The path to Formula One following in Hamilton's slipstream

At the end of the 2010 season, the Formula 3 Euro Series produced a second Formula One champion in Sebastian Vettel, the youngest Formula One world champion ever. In 2008, ex-Formula 3 Euro Series champion, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, gained motor racing's finest accolade, the Formula One World Championship title. Since its inauguration in the 2003 season, the Formula 3 Euro Series has become a springboard for Formula One.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council intends giving Formula 3 additional kudos with the launch of a new competition - in 2011, six existing Formula 3 events will be replaced by the new FIA International Formula 3 Trophy. The three highest-placed drivers will qualify for a Formula One Super Licence, and perhaps one day will follow in Hamilton's footsteps. In order to be eligible for this new competition, drivers are required to have contested a full season in one of the Formula 3 championship series.