Tatuus iMagazine

40 While it was started due to necessity, this format actually works. Are you tempted to make some changes for the future? "For the future, we will try to keep the same basic concept, because we know that it is valid. However, I would also like to have some trips back to South East Asia when the situation will be back to normal. Obviously, we'll take what we learned and listen to the needs of our customers to identify the best path forward." There is a specific aspect to underline. In the middle of the 2018 season, F3 Asia became the first series to adopt the Tatuus T‐318 chassis and trusted the concept created by the FIA. As the project became so successful, you are definitely among those who must be credited for that success… "We were the first to rely on this project, despite the fact that there was a lot of skepticism around in the industry. We doubled down by doing it a year in advance because the initial idea was to launch the category in 2019. Tatuus has been the main player, as well as Autotecnica with a great investment in terms of resources. Together with the teams, we entered a completely new world as pioneers. I also want to say thank you to the FIA for believing in us, despite being geographically distant. We have been rewarded for our efforts, and we can say that the Federation was right: we needed a single‐seater championship of this type and with this kind of performance, with the best safety standards and at a reasonable cost. It is no coincidence that Tatuus, even with different engines, has exceeded the number of 100 Regional chassis produced". Two of the drivers that reached Formula 1, Nikita Mazepin and 2020 Champion Guanyu Zhou drove in F3 Asia. Is it something that makes you proud? "I would like to add Pietro Fittipaldi, the Haas reserve driver who competed in two Grands Prix in 2020. It is the result of favorable elements combined, including the format which offers extra points for the Superlicense and a lot of training ahead of the European championships. In particular, Zhou's promotion to F1 means a lot to us, considering that our company is based in China, and our main partners are Chinese. Zhou won the 2021 title and then was in great shape at the start of the Formula 2 season, fighting at the top of the pack. We are proud of this, it is a perfect calling card for us to show our strongest attributes, starting with the return on investment for those who come to race". Your series is really supporting the Asian motorsports movement… "In the world of motorsports, Asia has always been seen as something distant, where people went to spend less, but with lower‐level races. It's not like that anymore. The quality of the drivers who come to our series is high, there are European teams that ask for technical and logistical support from local teams, who thus acquire know‐how and skills. Our championship is an excellent link between the two continents".