Ireland's brightest motorsport prospect Gary Thompson will make a one-off appearance in Germany's national Formula 3 championship at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend as his preparations for a tilt at the 2011 Japanese F3 title continue.

The 18-year-old Dubliner received the invite from revered junior single seater outfit Motopark only last weekend to contest the ATS Formel 3 Cup's second round of the season at the classic Belgian venue. 

With testing opportunities limited, Thompson jumped at the chance to gain some valuable seat time ahead of the opening round of the Japanese championship, which remains his primary focus in 2011.

Indeed, the Dallara F307 chassis in use this weekend is the same type as his SGC by KCMG team will campaign throughout the year in Japan. 

Although it will be the Aviation Display and Cebu Pacific Air-backed teenager's first experience of competitive German F3, he has visited the famed Ardennes circuit before, during Formula BMW testing two years ago. 

 Rivals will also be wary of Thompson's reputation in the series' spec-F307 chassis with which he smashed the Valencia lap record during German F3 testing there in December 2010. 

Gary Thompson: "It feels like a long time since I was last in the car so to get this late invite to contest one of Europe's most competitive F3 championships couldn't have come a moment too soon. Having said that, I'm aiming to be competitive straight away even if the circuit is one of the most demanding out there. While I haven't raced in German F3 before, we did join the big group test at the end of last season in Valencia with

another of the championship's teams and ended up breaking the lap record, so we should be there or there abouts."

Following this weekend's two races, Thompson will head to Suzuka for the start of his Japanese F3 title challenge on May 14/15.