ATS Formula 3 Cup

Multifaceted Formula 3 field

Despite the generally difficult economic situation, the 2009 ATS Formula 3 Cup grid is an impressive one, with 25 drivers having been entered for the season kick-off held on the Easter weekend at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. So, fans may look forward to witnessing enthralling motor-racing delivered by a multifaceted field.

The grid features drivers from 14 countries, inter alia young guns from exotic nations: the likes of Adderley Fong (China), Rafael Suzuki (Brazil) or Hamad Al Fardan (Bahrain) will have to battle it out with fast drivers from European countries, such as Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium, Austria's Bernd Herndlhofer or German Markus Pommer.

And there will be four new teams on the grid of Germany's fastest single-seater series: Zettl Motorsport from Weng, Bavaria, ArtLine Engineering as well as ZyXEL RRT from Russia – and the Finnish team ADRF. In addition, there are two girl racers who are determined to become more than just a dash of colour: Rahel Frey (Switzerland) and Shirley van der Lof (Netherlands). And don't for get the Hauser brothers from Luxembourg, Garry and David. Altogether, about a third of this year's ATS Formula 3 Cup drivers will be rookies who want to prove that they have got what it takes to succeed in Formula 3.

In the chassis area, the proven Italian Dallara chassis will have to battle it out with ArtLine Engineering's in-house designed Arttech chassis. When it comes to the engines, however, the competition will be clearly tougher as the teams rely on four different designs: Mercedes, Volkswagen, Opel and OPC-Challenge, with Spiess Motorenbau GmbH having been massively and successfully involved when it came to designing the three last-mentioned power units.