By: Paolo the Ferrarista’s Portuguese cousin

We find it hard to believe GP3 Series is now entering what will essentially be its farewell season, it’s not the end of the world as we know it. Still, I’m sure it’ll create a large hole in the single-seater ladder, with the World Series Formula V8 3.5 (phew! what a long and weird name for the former WSR, aka World Series by Renault) dead and gone, young talent will hafta either go down (or up, hopefully up and not down and out) the traditional Formula 3 – Formula 2 route or bite the electric bullet and join the “slowsters”, Formula E via electric karting and electric GT.

Note: nothing wrong with Formula E, it’s just the speeds are not very impressive for a global single-seater championship, it’s quite obvious live (take Tony’s word for it) and from the sofa watching it on the telly. I guess their new generation vehicle will be a shade faster.

Back to GP3.

I will look back fondly on past GP3 sights and sound: the lawnmower Renault-engined turbo-charged flame spitting 2010-2010 chassis, real eye candy; the monstrous AER-powered 2013-2015 machine, most likely my favourite GP3 car; the undisputed master of Mecachrome sound, 2016-2018 car, also known as the GP3/16, it breaks my petrolic heart to see it disappear for good.

The series has produced a whole bunch of F1 stars, FE stars, a Whelen Euro Series NASCAR test driver and at the same time a Ferrari development driver in 2018. #WinkWinkDK

GP3 Hall of Famers. Screen grab: http://www.gp3series.com/Guide-to/The-Series3/

GP3 Hall of Fame is pretty impressive in my book (and I’m bigger than Mark Twain, too bad you don’t know it): Esteban Gutiérrez, Valtteri Bottas, Mitch Evans, Daniil Kvyat, Alex Lynn, Esteban Ocon,  Charles Leclerc!

With only three drivers confirmed so far in 2018, we reckon the great TBA will be the last GP3 champion on planet Earth.

Please now take a few light years to enjoy our GP3-related posts since 2012: CLICK HERE!