IFMC Season 3

## Champions

Drivers Champion: Fernando Alonso

Constructors Champions: Etihad BMW

## Support Series

IFMC GP2 Season 3

IFMC GP3 Season 3

## About Season 3

The Season 3 IFMC Season will be the third season of the championship. Set up by Joseph Willows the league will consist of 11 teams with 22 real drivers. The season will be the last for Goodyear as they will leave the series at the end of Season 3. This means that from Season 4 Bridgestone will be the sole tyre supplier.

## Team Changes

* Red Bull Audi announced towards the end of Season 1, that they would be leaving the top class at the end of Season 2 to focus on their GP3 project.
* As a result of Red Bull Audi leaving, it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would be driving for Etihad Racing in Season 3 on a 2 season deal. It was also confirmed that his team mate would be one of Etihad's Season 2 drivers which are Fernando Alonso and Pascal Wehrlein. On the 16th October 2016, it was confirmed that Fernando Alonso would partner alongside Lewis Hamilton at Etihad with Wehrlein being loaned out to Walmsley Grand Prix along with Stoffel Vandoorne after Walmsley Grand Prix announced that they would be running S2 BMW engines.
* Martini Motorsport, ran by Cameron Anderson, will be entering IFMC from Season 3 replacing the outgoing Red Bull Audi team. They initially entered a team in Season 2 that would be considered the sister team to Etihad Racing, however they cancelled their plans saying that if they ever did enter in the top class, then they would enter on their own and not as a sister team to any other teams. The team confirmed that they will be continuing in IFMC GP2 but renamed the Martini Youth Academy.
* Mark Webber announced he would be retiring from the series at the end of Season 2.
* Pascal Wehrlein switched from Etihad Racing to Walmsley Grand Prix, whilst being test driver for Etihad Racing.
* Stoffel Vandoorne switched from AMP Racing to Walmsley Grand Prix and also became test driver for Etihad Racing.
* Walmsley Grand Prix will switch from Mugen-Honda engines to Season 2 BMW engines.
* Salvador Duran will return in S3 as a test driver for El Dorado Racing.
* Esteban Ocon switched from Scuderia Racing to the new Martini Motorsport team.
* Nico Hulkenberg announced that he would be leaving AMP at the end of S2.
* Jean-Eric Vergne will become a test driver at Martini Motorsport on a 2 season deal.
* Jenson Button initially announced that he would take a step back and become test driver for Shadow BMW, however a month later he signed for MOrange Orange Racing to replace the retiring Nico Rosberg, ending his association with Walmsley/Shadow at the end of Season 2.
* Mick Schumacher will make his debut in the top class with AMP Racing.
* Antonio Fuoco will make his debut in the top class with AMP Racing.
* Nico Hülkenberg switched from AMP Racing to the new Martini Motorsport team.
* Oliver Rowland will become test driver for El Dorado Racing in Season 3.
* Walmsley Grand Prix will change their name to Shadow BMW.
* Anthony Davidson and Giancarlo Fisichella were signed as test drivers for Shadow BMW.
* Alex Lynn was signed as a test and reserve driver for Martini Motorsport.
* Felix Rosenqvist was signed as a test and reserve driver for Bud Light Lime Motorsport.
* Charles Leclerc will be making his debut in the top class with Bud Light Lime Motorsport, whilst remaining test driver for Etihad Racing. Later on in Season 2, Grosjean was confirmed to be staying at the team, leaving Simon Pagenaud without a seat.
* Esteban Gutiérrez will be making his debut in IFMC with GRM.
* MOrange Orange Racing will switch from BMW S1 engines to Renault engines in Season 3.
* Christian Vietoris left his testing role at AMP Racing early.
* Nico Rosberg announced that he would be retiring at the end of Season 2.
* Antonio-Felix da Costa will be making his full-time debut in the top class with Suomi Grand Prix after being loaned out by El Dorado, having raced for them in Season 1 in Austria.
* Kimi Raikkonen will return to the top class with Suomi Grand Prix, having spent Season 2 in GP3.
* Suomi Grand Prix will switch from Lamborghini engines to Ferrari in Season 3.
* Scuderia Racing will rebrand in Season 3 to EMR which stands for East Midlands Racing.
* Juan-Pablo Montoya left Suomi Grand Prix to drive in GP3.
* Lando Norris signed as a test driver for Martini Motorsport in Season 3.
* Paul di Resta will make his debut in the top class with MOrange Orange Racing.
* Alexander Rossi will become a test driver for MOrange Orange Racing in Season 3.
* As Champion, Fernando Alonso will once again have No. 1 on his car.
* After being released by Monster Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen will join Suomi Grand Prix as a test driver.
* Juan Pablo Montoya will become test driver for Suomi Grand Prix rather than drive for them like he did in S2.
* Patrick Kujala will join Suomi Grand Prix as a test driver.
* Daniil Kvyat will switch from Suomi Grand Prix to East Midlands Racing in Season 3.
* Rio Haryanto initially was meant to leave Scuderia Racing/EMR, however did a u-turn and remained as test driver after winning the S2 title.
* Carlos Sainz, Jr. will become test driver for EMR
* Martini Motorsport will run Goodyear tyres in Season 3.
* GRM will switch from Goodyear to Bridgestone tyres in Season 3.
* Giuliano Alesi will become a test driver for AMP Racing in Season 3.
* Tom Blomqvist will become a test driver for AMP Racing in Season 3.
* Jake Dennis will become a test driver for Monster Grand Prix in Season 3.

