An open-wheel car is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars , stock cars , and touring cars , which have their wheels below the body or inside fenders . Open-wheel cars are built both for road racing and oval track racing . Open-wheel cars licensed for use on public roads ( street legal ), such as the Ariel Atom , are uncommon, as they are often impractical for everyday use.
53-734: The GB3 Championship is a single seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. The championship is the UK's premier single-seater category, and is aimed at young racing drivers moving up from FIA Formula 4 championships, the GB4 Championship or Karting . Having previously been known since 2013 as the BRDC Formula 4 Championship , the championship was renamed the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with
106-545: A carbon-fibre Tatuus chassis equipped with the Halo and is powered by a two-litre normally aspirated 250bhp spec Mountune engine. The MSV-022 meets all the latest FIA Formula 3 safety regulations including side impact panels, front and rear carbon impact structures, wheel tethers and extractable seat. An improved aerodynamic set-up includes a highly adjustable front-wing and two piece rear-wing, and an F1-style front splitter and rear diffuser, and underfloor aerodynamics. It features
159-701: A fifth place at the Monza as his best result. With 21 points Frederick finished fourteenth in the final standings. In 2019 Frederick switched full-time to racing in Europe and was expected to race in the Euroformula Open , but instead competed in British Formula 3 with Carlin . He achieved his first class win on his first weekend at Oulton Park during the second race. Two more third places at Snetterton and Silverstone followed, before he added
212-580: A protection system to the cockpit called the "halo" , a wishbone-shaped frame aimed to deflect debris away from a driver's head. Despite initial criticism, including for the reason of obstructing the driver's vision, it gained some praise in the Formula 2 sprint race in Catalunya when Nirei Fukuzumi spun and had the back of his car land on fellow countryman Tadasuke Makino 's halo. In the 2018 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix , McLaren driver Fernando Alonso
265-429: A race. He also drove an F2000 Championship Series weekend at Mid-Ohio, where he earned pole position and a podium finish. In 2018, Frederick took another shot at U.S. F2000 with Pabst Racing Services . He achieved all his four podium finishes consecutively, at Lucas Oil Raceway , Road America and Toronto , taking three second places and one third place. However, his season was much more inconsistent compared to
318-479: A revolutionary concept which would become the originator and forefather of the single-seater (i.e. monoposto) racecar design. Harroun has also been credited by some as pioneering the rear-view mirror which appeared on his 1911 Indianapolis 500 winning car, though he himself claimed he got the idea from seeing a mirror used for a similar purpose on a horse-drawn vehicle in 1904. Prior to World War II , street automobiles generally had wheels that protruded beyond
371-609: A second victory at Spa-Francorchamps . He failed to make the podium for the last three rounds and ended ninth in the standings. Frederick remained with Carlin in BRDC F3 for 2020, partnering Guilherme Peixoto and Nazim Azman . He started his season in Oulton Park with two wins. At the first Donington Park round, Frederick once again won and also secured a second place. A blip of form followed in Brands Hatch , but
424-674: A six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shift provided by Sadev and fitted with a limited-slip differential, unique to GB3. Pirelli provides both dry and wet tyres to the GB3 Championship. The braking system is supplied by AP Racing and features 4-piston front calipers and floating, grooved and ventilated discs with 2-piston rear caliper and fixed vented rear disc. Twin wishbone suspension with two-way adjustable dampers and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars will provide drivers with plenty of scope for set-up changes. Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race, except
477-580: Is 1,500 kilograms (3,200 lb). Open-wheeled racing is among the fastest in the world. Formula One cars can reach speeds in excess of 360 kilometres per hour (220 mph). At Autodromo Nazionale Monza , Antônio Pizzonia of BMW Williams F1 team recorded a top speed of 369.9 kilometres per hour (229.8 mph) (over 102 m/s) in the 2004 Italian Grand Prix . Since the end of the V10 era in 2006, such high speeds have not been reached, with later vehicles reaching around 360 kilometres per hour (220 mph). It
530-748: Is difficult to give precise figures for the absolute top speeds of Formula One cars as the data are not generally released by teams. The 'speed traps' on fast circuits such as Monza give a good indication, but are not necessarily located at the point on the track where the car is travelling at its fastest. BAR Honda team recorded an average top speed of 400 kilometres per hour (250 mph) in 2006 at Bonneville Salt Flats , with unofficial top speed reaching 413 kilometres per hour (257 mph) using their modified BAR 007 Formula One car. Speeds on ovals can range in constant excess of 210–220 miles per hour (340–350 km/h), and at Indianapolis in excess of 230 miles per hour (370 km/h). In 2000, Gil de Ferran set
