(9/4/03): PLEASE READ: Due to a lack of time available, I will no longer be updating the silly season news and entry pages ahead of the racing season.

Driver colour key: BOLD=confirmed, Blue=tested for team, Green=due to test for team, red italic=linked to team.

Last update: 21/3/03

No.

Team

Car/engine

Driver

1

Arden International Ltd.

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Bjorn Wirdheim (S)

2

Arden International Ltd.

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Townsend Bell (USA)

3,4

Coloni Motorsport

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Zsolt Baumgartner (HUN)

Coloni Motorsport

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Ricardo Sperafico (BR)

5,6

Jordan Grand Prix Jr. Team

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Enrico Toccacelo (I)

Jordan Grand Prix Jr. Team

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Derek Hill (USA)

7,8

Den Blå Avis

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Nicolas Kiesa (DK)

Den Blå Avis

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Giorgio Pantano (I)?

9,10

Durango

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Raffaele Giammaria (I)?

Durango

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Jaime Melo Jr. (BR)? / Michele Rugolo (I)? / Milos Pavlovic (YUG)?

11

Team Astromega*

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Tony Schmidt (D)?****

12

Team Astromega*

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Rob Nguyen (AUS)? / Alexandre Sperafico (BR)? / Alex Muller (D)? / Sarah Kavanagh (IRL)?

14

PSM - ISR - Charouz

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Jaroslav Janis (CZ)

15

PSM - ISR - Charouz

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Yannick Schroeder (F)

16

Red Bull Junior Team F3000

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Vitantonio Liuzzi (A)

17

Red Bull Junior Team F3000

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Patrick Friesacher (A)

18,19

BCN F3000

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Gaston Mazzacane (RA)?

BCN F3000

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Angel Burgueño (E)? / Marcel Costa (E)? / Kevin Nadin (F)? / Rodrigo Sperafico (BR)? / Rafael Sarandeses (E)? / Norberto Fontana (RA)?

20,21

Brand Motorsports

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Nicolas Minassian (F)?***

Brand Motorsports

Lola B2/50-Zytek

Gary Paffett (GB)?***

*Astromega are subject to confirmation according to FIA entry list 30/1/03. See also notes below.

Also linked to championship: Westley Barber (GB)? - tested for Arden; Matteo Bobbi (I)? - was linked to Coloni; Davide Di Benedetto (I)? - tested for Coloni; Gottfried Grasser (A)? - tested for Coloni 2nd team [then European Minardi]; Justin Keen (GB)? - tested for Arden; Robbie Kerr (GB)?; Alessandro Piccolo (I)? - tested for Coloni; Allan Simonsen (DK)? - tested for Coloni; Bruno St. Jacques (CDN)? - tested for Coloni; Red Bull F1 Driver Search nominees?**

Previously linked to championship, now ruled out: Martin Basso (RA) - will race in TC2000 - was rumoured for projected GP Racing entry; Andrea Belicchi (I) - was possibly going to graduate with his 2002 F.Nissan team BCN, but will race in Formula Renault V6; Gianmaria Bruni (I) - tested for Durango, but will race in Euro 3000; James Courtney (AUS) - tested for Arden, but will race in Japanese F3; Augusto Farfus (BR) - was due to test for Super Nova, but will race in Euro 3000; Matteo Grassotto (I) - tested for Coloni, but will race in Euro 3000; Jan Heylen (B) - tested for Astromega, but will race in F3 Euroseries; Bruce Jouanny (F) - was linked to Super Nova, but will race in Nissan World Series V6 (WSV6); Heikki Kovalainen (SF) - tested for Arden and was thought to be close to a deal, but will race in WSV6; José Maria Lopez (RA) - was due to test for Super Nova, but will race in Renault V6; Tiago Monteiro (P) - tested for Super Nova, but is racing in CART; Roman Rusinov (RUS)? - was due to test for Arden, but will race in Euro 3000; Norbert Siedler (A)? - tested for Arden, but will race in TWS V6; Danny Watts (GB) - linked to Super Nova (source of rumour unknown) but will race in British F3; Paul Edwards (USA) + Joel Nelson (USA) - had been linked to F3000 as Red Bull F1 Driver Search winners, but will race in TWS and Euro 3000 respectively.

