The new Formula 1-supporting Formula 3 championship will limit downforce during races to encourage closer action.

Speaking to the FIA’s Auto magazine F3’s technical director Didier Perrin confirmed drivers will only be allowed to use maximum wing angles during practice and qualifying. “We’re going to limit the downforce of the cars for the races,” he said.

“For free practice and qualifying, the drivers can use the full potential of downforce, but for the race we will reduce it by limiting the angle of the rear wing to make sure the braking distance will be slightly longer.”

The series hopes the changes will improve the quality of racing in the championship while ensuring it provides valuable experience for aspiring F1 drivers.

F3 revealed its new Dallara-designed chassis at the final round of the GP3 championship, which it has replaced. Drivers will still be able to use DRS, but there will no longer be any restrictions on how frequently they can activate it. The new car’s engine is largely unchanged from the 400bhp 3.4-litre Mecachrome V6 used in the GP3/16 chassis.

The new F3 series will appear on the F1 support bill at the Spanish, Monaco, French, Austrian, British, Hungarian, Belgian, Italian and Russian rounds on the 2019 F1 calendar.

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Formula 3