583-474: Is expected in covered-wheel racing, as for example in NASCAR. Open-wheeled drivers must be extremely precise to avoid contact. Regulations tend to permit much lower open-wheel car weights than in categories that more closely resemble street-legal vehicles, such as sports , touring , and stock cars . For instance, a Formula One car must weigh at least 798 kilograms (1,759 lb); the minimum weight for NASCAR
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#1732775848361636-642: Is not always the case; some open-wheel categories raced primarily as development or amateur categories, such as Formula Ford or Formula Vee , do not permit the use of wings or ground effect aerodynamics. Some major races, such as the Singapore Grand Prix , Monaco Grand Prix (sanctioned by Formula One) and the Long Beach Grand Prix (sanctioned by IndyCar), are held on temporary street circuits . However, most open-wheel races are on dedicated road courses , such as Watkins Glen in
689-792: The 2024 Super Formula Lights with B-Max Racing . The first round in Autopolis yielded a second-placed podium during the third race. He earned his first pole for the second race in Sugo but struggled for pace and eventually finished fifth. After a scoreless weekend at Fuji Speedway , Frederick drove to his first win in Okayama during the second race, whilst finishing runner-up for the other two races. * Season still in progress. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate points for
742-596: The British GT Championship . The BRDC British Formula Three Championship notably does not use a FIA Formula 3 car, instead using a car based on the Formula 4 specification that is elevated to the pace of F3 cars. The car is designed by Italian manufacturer Tatuus to the F3 safety regulations including side impact panels, front and rear carbon impact structures, wheel tethers and extractable seat. British engine and electronics manufacturer Cosworth provides
795-719: The Monza Circuit the fastest lap in the 2021 Grand Prix ( Daniel Ricciardo 1:24.812) is more than six seconds per lap faster than the fastest closed-wheel racing car, an LMP1 sports car , and more than 20 seconds per lap faster than the DTM touring car lap record. Driving an open-wheel car is substantially different from driving a car with fenders. Virtually all Formula One and IndyCar drivers spend some time in various open-wheel categories before joining either top series. Open-wheel vehicles, due to their light weight, aerodynamic capabilities, and powerful engines, are often considered
848-545: The 2014 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award later in the year. Will Palmer was crowned the 2015, champion after a dominant campaign in which he took 12 victories from the 24 races. His HHC Motorsport teammate Harri Newey finished as runner-up, with Palmer subsequently named as the winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in December. In the first season of BRDC British F3, Matheus Leist secured
901-540: The BRDC F4 moniker, British driver Jake Hughes was the first champion of the series in 2013 , driving for Lanan Racing. The championship top three of Hughes, vice-champion Seb Morris and Charlie Robertson were all finalists in that year's McLaren Autosport BRDC Award . In 2014, George Russell was crowned champion following a dramatic victory in the season finale at Snetterton. Russell beat his Lanan Racing teammate Arjun Maini by just three points and went on to win
954-491: The Indy 500. Compared to covered-wheel race cars, open-wheeled cars allow more precise placement of the front wheels on the race course, as the tires are clearly visible to the driver. This allows the maximum potential of the cars to be achieved during cornering and passing. Furthermore, open-wheeled cars are less tolerant of vehicle-to-vehicle contact, which usually results in vehicle damage and retiring, whereas some level of contact
1007-767: The US, Nürburgring in Germany, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Silverstone in Great Britain. In the United States, some top-level open-wheel events are held on ovals, of both short track and superspeedway variety, with emphasis more on speed and endurance than the maneuverability required for road and street course events. The Whelen Modified Tour is the only opened wheeled race car series endorsed by NASCAR . This series races on most of NASCAR's most famous tracks in
1060-570: The United States. Other asphalt modified series race on short tracks in the United States and Canada, such as Wyoming County International Speedway in New York. The best-attended oval race in the world is the annual Indianapolis 500 (Indy 500) in Speedway, Indiana , sanctioned by IndyCar; in the United States it is quite common to refer to open-wheel cars as IndyCars, because of their recognizable appearance and widespread popularity across America at
