Success in Formula 3 has been a stepping stone to a racing career in higher categories such as GP2, Formula Nippon, or even Formula 1, the top racing series in the world. Different national F3 championships including British F3, F3 Euro Series and Japanese F3 are run with cars defined by a FIA regulation. This international category is very competitive and has produced many grand prix drivers like Jenson Button and Takuma Sato, who both moved from Formula 3 directly up to Formula 1. The 2007 high-profile F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton and Kazuki Nakajima are also Formula 3 graduates.

FIA homologated Formula 3 cars with annual output of more than 5,000, most of which are supplied by Italian chassis constructor Dallara Automobili, are powered by up to 2-litre, in-line 4 tuned engines based on FIA homologated production engines. While limited by 26mm air restrictor, every F3 engine outputs up to around 210 bhp. Different auto makers supply base engines: Honda, Toyota and Nissan for the Japanese F3 championship, and Mercedes and some others for the other national series, which provides the category under the same regulation with variation. Tyres are exclusively supplied by one manufacturer for each series. Use of tyres is controlled in detail series by series.

Leading contenders from each national series compete against each other every year for a world champion in some races such as Marlboro Masters or Macau Grand Prix where a number of exciting battles have been fought. Now that many Japanese drivers have shown impressive performance in these world championships Formula 3 attracts more attention in Japan as well as from Europe.

Formula 3 was born in UK in the same year as Formula 1 was in 1950. Launched in 1979 the Japanese Formula 3 championship celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Almost all the national Formula 3 series currently adopt 2-races system per race weekend so that young drivers accumulate experiences through as many races as possible.

With the new national class in which a generation older machines than those for the All-Japan championship class and one-make engines will be used to allow contenders to race at low costs on the same grid the Japanese F3 championship will see more exciting series in 2008.

The standard of racing drivers the Japanese F3 championship produces has been improved year by year to a world-class level. We are very proud that the championship has grown to one of the leading race categories in Japan.