The 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series season was the second championship year of Europe's premier Formula Three series. The championship consisted of ten rounds – each with two races – held at a variety of European circuits. Each weekend consisted of 1 hour and 30 minutes of free practice on Friday – in either one or two sessions – and two 30-minute qualifying sessions. This was followed by a c.110 km race on Saturday and a c.80 km race on Sunday. Each qualifying session awarded one bonus point for pole position and each race awarded points for the top eight finishers, with ten points per win.
Teams and drivers
Notes:
Changed Teams
Jamie Green: Kolles → ASM Formule 3
Robert Kubica: Prema Powerteam → Mücke Motorsport
Alexandros Margaritis: MB Racing Performance → AB Racing Performance
Daniel la Rosa: MB Racing Performance → HBR Motorsport
Bruno Spengler: ASM F3 → Mücke Motorsport
Charles Zwolsman, Jr.: Kolles → Manor Motorsport
Entering Formula 3 Euro Series
Marco Bonanomi: Italian Formula Three Championship (Coloni F3) → Team Ghinzani
Ruben Carrapatoso: Formula Renault 2000 Italia (Alan Racing) → Opel Team KMS
Loïc Duval: Championnat de France Formula Renault 2.0 (Graff Racing) → OPEL Team Signature
Peter Elkmann: International Superkart Series – Division 1 → Swiss Racing Team
Gregory Franchi: Italian Formula Three Championship (Lucidi Motors) → Opel Team Signature
Dennis Furchheim: Formula Renault 2000 Germany (Franken Racing) & Spanish Formula Three Championship (Racing Engineering) → Swiss Racing Team
Giedo van der Garde: Formula Renault 2000 Netherlands & Formula Renault 2000 Masters (van Amersfoort Racing) → Opel Team Signature-Plus
Maximilian Götz: Formula BMW ADAC (ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V) → TME
Lewis Hamilton: Formula Renault 2.0 UK (Manor Motorsport) → Manor Motorsport
Derek Hayes: NASCAR Busch Series (Moy Racing) → Team Ghinzani
Kohei Hirate: Formula Renault 2000 Italia & Formula Renault 2000 Masters (Prema Powerteam) → Prema Powerteam
Robert Kath: Formula BMW ADAC (ADAC Sachsen e.V.) → Opel Team KMS
Tom Kimber-Smith: Formula Ford Great Britain (Panasonic Batteries Racing Team) → Team Kolles
Christian Montanari: Italian Formula Three Championship (Coloni F3) → Coloni Motorsport
Hannes Neuhauser: German Formula Three Championship (Achleitner Motorsport) → HBR Motorsport
Alejandro Núñez: Spanish Formula Three Championship (E.V. Racing & Azteca Motorsport) → Swiss Racing Team
Franck Perera: Formula Renault 2000 Italia & Formula Renault 2000 Masters (Prema Powerteam) → Prema Powerteam
Fernando Rees: Formula Three Sudamericana (Cesario F3) → Swiss Racing Team
Eric Salignon: British Formula 3 Championship (Hitech Racing) → ASM Formule 3
Roberto Streit: Formula Renault 2000 Italia & Formula Renault 2000 Masters (Prema Powerteam) → Prema Powerteam
Adrian Sutil: Formula BMW ADAC (HBR Motorsport) → Team Kolles
Toni Vilander: Formula Renault 2000 Italia & Formula Renault 2000 Masters (RP Motorsport) → Coloni Motorsport
Ross Zwolsman: Formula Renault 2000 Germany & Formula Renault 2000 Masters (Ma-Con) → TME
Leaving Formula 3 Euro Series
Simon Abadie: LD Autosport → World Series Light (Epsilon by Graff)
Nicolas Armindo: Saulnier Racing → Porsche Carrera Cup Germany (Land Motorsport-PZ Koblenz)
Bernhard Auinger: Superfund TME → Superfund Euro Formula 3000 (Euronova Racing)
Ryan Briscoe: Prema Powerteam → Formula One (Panasonic Toyota Racing test driver)
César Campaniço: Signature Plus → Formula Renault V6 Eurocup (Cram Competition)
Fabio Carbone: Signature Plus → All-Japan Formula Three Championship (Three Bond Racing)
Adam Carroll: Opel Team KMS → British Formula 3 Championship (P1 Racing)
Robert Doornbos: Team Ghinzani → International Formula 3000 (Arden International)
Maro Engel: Opel Team KMS → German Formula Three Championship (SMS Seyffarth Motorsport)
Timo Glock: Opel Team KMS → Formula One (Jordan Ford)
Lucas di Grassi: Prema Powerteam → British Formula 3 Championship (Hitech Racing)
Jan Heylen: Kolles → German Formula Three Championship (JB Motorsport) & International Formula 3000 (Team Astromega)
Christian Klien: ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg → Formula One (Jaguar Racing)
Marcel Lasée: Swiss Racing Team → SEAT Leon Supercopa Germany (???)
Dong-Wook Lee: Drumel Motorsport → Retirement
Richard Lietz: HBR Motorsport → Porsche Carrera Cup Germany (tolimit Motorsport)
James Manderson: Swiss Racing Team → Aussie Racing Cars Super Series
Álvaro Parente: Team Ghinzani → British Formula 3 Championship (Carlin Motorsport)
Olivier Pla: ASM F3 → World Series by Nissan (RC Motorsport & Carlin Motorsport)
Harold Primat: Equipe Serge Saulnier → World Series Light (Saulnier Racing)
Stefano Proetto: Swiss Racing Team → Formula Renault V6 Eurocup (EuroInternational)
Gilles Tinguely: Swiss Racing Team → Retirement
Claudio Torre: HBR Motorsport → Retirement
Hendrick Vieth: Opel Team KMS → Porsche Carrera Cup Germany (Land Motorsport-PZ Koblenz)
Markus Winkelhock: ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg → German Formula Three Championship (Persson Motorsport)
Sakon Yamamoto: Superfund TME → All-Japan Formula Three Championship (TOM's)
ASM driver Eric Salignon missed the last two rounds at Brno and Hockenheim, but was not immediately replaced. Adrian Sutil left Team Kolles to take over Salignon's #27 car at Hockenheim, and his Kolles seat was taken by Maximilian Götz.
At Team KMS, Alexandros Margaritis was replaced by Brazilian Ruben Carrapataso from the Nürburgring onwards. Margaritis returned to the series with a new entry from the German F3 Cup (and former Eurseries) team, AB Racing Performance.
At Swiss Racing Team, Dennis Furchheim was replaced by Alejandro Núñez, after missing rounds 3 and 5 and failing to qualify at Pau (round 4). His team-mate, Fernando Rees, missed rounds 3 and 4 and the #20 car was later driven by Peter Elkmann.
Part-time appearances included Britain's Derek Hayes in a third Team Ghinzani entry at Brno
TME's Ross Zwolsman failed to make any further appearances after the first round
The Coloni Motorsport drivers returned to the Italian Formula Three Championship after the first two rounds
Japan's Kohei Hirate made his Euro Series debut in a fourth Prema Powerteam entry at Zandvoort and Hockenheim.
The series supported the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters at eight rounds, with additional rounds at the Pau Grand Prix and the French Grand Prix.
Drivers' standings
Points are awarded as follows:
† — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.
1 Note: Eric Salignon's pole position for race 1 at Pau was initially withdrawn due to a 10-place grid penalty for an engine change after an accident in race 1. Salignon's team successfully claimed force majeure and the pole was reinstated, but the bonus point was not awarded.
Rookie drivers are only eligible for the Rookie Cup title if they have not previously competed in a national or international Formula 3 championship.
