USGP loses F3 season finale to Sochi

Formula 3’s season finale will no longer be held at the United States Grand Prix and will instead take place in Russia later this month for logistical reasons.

The FIA junior category was due to race at Austin's Circuit of The Americas for the first time as a support event for the grand prix, ending the season after this weekend’s penultimate round at Zandvoort. However, with heavy restrictions being applied to the traveling paddock in terms of numbers and access, the F3 race organizers say the race has become unfeasible.

“This modification of the calendar has been agreed by all stakeholders following unavoidable logistical changes that heavily impacted the overall costs of the planned Austin event for F3,” a statement read.

Instead, the final rounds will now take place in support of the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi later this month, meaning a much earlier end to the championship as the race weekend is held from September 24-26.

F3 will join Formula 2 in racing at Sochi Autodrom, marking the first time this year that both categories have raced together following a restructuring of the race weekends to involve three races.

“I want to thank F1 and the FIA, our teams and everyone involved, including the Sochi promoters, for agreeing on such short notice to this change,” FIA Formula 3 CEO Bruno Michel said. “We are pleased to bring our two categories to Russia again, but I am also sorry for not taking F3 to Austin this year, and I’m looking forward to racing there in the future.”

Formula 1 insists the F3 situation has now impact on plans to host the F1 race at COTA, despite ongoing conversations regarding the numbers of traveling personnel.