3, but a downgrade of 50bhp from the current specification of Mecachrome GP3 power.

This would be 270 below the standard of the engine in the F2-2018 machinery.

The third rung of the motorsport ladder has been filled by two series since GP3’s maiden season in 2010 before the new European F3 began in place of the former Euro series in 2012.