Q&A: Joey Foster.

After a season in Formula Renault in 2004, Joey Foster is aiming to make the move to the British F3 Championship next season.

Foster is already busy working on his plans for 2005, and Crash.net recently caught up with him at Donington Park, where he was testing the new National Class car for Performance Racing...

Crash.net:
Joey, what are your impressions on how the afternoon went?

Joey Foster:
It's been a fantastic day actually, it's good for me to jump into Performance's new Scholarship [National Class] car and did a fair few laps. I got down to a reasonable time as well which is pretty good so I'm happy with the day.

This is the third test I've done with Performance so I'm getting a good relationship with the team now. I want to do Formula Three next year, it was my plan for this season but things didn't quite work out that way, but we are looking to get the budget together and things are looking quite good.

Crash.net:
So third test but first with the new engine for the National Class for 2005, what did you learn about the new engine?

JF:
The previous two tests Performance have had the Opel engine so to jump into this it was a little bit different, obviously I'm not vastly experienced in F3 engines, but there was a difference. Obviously it's the way forward and it's going to keep costs down as well, so I think it's definitely a good thing.

Crash.net:
For a driver like yourself, the cost cutting measures that Formula Three have brought into the National Class are important. How much more appealing or more attainable to they make the class to you?

JF:
It makes a massive difference because before the costs were getting absolutely outrageous and we were thinking how much further can this go? But as it is it's a good thing. Obviously the engine is going to last a lot longer than they usually do so it can only help.

Crash.net:
How is the relationship going with the team? How much are you complementing each other?

JF:
It's been good because I've been working well with the team, we've made a few small changes from which we've benefited quite well. I get a good feel back through the car and it helps that I can pass that on to the engineers, I think it could be a good thing.

Crash.net:
In your time you've driven Formula Ford, Formula Renault and now Formula Three, you've moved up the ladder between the different series. Between the different Formulas you've tried, which was the biggest jump in performance?

JF:
I'd say jumping into the F3 car, just because of the brakes, you can get on them so much later and in the high speed corners it's absolutely unreal how much speed you can carry through. But you can also learn so much more in Formula Three than, for example, in Formula Renault, because it is an open category and you can change things on the car and learn more about the car and the development of these cars.

Crash.net:
Now from an engineering standpoint, how much more freedom do you have with Formula Three than say Formula Renault?

JF:
Massive, it's massive. You can make small modifications here and there, plus you have gears that you can actually change whereas in Formula Renault they are fixed ratios. So from a drivers perspective you can try and find a few small edges here and there so it's definitely the way forward and definitely the way to learn.

Crash.net:
For next season are you looking at Formula Three in general or are you focusing on Performance in particular?

JF:
Just looking at Formula Three in general at the moment, there's still lots of options for me and it is still early days, so there is so much that could happen over the coming months that we just need to keep our options open.

Crash.net:
This was your first experience of a 2002 Dallara, although it is only one development cycle from the 2001 car you've already driven, could you really notice much difference in the handling of the car?

JF:
Yeah absolutely, I was quite surprised. I didn't expect it to be so different but it just was. You can carry so much more speed through the corners, I feel as though the newer car has much more aero on it than the old one and that's the bigger effect.

Crash.net:
And for a driver stepping into a new car after the experiences you've had in Formula Renault, do you find it's getting easier for you to say what you want to have done to the car?

JF:
Yeah within five or ten laps you can tell exactly what's going on with the car so that can only help when doing limited testing as will be the case next season, but it should be good.

Crash.net:
The aim for the new class is to standardise performance and make it more equal, do you think that the measures taken are positive?

JF:
I believe that Formula Three has to be an open formula. I do believe that having the single engine for the National class is the way to cut costs because it is getting outrageous. It's the kind of thing that will help this Formula but they can't have too many regulations and stop you developing the small things because that would kill F3, but the way they are doing it seems to be the best way.

Crash.net:
Anything you want to add about the Formula Three car and your test?

JF:
It's just great for me to get in the car, do lots of laps and get the experience of these cars. With the new car you can go a lot later on the brakes and believe me that makes a lot of difference.

Crash.net:
Any more tests planned at all?

JF:
Not as yet, I think I might do a charity Kart race at the end of the month, but that's about all I have planned at the moment! We'll see.

Crash.net:
Going back to the Walter Hayes Trophy you competed in recently, I believe that's two out of two, am I correct?

JF:
Yeah that's right, it's just a great fun weekend. The atmosphere is just fantastic. There's 90 plus entries and everyone is out to have a good time. To have the likes of Danny Watts there adds so much to the event and it's great fun. It's a bit of a bonus to win it really!