The FIA has established a new Formula 3 International Trophy for the 2011 season, encompassing classic events such as the Pau and Macau street races.
Drivers registered for the various national F3 series will be able to score in the new international contest, which will use the Formula 1-style 25-18-15-etc top 10 points system. The top three drivers in the final classification will qualify for the superlicense required for F1, putting the F3 International Trophy on a par with Formula 2.
The six-round championship will include the revived Pau Grand Prix on the French street circuit on May 22, a race at Hockenheim on a currently unspecified date, the British F3 event supporting the Spa 24 Hours sports car race on July 31, the traditional Zandvoort Masters event on Aug. 14, plus Macau (Nov. 20) and its new end-of-season partner event at Korean Grand Prix venue Yeongam on Nov. 27.
An FIA statement said the series was being created "in order to further increase the appeal of Formula 3 and to help develop the careers of young aspirant racing drivers and engineers."
F3 has been hit by competition from new series such as GP3 in recent years, with grids in the F3 Euro Series rarely exceeding 13 cars this season – although the British F3 Championship attracted larger fields, and lower-level F3 series have continued in Germany Italy, Japan and Spain.