1999 British Formula Three Championship

The 1999 British Formula Three season was the 49th British Formula Three Championship season. It commenced on 21 March, and ended on 17 October after sixteen races. Marc Hynes was the champion, although the season is best remembered for 19-year-old future F1 champion Jenson Button marking himself out as one to watch. Martin O'Connell took the spoils in Class B.

Drivers and teams

The following teams and drivers were competitors in the 1999 season. Class B is for older Formula Three cars.

Team	No	Driver	Chassis	Engine	Rounds
Class A
Stewart Racing	1	Luciano Burti	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Stewart Racing	2	Andrew Kirkaldy	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Fortec Motorsport	3	Matt Davies	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Fortec Motorsport	4	Kristian Kolby	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Promatecme UK	5	Aluizio Coelho	Dallara F399	Renault Sodemo	All
Promatecme UK	6	Jenson Button	Dallara F399	Renault Sodemo	All
Alan Docking Racing	7	Yudai Igarashi	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	1–15
	7	Warren Hughes	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	16
	8	Alex Yoong	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	3–6
	8	Doug Bell	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	7–14
SpeedSport F3	9	Toby Scheckter	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
SpeedSport F3	10	Warren Carway	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Carlin Motorsport	12	Narain Karthikeyan	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Carlin Motorsport	14	Michael Bentwood	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
S.S. Sport	15	Tim Spouge	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	All
S.S. Sport	16	Doug Bell	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	1–3
Manor Motorsport	17	Marc Hynes	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Manor Motorsport	18	Tor Sriachavanon	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	All
Graff Racing	19	Alex Yoong	Dallara F399	Mugen-Honda	9
ASM	20	Sebastien Dumez	Dallara F399	Renault Sodemo	14
	21	Tiago Monteiro	Dallara F399	Renault Sodemo	14
	22	Julien Beltoise	Dallara F399	Renault Sodemo	14
JB Motorsports	23	Walter van Lent	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
JB Motorsports	24	Yves Olivier	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
Prema Powerteam	25	Peter Sundberg	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
	26	Juan Manuel López	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
	27	Giorgio Pantano	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
Opel Team BSR	28	Christijan Albers	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
Opel Team BSR	29	Patrick Friesacher	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
RC Benetton	30	Gabriele Varano	Dallara F399	Opel Spiess	14
Class B
Rowan Racing	51	Martin O'Connell	Dallara F398	TOM'S-Toyota	1–7, 10–16
	51	Stephen Shanly	Dallara F398	TOM'S-Toyota	8–9
	52	Gavin Jones	TOM'S 037F	TOM'S-Toyota	6, 8–9
	52	Charles Hall	Dallara F398	TOM'S-Toyota	13–14
Carlin Motorsport	54	John Bender	Dallara F398	Mugen-Honda	3–5, 8–9, 11–16
SpeedSport F3	57	John Ingram	Dallara F398	Mugen-Honda	8–9
SpeedSport F3	57	Nick Eliades	Dallara F398	Mugen-Honda	13–16
JSR	75	Jeremy Smith	Dallara F398	Opel Spiess	1–8, 10
Diamond Racing	77	Takuma Sato	Dallara F398	Mugen-Honda	9–12, 14–16

Entries 20-30 were regular entrants in other European Formula Three Championships, and only competed at the round at Spa-Francorchamps. They were eligible to score points.

Driver changes

Changed Teams

Michael Bentwood: Speedsport → Carlin Motorsport
Warren Carway: Rowan Racing → SpeedSport F3
Marc Hynes: Promatecme UK → Manor Motorsport
Tiago Monteiro: Signature Team → ASM Fina
Peter Sundberg Venturini Racing → Prema Powerteam

