F3000 The rise of a new force

Formula 3000, which started 40 years ago, was a gateway to F1 stardom. To coincide with the launch of a new book celebrating its history, author James Newbold looks back over the glory years

- James Newbold

Sustainability wasn't the buzzword in 1984 that it is today. But there was a growing consensus that Formula 2 couldn't go on as it was. Added to unpalatable costs, the crushing domination of Ron Tauranac's Ralt-Hondas following BMW's withdrawal of support for its aged engines left nobody in doubt that change was needed.

That's certainly what Formula 3000 provided. Although reigning F2 champion Mike Thackwell in a works Ralt converted pole to victory in the inaugural race (another 205 would follow by its 2004 conclusion) at Silverstone in 1985, that didn't tell the full story of F3000's maiden season.

Few would have predicted Christian Danner's eventual coup in a customer March entered by BS Automotive, not least because the German had never previously won a single-seater race. But small, even unfashionable teams outmanoeuvring better-funded rivals became an F3000 trend. Ivan Capelli's Genoa Racing team began 1986 without the money in place to finish it, while Bromley Motorsport looked nobody's idea of champion material during a pointless 1987 before storming to glory with Roberto Moreno in 1988.

After Ralt's steamroller of 1984, unpredictability was a welcome calling card in F3000. Not until 1993 would a team become a repeat title-winner, as multiple manufacturers enjoyed periods in the limelight. As a rule of thumb, with the odd exception, the playing field was far more even than in F2's dying days.

"The less complex technology in them [without ground effect] made it easier for teams to get to a good car," says Onyx Racing boss Mike Earle. Another vital consideration was the engine parity provided by F3000's original 3-litre V8 soundtrack.

What's in a name?