Why GP3 is the best series you are not watching right now

"Filip Lewicki" (fil-lewicki) 08/23/2015 at 21:16 • Filed to: Racing, Spec, Formula, GP3, Jann Mardenborough

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GP3 is the best racing series you are not watching right now. (Photo Credit: GP3 Media)

Forget Formula 1, forget IndyCar and NASCAR, and forget WRC. For sheer drama and excitement, you can’t beat GP3.

I recently stumbled upon this series while waiting for the Belgian Grand Prix to start. Like the GP2 series races that often air before an F1 race, GP3 is a support series meant as a feeder for GP2 and ultimately, F1. The set up is also similar to GP2 in that there are two races per Grand Prix weekend, with a 40-minute feature race, followed by a sprint race with a reversed 8th through 1st starting grid. ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

The excitement comes in when you realize we’re dealing with teenagers in control of 400HP machines all vying to get noticed and get F1 exposure. This leads to close racing and plenty of situations when ego overcomes talent.

For example, at the start of the sprint race, driver #16, Aleksander Bosak, locks up a tire going into La Source. Two laps later, that tire blows out, sending him into a slide at Blanchimont. His right rear goes into the safety barriers, removing his wheel and gearbox. That loose wheel collects another driver, leading to a safety car release.

After two laps, the race is restarted, only to see another driver, Antonio Fuoco, lose control, spin out, and collect championship contender Marvin Kirchhöfer (2nd in overall points) on the way off track. This triggered the safety car again.

(Ignore the title of this video. It’s incorrect based on the car numbers)

At this point, it’s starting to look like the safety car will spend as much time on track as the formula cars.

The crashes are just a by product though. Since this is a feeder series, we get to watch a bunch of up-and-coming talent before they get famous. The racing is as close as you would expect from a spec series, and passing is refreshingly aggressive. If like me, you are underwhelmed by the amount of passing in F1, GP3 packs in an F1 season’s worth of passing in one weekend.

We also get to watch a Mr. Jann Mardenborough from endurance racing fame hone his skills in his spare time. Fun stuff, although he did have an off in the feature race.

That said, GP3 is super difficult to find in the US right now. Unless you have an international EuroSport subscription for their online video service, I am not familiar of any other way to watch it legally in the States. If anyone knows otherwise, please let us know in the comments below. It is well worth watching, even if it’s just while you wait for the F1 Grand Prix coverage to begin.

iTalaber > Filip Lewicki 08/24/2015 at 12:18

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As a consolation prize you can watch the GP2 series in the US, which is just as exciting as GP3 appears to be. Living in the US, I wish I had access to GP3 to help offset the dullness of the Mercedes 1-2 at Spa.

Vari > Filip Lewicki 08/24/2015 at 13:23

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funny how Fuoco’s car caught fire!

(in italian “fuoco” means “fire”)

Roggie2499 > Filip Lewicki 08/24/2015 at 15:04

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I have no idea what the announcers are saying, but I heard one say “Mamma mia” and I laughed.

ncasolowork2 > iTalaber 08/24/2015 at 15:32

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GP2 tends to be a snooze fest compared to F1

Filip Lewicki > iTalaber 08/24/2015 at 22:11

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I usually do catch the GP2 race before F1 comes on, and I was happy watching that, thinking that there was so much more action compared to F1. I was looking for the GP2 race when I stumbled on this, and it makes GP2 look like a parade.

nuke-guy > Filip Lewicki 08/25/2015 at 10:36

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Why is this the best series that we aren’t watching? Oh yeah!

IT'S NOT BROADCASTED ON CABLE TELEVISION!

homebrewED > ncasolowork2 08/25/2015 at 11:15

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You have those two backwards...

Filip Lewicki > nuke-guy 08/25/2015 at 16:55

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Yeah, but that hasn’t stopped us before has it ;) I don’t get WRC on cable TV either.