Entering/Re-Entering British Formula 3

Julien Beltoise: Championnat de France Formule Renault & Formula Renault Europe (Mygale) → Fortec Motorsport
John Bender: British Formula Renault Winter Championship (Manor Motorsport) → Carlin Motorsport
Jenson Button: British Formula Ford Championship (Haywood Racing) → Promatecme UK
Doug Bell: British Formula Renault Championship & Formula Renault Europe (Manor Motorsport) → S.S. Sport
Aluizio Coelho: British Formula Renault Championship (Manor Motorsport) → Promatecme UK
Matthew Davies: Championnat de France Formule Renault & Formula Renault Europe (Mygale) → ASM Fina
Nick Eliades: Debut → SpeedSport F3
Patrick Friesacher: Formula Renault Campus France → Opel Team BSR
Charles Hall: Sabbatical → Rowan Racing
Gavin Jones: British Formula Renault Championship (Haywood/Eiger) → Rowan Racing
Andrew Kirkaldy: Formula Opel Europe → Paul Stewart Racing
Walter van Lent: Formula Ford Zetec Benelux → JB Motorsport
Juan Manuel López: Sabbatical → Prema Powerteam
Yves Olivier: German Formula Three Championship (JB Motorsport) → JB Motorsport
Giorgio Pantano: Karting → Target Racing
Toby Scheckter: Formula Opel Europe → SpeedSport F3
Takuma Sato: All-Japan Formula Three Championship (Dome Project) → Diamond Racing
Stephen Shanly: Debut → Rowan Racing
Jeremy Smith: Debut → Jeremy Smith Racing
Tor Sriachavanon: British Formula Renault Championship (Manor Motorsport) → Manor Motorsport
Gabriele Varano: Sabbatical → RC Motorsport

Leaving British Formula 3

Enrique Bernoldi: Promatecme UK → International Formula 3000 (Red Bull Junior/RSM Marko)
Mark Boost: Speedsport → British Formula Renault Championship (Haywood)
Sébastien Bourdais: La Filière → French Formula Three Championship (La Filière)
Ben Collins: Intersport Racing → Indy Lights (Johansson Motorsports)
David Cook: DC Cook Motorsport → Retirement
Paula Cook: DC Cook Motorsport → British Touring Car Championship (DC Cook Motorsport)
Marcel Fässler: La Filière → German Formula Three Championship (Bemani F3 Team)
Gabriele Gardel: Team Ghinzani → German Formula Three Championship (KMS Benetton Junior Team)
Mario Haberfeld: Paul Stewart Racing → International Formula 3000 (West Competition)
Steve Hayr: Tarry Falcon Racing → Retirement
Warren Hughes: Portman Arrows Racing → MGF Cup
Mike Kirkham: Speedsport → Retirement
Darren Manning: Speedsport → All-Japan Formula Three Championship (TOM'S)
Ricardo Mauricio: Alan Docking Racing → International Formula 3000 (Super Nova Racing)
Lei Kit Meng: Carlin Motorsport → Sabbatical
Andrej Pavicevic: Fortec Motorsport → International Formula 3000 (Fortec Motorsport)
Mikael Santavirta: Alan Docking Racing → Sabbatical
Philip Scifleet: Rowan Racing → Sabbatical
Topi Serjala: Portman Arrows Racing → Formula Palmer Audi
Jamie Spence: Martin Donnelly Racing → Euro Open MoviStar by Nissan (Glückmann Racing)
Benoît Tréluyer: Signature → French Formula Three Championship (Signature)
Stephen White: Tarry Falcon Racing → Sabbatical
Adam Wilcox: TOM'S → Formula Palmer Audi

Results

Round	Circuit	Date	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Winning driver	Winning team	Class B Winner
1	Donington Park	21 March	Jenson Button	Marc Hynes	Marc Hynes	Manor Motorsport	Jeremy Smith
2	Silverstone	28 March	Kristian Kolby	Kristian Kolby	Marc Hynes	Manor Motorsport	Martin O'Connell
3	Thruxton	11 April	Andrew Kirkaldy	Luciano Burti	Jenson Button	Promatecme UK	Martin O'Connell
4	Brands Hatch	25 April	Narain Karthikeyan	Narain Karthikeyan	Luciano Burti	Stewart Racing	Martin O'Connell
5	Brands Hatch	25 April	Narain Karthikeyan	Narain Karthikeyan	Narain Karthikeyan	Carlin Motorsport	Martin O'Connell
6	Oulton Park	3 May	Luciano Burti	Luciano Burti	Luciano Burti	Stewart Racing	Martin O'Connell
7	Croft	6 June	Marc Hynes	Luciano Burti	Marc Hynes	Manor Motorsport	Martin O'Connell
8	Brands Hatch	20 June	Luciano Burti	Narain Karthikeyan	Narain Karthikeyan	Carlin Motorsport	John Bender
9*	Silverstone	10 July	Marc Hynes	Jenson Button	Marc Hynes	Manor Motorsport	Takuma Sato
10	Snetterton	25 July	Luciano Burti	Luciano Burti	Luciano Burti	Stewart Racing	Martin O'Connell
11	Pembrey	15 August	Kristian Kolby	Jenson Button	Kristian Kolby	Fortec Motorsport	Martin O'Connell
12	Pembrey	15 August	Jenson Button	Jenson Button	Jenson Button	Promatecme UK	Martin O'Connell
13	Donington Park	5 September	Marc Hynes	Marc Hynes	Marc Hynes	Manor Motorsport	John Bender
14	Spa-Francorchamps	26 September	Jenson Button	Christijan Albers	Luciano Burti	Stewart Racing	Takuma Sato
15	Silverstone	10 October	Luciano Burti	Jenson Button	Jenson Button	Promatecme UK	Takuma Sato
16	Thruxton	17 October	Luciano Burti	Kristian Kolby	Luciano Burti	Stewart Racing	Martin O'Connell

