Coloni confirms Italian F3 line-up, Lola chassis.

Coloni Motorsport, the most successful Italian team in Formula Three, has confirmed that it will return to the category this season, participating in the Italian Championship with two of the most promising talents to emerge from the national scene in recent years.

The team, which is also overseeing four cars in the FIA F3000 series, will run Marco Bonanomi and Christian Montanari in the hope of adding to its record number of race wins, four Italian Championships and two European titles, after both showed strongly in last year's Italian FRenault 2000 series.

"I'm confident [ahead of my step-up to] the next championship, and I'm very happy with this agreement with Coloni Motorsport," Bonanomi said, "I hope for good results in 2003, and I would like to fight for the final [title] victory. I'll work hard together with the team."

"I'm very glad with the agreement with Coloni Motorsport," San Marinese Montanari concurred, "Formula Three is a really formative championship and I'm sure that, with this team, I will be able to have a wonderful 2003 season. I believe in the choice I made and I know that this choice will be positive for me and my future."

Coloni has also revealed that it will the pair in the new, and much anticipated, Lola-Dome F106 chassis, after the Huntingdon factory, together with its Japanese partner, opted for the Italian team to help it achieve success in its debut F3 season. Coloni will busy itself with the development of the new car, while Lola-Dome will provide his technical know-how and support for the F3 programme. The Mugen engine which will accompany the new package is Coloni's choice, making it the only team outside the Far East to run an all-Japanese chassis and engine combination.

"We are pleased with the data that underlines the new Lola-Dome's competitiveness, as it is getting good results in the tests in Japan," Bonanomi added.

Having previously supported its F3000 programme with campaigns in the Formula Nissan series, Coloni has chosen to return to F3 as it sees it as the best current route for aspiring grand prix drivers to follow. The winner of any national championship, as well as having gained valuable experience of setting up a formula car, also receives a coveted FIA Superlicence, allowing progress straight to the top flight if selected. The team will use its engineers and experience from the Nissan series - in which it was chassis constructor - to help develop the new project.

"Coloni Motorsport is extremely happy at being involved again in the Italian F3 Championship, particularly with a high-level programme which enjoys official Lola-Dome support and the co-operation of the prestigious Mugen-Honda factory," commented founder Enzo Coloni.

"For Coloni Motorsport, the Italian F3 Championship was the proving ground that gave us our first successes with drivers like Ivan Capelli, Nicola Larini and Alex Caffi, and also with Paolo Coloni. We're also very glad at having two young Italian talents and we hope to achieve important results together. The whole team will work very hard for the F3 programme, considering the high technical level of our opponents."