1113-696: The Whelen Modified Tour, where the engine is in front of the driver. Depending on the rules of the class, many types of open-wheelers have wings at the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a very low and virtually flat undertray that helps achieve additional aerodynamic downforce pushing the car onto the road. While many other categories of racing cars produce downforce, the top categories of open-wheel racing cars (particularly Formula One and IndyCar ) produce far more downforce relative to their mass than any other racing category, allowing much higher corner speeds on comparable tracks. However, this
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#17327758483611166-917: The backing of the FIA in March 2016. The championship was rebranded to GB3 Championship in August 2021. On 23 March 2016, the FIA and MSA revealed to the FIA World Motor Sport Council that an agreement had been reached the day prior to rebrand the BRDC Formula 4 Championship in order to reflect the increased pace of the new car designed for the 2016 season, and to fill the void left after the British Formula 3 Championship folded in 2014. The series will co-headline seven of eight rounds with
1219-526: The championship in the final weekend of the season, while British driver Lando Norris won three races and was named the winner of the 2016 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in December. Enaam Ahmed claimed the title after a dominant campaign in 2017 which saw him win a total of 13 races. Linus Lundqvist won the championship in 2018, which also saw him claim a prize drive at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona . Subsequent champions were Clement Novalak and Kaylen Frederick , both driving for Carlin. In August 2021
1272-547: The engine and related control electronics for the FA-016. The car also uses a unique Sadev limited slip differential. The cars are around the same pace as the previous FIA F3 specification car used prior to the series folding in 2014. The FIA have previously been stringent with assigning of national F3 status. The Euroformula Open Championship had to drop the F3 moniker due to it using an old specification Dallara F312 Formula 3 car and low specification engine that did not meet
1325-492: The fastest racing vehicles available and among the most challenging to master. Wheel-to-wheel contact is dangerous, particularly when the forward edge of one tire contacts the rear of another tire: since the treads are moving in opposite directions (one upward, one downward) at the point of contact, both wheels rapidly decelerate, torquing the chassis of both cars and often causing one or both vehicles to be suddenly and powerfully flung upwards (the rear car tends to pitch forward, and
1378-607: The first six races, but was nevertheless successful by taking his first single-seater win at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex and three second place finishes. With 474 points, he finished seventh in the championship. Later in the year the American made his U.S. F2000 debut for Pelfrey on the final race weekend at Laguna Seca , becoming the youngest driver to race in the series where he finished thirteenth in both races and ended 24th in
1431-598: The front car tends to pitch backward.) An example of this is the 2005 Chicagoland crash of Ryan Briscoe and Alex Barron . The lower weight of an open-wheel racecar enables better performance. While the exposure of the wheels to the airstream causes a very high aerodynamic drag at high speeds, it allows improved cooling of the brakes, which is important on road courses with their frequent changes of pace. In 2018, several single seater series such as Formula One, Formula 2 (with their new Dallara F2 2018 chassis), and Formula E (with their new Spark SRT05e chassis) introduced
1484-611: The halo. The new car has proven to be around two to three seconds a lap quicker than its predecessor. For 2025 , the series will introduce the Tatuus MSV GB3-025, which will feature "F1-inspired aero", DRS and a new Mountune 2.0L generating 280bhp, among other changes. The Tatuus MSV-022 car is a significantly more powerful car than Formula 4 machinery, with a more sophisticated aerodynamic package and increased downforce which elevates its pace to equivalent to Formula Regional European Championship cars. The car utilises
1537-507: The main body of the car, and thus the open-wheel design became almost exclusively associated with racing vehicles. Formula One cars have almost exclusively used the open-wheel design throughout the history of the championship. The only notable exception was the "Monza body" variation of the Mercedes-Benz W196 racer of 1954–55, which covered the wheels with bodywork for aerodynamic reasons. Modern Formula One regulations mandate
1590-576: The next second Donington round saw the American victorious, which also applied to the next round in Snetterton Circuit . Having been nine points behind championship rival Kush Maini , Frederick's pace skyrocketed for the final two rounds, taking four victories, two each in Donington and Silverstone which allowed him to surpass Maini's points tally. Frederick secured the title during the final race, beating Maini by 51 points. Throughout