Round 9 was held as part of the British Grand Prix weekend, and was thus held on a Saturday

Standings

Pos	Driver	DON	SIL	THR	BRH		OUL	CRO	BRH	SIL	SNE	PEM		DON	SPA	SIL	THR	Pts
Class A
1	Marc Hynes	1	1	3	3	6	10	1	4	1	2	6	4	1	2	3	4	213
2	Luciano Burti	3	3	Ret	1	3	1	2	2	3	1	3	8	3	1	DSQ	1	209
3	Jenson Button	2	6	1	8	7	5	Ret	6	2	11	2	1	2	4	1	Ret	168
4	Kristian Kolby	5	2	4	7	13	2	12	7	4	4	1	3	6	3	5	2	153
5	Matt Davies	Ret	5	5	Ret	4	3	14	5	6	3	5	2	8	Ret	2	6	113
6	Narain Karthikeyan	4	Ret	Ret	2	1	13	3	1	5	7	12	7	Ret	12	6	Ret	104
7	Andrew Kirkaldy	9	7	2	Ret	16	4	11	3	12	Ret	8	11	5	9	7	Ret	64
8	Michael Bentwood	7	Ret	8	6	8	8	7	10	9	Ret	4	5	9	13	15	Ret	50
9	Aluizio Coelho	8	Ret	9	11	10	7	5	8	NS	Ret	13	Ret	13	5	4	9	45
10	Tim Spouge	10	Ret	10	13	11	9	4	Ret	8	8	11	6	7	11	Ret	5	42
11	Alex Yoong			6	5	2	6			11								37
12	Toby Scheckter	Ret	10	11	9	12	14	Ret	12	7	Ret	10	12	4	10	NS	7	27
13	Doug Bell	6	8	Ret				9	11	10	6	Ret	Ret	10	14			22
14	Tor Sriachavanon	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	18	6	9	14	Ret	7	9	Ret	Ret	12	12	17
15	Yudai Igarashi	11	9	NS	10	9	12	8	Ret	13	Ret	NS	NS	Ret	20	10		14
16	Warren Hughes																3	12
17	Warren Carway	12	11	13	Ret	Ret	15	Ret	Ret	15	9	Ret	13	11	Ret	11	13	7
18	Yves Olivier														6			6
19	Tiago Monteiro														7			4
20	Julien Beltoise														8			3
21	Christijan Albers														25			1
22	Giorgio Pantano														15			0
23	Walter van Lent														16			0
24	Juan Manuel López														17			0
25	Patrick Friesacher														21			0
26	Peter Sundberg														23			0
27	Gabriele Varano														24			0
	Sebastien Dumez														Ret			0
Class B
1	Martin O'Connell	Ret	4	7	4	5	11	10			5	9	10	Ret	19	9	8	241
2	John Bender			Ret	14	14			13	18		15	14	12	Ret	13	10	140
3	Jeremy Smith	13	12	12	15	15	17	13	16		NS							111
4	Takuma Sato									16	10	14	Ret		18	8	11	103
5	Gavin Jones						16		14	17								45
6	Nick Eliades													14	Ret	14	14	35
7	Stephen Shanly								15	19								22
8	Charles Hall													Ret	22			12
9	John Ingram								Ret	20								8
Pos	Driver	DON	SIL	THR	BRH		OUL	CRO	BRH	SIL	SNE	PEM		DON	SPA	SIL	THR	Pts

Points System: 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 for first 10 finishers, with 1 point awarded for fastest lap.

References

https://web.archive.org/web/20050414124527/http://www.motorsport.com/news/series.asp?S=BF3&Y=1999