Opel to continue development of F3 engines.

Opel has announced that development of the highly successful Opel Spiess engine will continue in 2005, although there will no longer be any factory support for teams next season.

With Opel focusing its attention on the DTM for 2005, the two litre engines will be available as a customer package to teams in the various European F3 championships.

"Given the focus of our resources on the DTM, there will no longer be factory support for teams and drivers like we have had so far", Opel motorsport director Volker Strycek said. "But we are expecting many teams to compete with Opel-engines."

Opel has a successful tradition in Formula Three, with 180 single race wins and ten championship titles in the German Formula 3 championship from 1990-2002, and the inaugural F3 Euroseries title in 2003 thanks to Ryan Briscoe.

Many former Opel Formula Three drivers from the German championship and the Euroseries have made their way into F1, including Nick Heidfeld, Ralf Schumacher, Giorgio Pantano, Timo Glock, Briscoe and Alexander Wurz.

Opel also tasted success in the British F3 championship this season, with Adam Carroll and James Rossiter claiming second and third in the title race, both with an Opel-Speiss engine.