Apex Ladder

Junior single-seaters, lights on

Formula 3 racing in Asia

An independent guide to the ladder from karting to Formula 1, how a Formula 3 car works, the circuits of Asia and how to start in single-seater racing yourself.

Climb the ladderGo to the guides
Red and white light trails sweeping through a floodlit corner of a race track at night

Every Formula 1 driver once sat in a junior car on a circuit like the ones in this guide. We explain how that ladder works, from the first kart to the last rung, without results, rumours or sales talk.

Sector times

The ladder, rung by rung

Six steps from karting to Formula 1. Each one is faster, harder and dearer than the last. Read the full F1 driver pathway.

  1. 01

    Karting

    Where almost every driver starts, usually as a child. Braking, lines and wheel to wheel racing at low cost.

    From childhood
  2. 02

    Formula 4

    The first single-seater, launched by the FIA in 2014 as the step out of karting. National and regional championships.

    Age 15+ in most series
  3. 03

    Formula Regional

    More power and downforce than F4. The European champion earns 25 super licence points.

    Champion: 25 points
  4. 04

    Formula 3

    One car for every team: a Dallara with a 3.4 litre V6 and 380 hp, racing on Formula 1 weekends.

    Champion: 30 points
  5. 05

    Formula 2

    The last rung: a 3.4 litre turbo V6 with 620 hp. The champion earns the full 40 points.

    Champion: 40 points
  6. 06

    Formula 1

    Needs an FIA super licence: 40 points over three seasons and a minimum age of 18.

    40 points in 3 seasons
A dark open-wheel junior formula car with a halo in a pit garage, lit in red and cool white

Telemetry

Inside a Formula 3 car

One Dallara chassis for every team, a Mecachrome V6, Pirelli tyres and a halo over the cockpit. The numbers below come from FIA Formula 3. More in Formula 3 car explained.

  • 380hpMecachrome 3.4 litre naturally aspirated V6, at 8,000 rpm
  • 300km/hTop speed quoted by FIA Formula 3
  • 2.6GLateral acceleration in corners
  • 1.9GMaximum braking deceleration

The first lesson

Reading the racing line

Every category, from karts to Formula 1, builds a corner from the same four points.

  1. 01

    Braking point

    Brake hard and straight, before the car turns. The later and harder you brake, the more time you gain, until you miss the corner.

  2. 02

    Turn-in point

    Release the brake progressively and turn the wheel once. A clean turn-in sets up everything that follows.

  3. 03

    Apex

    The clipping point on the inside of the corner. A late apex lets you open the steering and accelerate earlier.

  4. 04

    Exit

    Unwind the wheel, use all of the track and the kerb, and carry speed down the next straight.

Diagram of a right-hand corner with the racing line from braking point through turn-in and apex to exit

Lap of Asia

Circuits of Asia

Five venues every junior driver in the region knows by name. Lengths are for the main layouts. See the full guide to race circuits in Asia.

  1. Japan

    Suzuka

    5.807 km

    Figure of eight with a bridge. Japanese Grand Prix since 1987, 18 corners.

  2. Malaysia

    Sepang

    5.543 km

    Two long straights and a hairpin, 15 corners, tropical heat and sudden rain.

  3. China

    Shanghai

    5.451 km

    A corner that keeps tightening and one of the longest straights in Formula 1. F1 since 2004.

  4. Singapore

    Marina Bay

    2008 first night race

    City streets under floodlights, close walls and humid nights.

  5. Macau

    Guia Circuit

    6.120 km

    Street circuit around Guia Hill. A Formula 3 car reached about 275 km/h on its straight.

A floodlit street circuit at night lined with concrete barriers and debris fencing

The guides

Five guides, one grid

Read them in any order. Each one links to the others where it helps.