October
26, 2003 (prplus)
KOREA
SET TO HOST SPECTACULAR FORMULA
3 SEASON-CLOSER
South
Korea will once again be the venue for the international Formula
3 season closer, as the 3.014km Changwon Circuit plays host
to the fifth running of the International Formula 3 Korea
Super Prix from November 21 to 23, 2003.
Topping
the sterling entry are the sons of two former Formula One
world champions, Nelson Piquet Junior and Nico Rosberg, son
of Keke, who will do battle with the cream of young single
seater drivers for the final title of the season.
Both
newcomers to the unique South Korean street circuit, Piquet
is entered by the Hitech Racing team, while Rosberg joins
the winning Carlin Motorsport team, along with 2000 Korean
champion, India's Narain Karthikeyan, and Alvaro Parente of
Portugal. Karthikeyan has been competing in the Dallara Nissan
World Series this year and, with his knowledge of the track,
should be a front-runner.
Piquet,
who took pole position in the fiercely-contested Masters F3
international event in August this year, eventually finishing
a superb second, is already following in the footsteps of
his three times F1 world championship winner father and has
a test drive lined up for BMW Williams in December.
Also
driving for Hitech Racing is Richard Antinucci of the USA
who finished 7th last year in Korea and makes a welcome return
having finished fourth in the British F3 Championship this
year. Joining him is Andrew Thompson of the UK, making his
Korean debut.
Newly
crowned Japanese F3 series champion James Courtney also returns
to the demanding Changwon circuit. Having finished 14th overall
last year in Korea, the Briton will be looking to make his
mark at the event in 2003.
Other
drivers returning this year are Renault Development Driver
Fabio Carbone of Brazil, who just missed out on a podium finish
in 2002, and César Campanico of Portugal, both driving
with the French Signature Plus squad. Joining them is quick
Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre, in the third Dallara F302.
Italian
Paulo Montin makes a welcome return to Korea in the Three
Bond Racing Dallara F303 Nissan-Tomei.
Manor
Motorsport fields a man hotly tipped as a future star - Lewis
Hamilton of Britain. Hamilton has been backed by McLaren-Mercedes
for several years because of his talent, and has dominated
the Formula Renault series in the UK this year. Partnering
Hamilton will be one of three Korean entries. Soon Ho will
compete in his first Formula 3 event, having raced in Formula
1800.
The
other Korean entries are Jin Woo Hwang, partnering Katuyuki
Hiranaka with the Prema Powerteam, and Gene Lee with Docking
Racing.
Since
it first ran in 1999, the International Formula 3 Korea Super
Prix has done much to increase the profile of motorsport in
South Korea, and has once again attracted substantial support
from both national and international corporations. Kumho Tires,
official tire supplier to the Formula 3 Euroseries and a long-time
supporter of its home event, is once again Official Tire Supplier
to the Super Prix. Other major corporations giving their backing
to the event are Daewoo Engineering & Construction, GM
Daewoo, BAT Korea, Posco Engineering & Construction, and
SK Engineering & Construction amongst others. Hyundai
Oilbank is the Official Fuel Supplier.
Last
year an estimated 62,000 spectators turned out to watch the
race, and it was broadcast to over 370 million television
viewers worldwide
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