## Mid-Season Changes

* Etihad Racing re-called Charles Leclerc from the Bud Light Lime Motorsport team after 4 races, stating that they didn't want him in the way of the team's performance. Antonio Giovinazzi replaced Leclerc at Bud Light Lime Motorsport for the rest of the season, whereas Leclerc went to Shadow BMW for the rest of the season replacing Pascal Wehrlein who returned to AMP Racing on a 3 season deal replacing Antonio Fuoco who as a result had his initial 5 season deal terminated. At the same time, Pierre Gasly replaced Pascal Wehrlein as test driver for Eithad Racing.
* Sebastian Vettel received a race ban for causing a crash with Kimi Räikkönen at the San Marino Grand Prix. This ban came as a follow up to the race ban that Sebastian had suspended on him for a crash with Alexander Rossi at the Season 2 Pacific Grand Prix. His replacement for the Spanish Grand Prix is yet to be announced.
* Paul di Resta received a race ban for causing a crash with Mick Schumacher at the San Marino Grand Prix. This was a follow-up to the Qualifying Ban that he had for playing a part in the start incident at the race previously, the Brazilian Grand Prix. His replacement for the Spanish Grand Prix was the team's test driver and former Red Bull Audi driver, Josef Newgarden.
* Sergio Perez decided to miss the Austrian Grand Prix which El Dorado accepted due to causing multiple incidents during the weekend of the United States Grand Prix. His replacement was S2 IFMC GP3 Champion, Scott Dixon.
* Antonio Giovinazzi received a race ban for causing a crash with Mick Schumacher at the United States Grand Prix. This was a follow-up to the Qualifying Ban that he had for causing Daniel Ricciardo to spin at the Mexican Grand Prix. His replacement was the team's test driver, Marcus Ericsson.
* Esteban Gutiérrez was sacked from GRM after Hungary due to poor performances. His replacement for the rest of the season was Martini test driver and former Vegeta Racing GP3 driver, Jean-Eric Vergne.
* Via Martini Motorsport's request, Esteban Ocon served a race ban for Italy for causing an incident with Jenson Button at Spa. His replacement was young Brit, George Russell.
* Antonio-Felix da Costa was released by Suomi Grand Prix after the French Grand Prix due to poor performances. His replacement for the rest of the season was test driver and former Monster Grand Prix driver, Kevin Magnussen.
* After winning the title the previous weekend, Fernando Alonso missed the Japanese Grand Prix in order to focus on his final season in IFMC, his replacement for the weekend was Charles Leclerc who moved from Shadow BMW for that weekend. His replacement at Shadow for Japan was Ecademy test driver, Pierre Gasly.

## Results

* Max Verstappen initially won the Austrian Grand Prix, however a red flag was brought out due to the game crashing. As a result, the race results were taken 2 laps prior which saw Lewis Hamilton get the victory instead.
* Romain Grosjean initially won the Belgian Grand Prix, however he received a 30 second time penalty for causing a crash with team mate, Antonio Giovinazzi giving Fernando Alonso the victory.

## Drivers Championship

Points are awarded to the top eight classified finishers using the following structure: