Team BRM Was formed in 1998 by
successful Formula 2 competitor Bronte Rundle, with the intention
of running a 1-car attack on the 1999 Australian Formula 3 series.
Initially starting with
only three team members, Owner Bronte Rundle, Team Manager Ian Richards
and Chief mechanic Peter McKeough, and running under the guise of
BRM Motorsport, team BRM has quickly grown into the most professional
and successful Formula 3 team in Australian Formula 3 history.
After a difficult learning year
with Mark Rundle behind the wheel (the team was forced to run a
24mm restrictor on an engine designed for 26mm), BRM Motorsport
looked to the year 2000 for their first chance at the Formula 3
crown.
After importing a new Dallara
F398 from leading British Outfit Carlin Motorsport, the team signed
promising young Queenslander Peter Hackett to drive
the new car, alongside the existing F396 to again be steered by Mark Rundle. The Hackett – F398 combination
gelled quickly and scored it’s first of many eventual podiums
in just the second race of the season.
Darren Palmer was signed by the team to complete the remainder of the season,
and he did so in style – snaring 3 race victories and numerous
Pole Positions en route to an excellent 4th place in the series.
Rundle, too, was regularly on the podium by season’s end and
completed the year in 6th place outright.
The team took another huge step
forward with the signing of New Zealand off-road and Formula Ford
star Daynom Templeman to take the wheel of the
Dallara F396 in 2001. Second year Driver Darren Palmer stayed with
the team after his highly successful rookie season and looked set
to continue his strong run of results.
Templeman’s season ended with 3 race wins and third in the
championship, whilst Palmer, after starting the year slowly, finished
with a rush, scoring wins in the last two rounds to complete the
year 2nd in the championship.
An off season name change between 2001 and 2002 saw the team’s
name changed to team BRM (incorporating the logo still used today),
and principal sponsor A.C.E Embroidery was signed to provide team
uniforms and a corporate range for sale.
Two new ex-German F3 Dallara
F301 chassis were purchased at the start of the year, whilst Victorian
Formula Vee star James Manderson was signed to drive for the team.
Darren Palmer returned to the team for the third consecutive year
to steer the other new Dallara Chassis.
2002 was the most successful
year in team history, with Manderson completing a DNF Free
season as series champion, scoring a season high 6 race
wins en route to the crown. Palmer scored two race wins to end the
year 3rd in points after a season classed as the toughest ever year
in Australian Formula 3 competition.
Manderson was immediately snapped
up by Swiss Racing Team in Europe, and completed the majority of
the 2003 season with some strong results for the team, despite a
meagre budget.
Team BRM once again expanded
their operation for the 2003 season, running three cars after an
ex-German series Dallara F301 was purchased during the off season.
Returning driver Darren Palmer took over the new car, whilst new
drivers Karl Reindler and Matt Fitzgerald were to steer the teams two other F301’s.
The year was noteworthy for
the emergence of Reindler as a force in Australian Motorsport, the
then 18-year-old West Australian scoring his first ever F3 podium
at the Super fast Phillip Island circuit, and backing it up with
a second at the following Winton Round.
Team BRM also unearthed more talent in youngster Ian Dyk,
who drove with the team in the final round at Wakefield Park replacing
an injured Reindler. The team finished 6th (Reindler), 7th (To the
consistent Fitzgerald) and 10th (Palmer, who departed BRM mid year).
2004 was a watershed year for
team BRM, with the team having their most successful ever year,
doubling their efforts of 2002. ‘03’s most impressive
rookie Karl Reindler returned for his second year with team BRM.
Joining Reindler was 16-year-old New Zealander Nic Jordan,
who was to drive the Dallara F398 Speiss Opel, driven successfully
in the hands of Darren Palmer in previous years.
Reindler ended the year
as team BRM’s second Australian Formula 3 champion,
scoring five race wins and crushing the field in the Eastern Creek
round of the series – showing his and the team’s true
potential.
Jordan was a revelation, continuing the trend of young drivers succeeding
in the team BRM atmosphere. Jordan won 13 races from 16
starts and took the teams first ever Trophy Class title with
a round to spare.
2004 also marked the first time
team BRM embarked on an international campaign, competing regularly
in the developing Asian Formula 3 series. Despite being newcomers
to the series, the team impressed Asian regulars with their pace
and professionalism, and proved that 2005 would show team
BRM as true challengers for the Asian title.
2005 saw Team BRM guide Michael Trimble to a strong second in the championship,
with race wins along the way for both Trimble and Ian Dyk. Neil
McFadyen and Karl Reindler also placed BRM cars on the
pole position on a number of occasions as the team continued to
lead the way in Australian Formula three.
2005 also witnessed the birth of the team's Formula Ford operation,
experienced racer Mark Rundle guiding a number of young drivers
including Shane Wright and Jason Vince to their first Formula Ford starts.
2006 has saw expansion, Two brand new RF06 Van Diemen's
joining a stable of two (and sometimes three) F304 Dallara F3 cars
in Australia's two top open wheel series.
At the Clipsal 500, in Adelaide, and on their Formula Ford debut Team BRM Driver Ben Clucas put his Van Diemen onto the podium in a stunning performance - despite the car only arriving days before the race.
In the Australian Formula 3 Championship, Clucas won 11 of the first 12 races and gave Team BRM their first Australian Drivers Championship.
2007 saw more success, young Italian driver Marco Mapelli joining the team and racing to a top-five finish in the championship.
A new partnership with Opes Prime forged towards the end of the season brought driver James Winslow and former F3 frontrunner Barton Mawer into the Team BRM fold - resulting in a double success at Symmons Plains in Tasmania - including a win for Mawer in the inugural Formula 3 SuperPrix race at the Launceston circuit.
For 2008 the team has expanded to four cars and, with the support of major sponsor Opes Prime, will go for an all-out and unprecedented fourth Australian Formula 3 championship title. |