1643-529: The one-lap qualifying record of 241.428 miles per hour (388.541 km/h) at California Speedway . Even on tight non-oval street circuits such as the Grand Prix of Toronto , open-wheel Indy Cars attain speeds of 190 miles per hour (310 km/h). Regardless of top speeds, Formula One open-wheel race cars hold the outright lap record at the circuits where they race due to their combination of top speed, acceleration, and cornering abilities. For example, at
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1696-482: The open-wheel configuration. A typical open-wheeler has a minimal cockpit, sufficient only to enclose the driver's body, with the head exposed to the air. In the Whelen Modified Tour and other short track modified series, the driver's head is contained in the car. In modern cars, the engine is often located directly behind the driver and drives the rear wheels; except in asphalt modified cars, such as
1749-435: The post-season test. Frederick switched to Hitech Grand Prix for 2022 , partnering Isack Hadjar and former BRDC F3 teammate Nazim Azman . The American stated that he was "‘more prepared’ for F3 after his toughest year in racing". Frederick qualified in 19th during the opening Bahrain round , and during the first race, charged forward to eighth place and hailing his race as "really positive". Frederick's car stalled on
1802-595: The previous year, and he finished sixth in the final standings with 173 points. Frederick also drove in the first race weekend of the Formula 4 United States Championship in Virginia with the K-Hill Motorsports team, but managed only a retirement, 23rd and 12th in the races. At the end of the season, the American drove for the first time in Europe for two Euroformula Open race weekends with RP Motorsport . He achieved two top ten finishes in four races, with
1855-426: The reverse grid race two, using the following system in 2013: Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race, using the following system since 2014: In the reverse grid races, an extra point is awarded per position gained compared to each drivers' starting position. All champions were British-registered. (As Revelation Series) Single seater American racecar driver and constructor Ray Harroun
1908-548: The safety car, and Frederick received a ten-place grid penalty. He returned to the points for the last time at the Red Bull Ring where he finished seventh in the sprint race, but his feature race was halted due to a broken front wing sustained after fighting Mari Boya . Overall, his season was filled with lost opportunities with incidents limiting his progress such as in Silverstone and Hungary . Frederick ended
1961-566: The season in a disappointing 21st place overall with 11 points, with ART Grand Prix having a tough season as well. In October 2023, Frederick tested an Indy NXT car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with HMD Motorsports . A month later, Frederick partook in the Super Formula Lights post-season test with B-Max Racing at Okayama International Circuit . Frederick would sign a deal to compete in
2014-722: The season, Frederick achieved nine wins and three more podiums. In 2021 Frederick progressed to the FIA Formula 3 Championship . Remaining with Carlin , he was partnered by Ido Cohen and Red Bull Junior Jonny Edgar . Frederick had a solid debut in the championship, achieving a best finish of 17th twice during the first two rounds. During the Austrian round , Frederick claimed his first F3 points after multiple penalties promoted him to ninth place in Race 1. Starting fourth for Race 2, Frederick impressingly maintained his position in
2067-477: The season. During the feature race, Frederick fought over Roman Staněk over fifth place, in which it ended in tears for the American as he sustained a puncture following contact. Frederick's form dipped during the next three rounds, failing to even fight near the points-paying positions thanks to poor qualifying sessions. In Monza , Frederick returned to competing in the top 10, but both races were marred with collisions that led to punctures. Frederick ended 17th in
2120-469: The series was renamed as GB3 Championship ; British racing driver Zak O'Sullivan was the first to win the title under the new name. The following month, MSV announced a new support series would be launched with the GB4 Championship . Shortly after the rebrand, the series announced a new car would be used for 2022, the Tatuus MSV-022, with performance and safety upgrades including the addition of
2173-425: The sprint race also improved his highest finish to fifth. The feature race was less satisfying, he went over the kerbs which damaged his diffuser, and struggled on his way to finish out of the points. In Austria , Frederick improved his qualifying position for a third straight time, securing fifth. Frederick ended in seventh position, having fought off cars. However, that result would prove to be his last points of
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2226-489: The standards set by the FIA's single-seater commission. The granting of the national F3 status to the Tatuus-Cosworth highlights the pace of the car in relation to the FIA's other formula specifications. BRDC British F3 morphed out of the BRDC F4 category, which ran for three seasons before the new car was introduced. The F4 name was operated by the 750 Motor Club before being awarded to MotorSport Vision . Under
