Formula 3 — officially the FIA Formula 3 Championship — is the third tier of the FIA's single-seater ladder, sitting one step below Formula 2 and forming the first rung most future Formula 1 drivers climb. It has run in its current form since 2019, when the old GP3 Series merged with the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
It is a strict spec series: every team runs an identical Dallara chassis and the same naturally aspirated Mecachrome 3.4-litre V6 (around 380 hp), so results reward the driver rather than the budget behind the car. Because the machinery is fixed, raw talent and racecraft decide who moves up.
Formula 3 races as a support category on selected Formula 1 and Formula 2 weekends, giving young drivers a taste of the biggest stages in the sport. For how it compares with the tiers above it, see the F1, F2 and F3 ladder.