Notes:

In accordance with article 33.b. of the 2003 Formula 3000 Sporting Regulations, drivers may be nominated and/or changed up until 15 days prior to the start of the first Event of the Championship.

*Team Astromega look almost certain to pull out of F3000 (Feb. '03), and switch to the Renault V6 series. Team boss Mikke val Hool said: "...a small miracle will have to happen to see Astromega in 2003 in the F3000 Championship." Confirmed driver Schmidt has tested the Renault V6 car; Schmidt tested F3000 Lola at Imola, Feb. '03.

Brand Motorsports aiming to enter two teams, each team running under their own title sponsor, as of Oct.'02. First team established by purchasing the Red Bull Junior Team (RSM Marko) operation. May continue under Red Bull Jr name (Oct. '02). "85% sure" to secure funding to start a second team (Oct. 24th '02). Falsely rumoured to have bought Nordic Racing for second team (Nov. '02); Plans for second team abandoned (Jan. '03); one team entered as "Brand Motorsports" (Jan. '03).

BCN F3000 (earlier known as BCN Competición or Barcelona Competición) bought Nordic Racing's cars and equipment.

Coloni involved in two teams; Coloni Motorsport and Red Bull Junior Team F3000 (formerly European Minardi, the team they took over in 2002).

Den Blå Avis had been named "Petrobras Junior Team" after their title sponsor since 1999, but Petrobras have quit.

Jordan Grand Prix Junior Team is a collaboration between Super Nova Racing Ltd. and the Jordan Grand Prix F1 team.

PSM - ISR - Charouz is a link-up between Euro 3000 team Charouz ISR Racing and PSM Racing Line, to be run from Charouz's Prague base using the PSM equipment. Team will have tecnical support from Arden International (Jan. '03).

Red Bull Junior Team F3000 is a second Coloni team (formerly European Minardi), not the Red Bull Junior Team formerly run by RSM Marko.

Super Nova Racing Ltd. have become the Jordan Grand Prix Junior Team (Feb. '03).

Fontana was invited to test for BCN F3000, but had to turn down the offer.

***Minassian and Paffett "...are confirmed for 2003..." at Brand Motorsports according to team spokesperson on 26/2/03, but official press release has not yet been made.

Nguyen staying at Astromega according to team (Oct. '02), but team then announced only Schmidt was signed (Nov. '02), then again announced Nguyen was under contract (Nov. '02), only Schmidt confirmed as of Jan. '03.

****Schmidt confirmed as driver for Astromega, but news of Feb. '03 links him to an Astromega outfit in the new Renault V6 series, so it is not yet clear where he will race; Schmidt tested both a Renault V6 car and Astromega's Lola (Feb. '03).

**Red Bull F1 Driver Search nominees tested a Red Bull Junior Team Lola B99/50 at Paul Ricard (F) as part of their evaluation programme in October. The nominees who tested were: Paul Edwards (USA), Phillip Geibler (USA), Joey Hand (USA), Rocky Moran Jr (USA), Patrick Long (USA), Joel Nelson (USA), Bryan Sellers (USA), Grant Maiman (USA), Scott Speed (USA), Scott Poirier (USA), Bobby Wilson (USA), Boston Reid (USA), Michael Abbate (USA). The other nominees, AJ Allmendinger (USA) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (USA), both chose to miss the tests.

Other teams previously linked to the 2003 championship included: Bertram Schäfer Racing - German F3 team rumoured to buy Red Bull Jr, but reports denied, while Liuzzi was rumoured as driver; [Brand Motorsports second team] - team originally planned to enter two squads, both named after their title sponsors; Charouz ISR - were tipped to enter under that name, possibly with Janis & Schroeder, but linked up with PSM Racing Line; European Minardi - second Coloni team continued testing under this name during the winter before being renamed Red Bull Junior Team F3000; GP Racing - reports said the Euro 3000 team planned to return, possibly with Piccolo and Basso, but this ruled out in October '02; ma-con Motorsport - German F.Renault team linked to entry; Nordic Racing - team equipment sold to BCN Competición; Victory Engineering - Euro 3000 team linked to entry.