2279-547: The standings with 27 points, being outscored massively by Hadjar but beating Azman. In late September, he partook in the post-season test with ART Grand Prix , driving on Day 1 and Day 2 for the French outfit. Frederick moved to ART Grand Prix for his third Formula 3 season in 2023 , partnering single-seater champions Grégoire Saucy and Nikola Tsolov . Frederick started his season in Bahrain with sixth in qualifying, but
2332-561: The standings. He also drove for Pelfrey in the season finale of the F2000 Championship at Virginia International Raceway . He immediately took pole position, but finished seventh in the first race, while failing to finish the second race. The following year Frederick competed full-time in U.S. F2000 with Team Pelfrey . He took his first podiums at Barber Motorsports Park , scoring a pair of second places, after being out bested by Oliver Askew . Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2385-586: The start of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix , Romain Grosjean collided with Daniil Kvyat in which his car broke in two and burst into flames as it split the barrier. The halo helped protect Grosjean from possible decapitation while it allowed him to escape from the fire. Kaylen Frederick Kaylen Frederick (born 4 June 2002) is a German - American race car driver who is currently competing in Super Formula Lights with B-Max Racing Team . He
2438-515: The straight to turn 4 which dropped him to the back, but despite the setback, he managed to climb back into the points in tenth place. Frederick improved to his best F3 finish in Imola , ending in seventh place during the feature race. Frederick qualified in eighth, his best qualifying in F3 yet. He scored good points in the races, finishing seventh and ninth after battling tyre degradation. Having improved his qualifying-best position to seventh, and in
2491-856: The top 5. On lap 11, he made a late dive on Juan Manuel Correa which spun both around, and Frederick retired on the spot. It was later discovered that Frederick suffered a fracture dislocation in his left thumb, causing him to miss Race 3. He missed the Budapest round due to the injury and was substituted by Jake Hughes . He also did not compete in Spa-Francorchamps after testing positive for Covid-19 . He returned in Zandvoort , and achieved 11th place in just his second race on his return. Frederick scored two points, besting out Cohen, who scored 0 points, but got outlasted by Edgar, who scored 23 points. He then tested for Hitech Grand Prix during
2544-410: The vehicle's main body, though they were typically covered with mudguards to protect the car body and following traffic from water and mud spray. With the advent of unibody vehicle construction, the desire to maximise interior space, to improve aerodynamics, and aircraft-inspired styling trends of the era, by the end of the 1950s the majority of new road-registerable vehicles had wheels that were under
2597-605: Was an early pioneer of the concept of a lightweight single-seater, open-wheel "monoposto" racecar. After working as a mechanic in the automotive industry, Harroun began competitive professional racing in 1906, winning the AAA National Championship in 1910. He was then hired by the Marmon Motor Car Company as chief engineer, charged with building a racecar intended to race at the first Indianapolis 500 , which he went on to win. He developed
2650-494: Was positive with a third place finish in the second race, although he would have achieved more without a disqualification from second place in the first race. He scored only two more third places that season at the Toronto Street Circuit and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course . With 240 points he finished fourth in the standings behind Oliver Askew , Rinus VeeKay and Parker Thompson , the highest driver not to win
2703-654: Was sent airborne after being hit from behind by the Renault of Nico Hülkenberg and struck the halo of Sauber driver Charles Leclerc , thereby saving the Monegasque driver from a visor strike. In 2019 , the newly-formed FIA Formula 3 Championship introduced a halo to their new chassis which was unveiled at the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix . In 2020 , the IndyCar Series adopted a halo combined with an aeroscreen, built by Red Bull Advanced Technologies. At
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#17327758483612756-458: Was set back by contact in which he sustained a puncture during the sprint race. In the feature race, he battled tyre degradation but was able to take his first points of the year with seventh. Frederick again scored a point in the Melbourne sprint race, after all three MP Motorsport cars were disqualified. The feature race was not so fortunate for him, as he crashed into teammate Tsolov under
2809-512: Was the last champion of the British Formula 3 Championship in 2020. He previously competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship from 2021 to 2023 . Frederick began his racing career in karting at the age of seven, where he remained active until 2015. In 2016 Frederick switched to formula racing at the age of fourteen, where he competed in the F1600 Championship Series with Team Pelfrey . Due to his age he had to miss
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