The Eurobet Arrows F3000 Team was officially launched at the Arrows F1 Team's Leafield, Oxfordshire headquarters today (March 31, 2000) and will compete in the 2000 FIA International Formula 3000 Championship with drivers Australian Mark Webber and Dutchman Christijan Albers. Both drivers will be making their debut in the F1 feeder category. The team will be sponsored by Eurobet, Coral International's UK on-line sports betting service, which is also a primary sponsor of the Arrows F1 team.

Eurobet Arrows F3000 Team becomes the official name for Paul Stoddart's European Formula Racing team which he acquired the previous year (1999) from Edenbridge Racing. The team is based at Stoddart's European Aviation headquarters in Ledbury, Herefordshire and its two Lola Zytek B99.50 cars will feature the same black and orange livery of the Orange Arrows F1 team.

In addition to Eurobet's sponsorship, the team will also be sponsored by European Aviation. Said team owner, Paul Stoddart, at the launch, "I know we have a strong driver line-up in Mark and Christijan and the sponsorship line-up is equally as strong. It is great to have sponsors who are new to the sport, and realise the marketing opportunities we can offer them."

The first race for the team will be at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola on Saturday, April 8. Mark Webber will drive the team's no. 25 car while Christijan Albers will race no. 26.

TEAM OWNER: Paul Stoddart

Forty-four year old Australian, Paul Stoddart, from the Melbourne suburb of Coburg is the founder, Chief Executive and Chairman of European Aviation Limited - one of the most successful aviation businesses in the UK.

However, Paul's origins began in the motor trade in his native Australia before he moved to the UK in 1986 where he continued his motor options and vehicle franchising interests. In 1989 though, the emphasis shifted to aviation after he acquired five VIP aircraft from the Australian Federal Government. More significantly, the deal also included 48 shipping containers of spare parts for the BAC 1-11 and Falcon 20 jets, worth A$50 million but which Stoddart was able to purchase at a fraction of the price!

That year, he founded the European Aviation Group that today boasts more than 40 aircraft and carries one million passengers per year. It is the UK's sixth largest aircraft owner. European Aviation is also the UK's largest aircraft spares support company and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from its Ledbury base. Other successful divisions of the European Aviation Group includes its flight simulator and training centre at Bournemouth Airport and its aircraft maintenance facility, occupying 12.5 acres, also at Bournemouth.

European Aviation operates its fleet of BAC 1-11s and Boeing 737s on behalf of many of Europe's flag carriers, including British Airways, Sabena and Air France. In addition, the company provides luxury air charter travel and has a unique VIP 50-seater aircraft that, in the past, has carried royalty, Prime Ministers and other government officials to pop stars and footballers. This year, the same aircraft will be used to fly the Arrows Formula One Team to F1 races and tests. European Aviation has also provided a similar service to the Tyrrell and Jordan F1 teams in the past.

Another rapidly-expanding division of European Aviation is its motorsport section, European Formula Racing, which boasts a 62,000 sq. ft full F1 facility following its acquisition of Tyrrell's assets (with the exception, of course, of the team's race entry which went to BAR) at the end of 1998.

The EFR facilities, which are equal to that of many F1 teams, also houses one of the largest collections of modern-day Formula One cars. Of the 50 cars displayed, 20 are fully operational - almost enough to provide Stoddart with his own F1 grid! With such an impressive facility and experienced personnel, it's not surprising that Stoddart has steered EFR into a partnership with the Arrows Formula One Team. This alliance sees EFR providing Arrows with technical support and assistance in the manufacturing of carbon fibre composites, fabrication, the provision of VIP flights, race transporters, etc. It is also here at the Ledbury facility that EFR has designed and built its own Formula One derivative, the 2-seater F1 car.

Quite aside from his obvious passion for Formula One, Paul has competed himself since 1978/80 when he raced in standard production saloons in Australia. Having devoted some 15 years to his aviation business, Paul rekindled his racing career in 1996 with the acquisition of several Tyrrell F1 cars. Out of his interest in F1, close links have been formed with the Boss Formula Championship for F1 and F3000 cars over three years old. Using cars from his collection, Paul has competed in the series for the past two years and finished third in the 1999 championship with a host of second and third places and this year is hoping to secure that elusive first win! With considerable experience and knowledge of modern era F1 cars, Paul has also been ideally placed to complete the testing and shakedown programme of the Arrows 2-seater Experience and will act as a driver for the car at corporate days.

Calendar

	2000 FIA FORMULA 3000 INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
	Round 1	April 8	Imola, San Marino
	Round 2	April 22	Great Britain, Silverstone
	Round 3	May 6	Spain, Barcelona
	Round 4	May 20	Germany, Nurburgring
	Round 5	June 3	Monaco, Monte Carlo
	Round 6	July 1	France, Magny-Cours
	Round 7	July 15	Austria, Spielberg (A1-Ring)
	Round 8	July 29	Germany, Hockenheim
	Round 9	August 12	Hungary, Hungaroring
	Round 10	August 26	Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps

Final Standings

		2000 FIA INTERNATIONAL FORMULA 3000 CHAMPIONSHIP 1. Bruno Junqueira (BR) 48 pts 2. Nicolas Minassian (F) 45 pts 3. Mark Webber (AUS) 21 pts 4. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 17 pts 5. Justin Wilson (GB) 16 pts 6. Tomas Enge (CZ) 15 pts = David Saelens (B) 15 pts