By Dan Knutson
indianapolismotorspeedway.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
One of the best training grounds for future Formula One drivers is Formula 3, and that’s exactly why Richard Antinucci competed in the highly competitive British Formula 3 Series in 2002 and 2003.
Antinucci, the nephew of 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner and F1 veteran Eddie Cheever Jr., is one of the talented young drivers from the United States who are focused on becoming one of the next American drivers to race in F1.
Antinucci, 22, finished fourth in the British F3 series in 2003. While he didn’t win a race in that series -- his best results were a pair of second-place finishes -- he topped off the season with a dominant victory in the International F3 Korea Super Prix. The Korean race, and the Macau event that precedes it, are “all star” races that bring together the top drivers from the world’s F3 series.
Antinucci won both heats in Korea, finished third in one of the Macau heats and retired from the other. Overall, he had the best finishing record of the more than 30 drivers competing in the prestigious events.
“Finishing on top at the end of a hard season is the best feeling in the world,” Antinucci said. “The two wins in Korea put a smile on my face that has yet to come off. Every F3 driver in the world dreams of taking the blue riband for the final two races in Macau and Korea, but for me this became a reality.”
Virtually every F1 driver on the grid in 2003 raced in F3, and former F3 drivers can be found in many of the world’s top racing series, including the Indy Racing League.
“The competition in F3 is extremely tough,” Antinucci said, “not just in the international races where the top six from each series are invited, but even in the national championships like the British, the European or the Japanese.
“There are not just three or four guys who are good in F3: There are so many future candidates for F1, Indy cars, touring cars. All of these guys have talent and speed. You have about 10 winners each year. There are not just one or two guys who are dominating each event.
“Jenson Button finished third in his first year (1999) in F3 and then went to F1. The first two guys (in the points that year) didn’t make it, but you can’t say that those guys don’t have the talent. F3 is a very level playing field in terms of the car’s performance, and it really gives the driver and his engineer a chance to shine. Speed and feedback are very important in F3, and it teaches you how to develop the car well.”
Antinucci began the 2003 season with Carlin Motorsport, one of the best teams in the British F3 series. Carlin drivers Alan van der Merwe of South Africa and Jamie Green of Great Britain finished first and second, respectively, in the points ahead of Nelson Piquet Jr. (son of three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet) and Antinucci.
Unfortunately, Antinucci and his inexperienced engineer weren’t working well together, and Antinucci made the difficult decision to switch teams. He joined Promatecme Motorsport in August.
“You have to jell with the team,” Antinucci said. “It is a human thing, not a mathematical result. This was my engineer’s second year compared to the other engineers around us in the team. One had 16 years of experience, and another had 18. We were always following what the two leaders on the team were doing. That is not ideal.”
At Promatecme, Antinucci had a much better working relationship with his engineer.
“The engineer is the one that counts in the end,” Antinucci said. “He makes the difference on the set up and performance. It was very costly not to have an engineer on my side in first two teams (in 2002 and 2003). But the third time we got lucky.
“I had highs and lows in the British F3 series, but whatever fate threw at me I knew I could overcome it and triumph in the end. Changing teams midseason is not the best way to keep up a championship momentum, but I knew I had to do this, as my results were not reflecting what I knew I could achieve. Having said this, I finished fourth in the British series -- renowned to be the toughest there is -- and this is something I am proud of.”
Antinucci rates the British F3 race at the Donington circuit as one his best.
“If I have to pick out races where I felt I was on the pace, apart from those in the Far East, top of that list would be a very wet and wild Donington,” he said. “I had just changed from Carlin to Promatecme and so was the new boy.
“Qualifying was mediocre, so I gambled because of the changing weather conditions. I pitted after the parade lap for wet tires and so had to start absolutely last in the pit lane. I probably became the most focused I can remember, because by the end of the race I was lying second and crossed the line a few feet behind the winner.
“I failed to get that coveted win in 2003, but was on the podium five times, claimed fastest lap in the two Snetterton races and was consistently in the top times during testing.
“I have learned a lot this year about myself and what it takes to win races. While a well-run team, an experienced race engineer and a well-balanced car all play their part, the driver must remain focused on the job in hand. I feel that this helped me when the chips were down and also contributed to my two wins and a third at the end of the year -- putting my final podium tally up to eight.”
Thanks in part to the racing exploits of his famous racing uncle Cheever, Antinucci was interested in racing ever since he was a youngster.
“My father gave me a dirt go-kart when I was 9 years old,” Antinucci said. “We were living in Virginia at the time. I was also always watching Indy-car races before I was 10 and playing with model cars. I watched all of my uncle’s races and what was going on in the racing world.”
When he was 7, Antinucci attended the United States Grand Prix at Phoenix where Cheever finished third in his Arrows-Ford.
“Phoenix was my hometown then,” Antinucci said. “I got into the pits and got to sit in his car. That was really cool.”
Like Cheever, Antinucci has strong links in both Italy and the United States. His mother is Cheever’s sister. Antinucci’s father was born in Akron, Ohio, and his mother was born in Phoenix. Antinucci was born in Rome on Sept. 26, 1981, but by age 3 was living in Phoenix.
“I lived in Arizona and Washington D.C. until I was about 14,” Antinucci said, “and then I moved back to Rome where I finished my last two years of high school. That is where I began racing go-karts at a professional and international level.”
Antinucci raced in various European karting championships from 1992-98, and then he graduated to cars. He took 1999 off to complete his studies, and then spent 2000 and 2001 competing in the Italian, European and British Formula Renault championships. He won four times and finished second in the 2001 British series. He moved up to the British Formula 3 championship in 2002 and, driving for Manor Motorsport, finished second twice that year.
His goal, of course, is to race in Formula One.
“My uncle used to tell me that F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of the ultimate challenge of road courses,” Antinucci said.
Antinucci also hopes to compete in the Indianapolis 500 someday. He visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he attended the 2001 United States Grand Prix.
“The Indy 500 is the single top event on a driver’s resume,” Antinucci said. “I’d love to win the Indy 500. I hope Indy is a future plan for me, but my immediate goal is to get to F1.”
As for 2004, Antinucci is negotiating for several different rides, including drives in the FIA International Formula 3000 series and the All Japan Formula 3 series. This will provide, hopefully, the next step to F1.
It is vital to have a driver from the United States competing in F1, Antinucci said.
“F1 is an international series,” he said. “The fact that Indianapolis hosts a Grand Prix every year is important. We need a home guy to root for. It is nice to have a driver from your home country to follow in F1.”
USGP tickets: Tickets for the 2004 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 20 are on sale, and the IMS ticket office encourages customers to place orders early to ensure the best possible opportunity to acquire good seats.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com or by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.
