Leading FIA Formula 3 European Championship team Motopark has been left confused by the decision to deny it a place in the new Formula 1 supporting F3 series which launches next year.
The team carried Joel Eriksson and Dan Ticktum to the championship runner-up spot in 2017 and 2018, as well as taking Ticktum to Macau GP glory last year.
Having run a six-car line-up for the 2018 season, Motopark run at least 25% of the field at each round this season.
Despite this the team has not been one of the ten teams selected for the FIA F3 Championship – the list has not yet been officially announced but Motorsport.com broke the news last Friday.
Bruno Michel, the promoter of Formula 2/GP2 and GP3 has taken over the new series which has selected five GP3 teams, three from F3, DTM/Formula E squad HWA and F2‘s Charouz Racing System.
Timo Rumpfkeil, told Motorsport.com: “I would say that after Prema [Powerteam] we would be the second team in F3, and I don’t know on what basis the others got their entry over us – I’ve had no reasons given.
“It’s difficult to follow – in fact it’s not understandable.
“We have been doing F3 now for 10 years, and we have been an integral part of F3, so for us not to be asked to participate in it is a strange decision.”
The other F3 team to not make the cut was Van Amersfoort Racing, and is disappointed to be sidelined.
Having been in the F3 paddock since 2012, the Dutch squad counts Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc amongst its graduates.
VAR CEO Rob Niessink, also told Motorsport.com: “We’ve not been officially informed that we’re definitely out.
“For obvious reasons we would be very disappointed that we’re not involved, especially as we’ve been loyal to all the F3 programmes for so many years in a row and had success with big names now involved in F1.
“We didn’t expect not to be involved, because we are so long in the F3 environment.
“But if we would be offered the opportunity to participate, would we say yes? Yes, for sure.”
In addition to HWA and Charouz, being signed up it is believed the GP3 teams are: ART Grand Prix, Trident, MP Motorsport, Campos Racing and Jenzer Motosport.
This means long time GP3 loyalists Arden International which took Mitch Evans and Daniil Kvyat to the 2012 and 2013 titles misses out.
From Formula 3: Prema, Hitech GP and Carlin have all been chosen.
The line up is expected to be officially announced soon.
