News regarding injuries suffered by F1 reserve driver Maria de Villota, filtered through yesterday afternoon and sadly, it is not good.
In a tragic turn of circumstances, the Spaniard has lost her right eye in the incident which occurred at Duxford Aerodrome on Tuesday morning.
As previously stated, my thoughts go out to Maria, her family and friends at this difficult time. I hope she recovers quickly.
Eventually, thoughts will turn to the circumstances of the accident and there is no doubt, some very serious questions will be raised.
Whether it were car failure or driver error will be identified in time; however it is somewhat less clear why the loading truck was still situated in the pitlane, as opposed to the paddock area once running had commenced.
This was an awful accident and one can only hope the sport learns from such difficulties.
Certainly, with the serious injuries incurred by Marcus Gronholm and Toomas Heikkinen at last weekend’s X-Games in LA, it is easy to say that this has not been a stellar week for motorsport safety.
Indeed, the seriousness of Heikkenen’s practice crash on Friday was amplified by the apparent lack of trackside assistance.
Heikkinen was practicing a 50-foot jump over a pair of raps, but came up short, hitting the edge of the ramp head on as a result. The Ford Fiesta turned over and landed on its roof, before catching fire.
The Finn crawled away from his burning car unaided, despite a broken left ankle and abdominal injuries. Even then, it was some time before any aid reached the 21-year-old.
On Saturday, Gronholm suffered bone compression after hitting an exposed concrete block after losing control of his Ford Fiesta.
One hopes the motorsport world is not becoming blasé to the very real dangers of motorsport for this is an activity that will never be completely safe.
Finally, my condolences to the family and friends of VLN and former Mini Challenge champion Hendrik Vieth. The 30-year-old was killed in a motorbike accident yesterday evening.
Based in the very north-western tip of Germany in the town of Leer, Vieth won the Mini Challenge Germany in 2010 with the GIGAMOT squad – a success that came between two runner-up finishes in the category.
The German racer recently partnered Nick Heidfeld and Klaus Ludwig at the Nurburgring 24 Hours behind the wheel of a McLaren MP4-12C; however their entry did not make it beyond twenty-four laps.
Vieth had spent several years in single seaters, before progressing to the Porsche Carrera Cup in 2004 and even came close to the Formula Renault 2.0 Germany title in 2003, only to lose out to Scotland’s Ryan Sharp.
Vieth is survived by his wife Sabrina.
The Motorsport Archive would like to send its best wishes to Marussia reserve driver Maria de Villota.
Shortly after 9am today, the Spanish driver was involved in an accident during a straight line test at Duxford Aerodrome.
Following an early run, the Marussia reserve pilot was pulling toward the pits, when her car reportedly lurched forward and into one of the team’s trucks. As of 5pm, it has not been revealed how the accident occurred.
It is believed de Villota suffered head and facial injuries in the collision, although examinations are still ongoing.
At 3pm, the team released the following statement:
“Further to the accident involving the Marussia F1 Team’s Test Driver Maria De Villota this morning, the team can confirm that Maria was transferred by ambulance from Duxford Airfield, where the accident happened, to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
“Since Maria’s arrival at the hospital at approximately 10.45hrs this morning, she has been receiving the best medical attention possible at the hospital, which is the region’s major trauma centre. Maria is conscious and medical assessments are ongoing. The team will await the outcome of these assessments before providing further comment.
“The team’s first priority at this time is Maria and her family.”
While this was de Villota’s first test in the MR01, she tested for Renault (now Lotus) last summer at Paul Ricard in the R29. The 32-year-old has previously raced in the now defunct Superleague Formula, while also spending time competing in the Spanish GT Championship and Spanish Formula 3.
De Villota signed on as reserve driver for Marussia at the beginning of this seaon in a move that was considered by some to be little more than a publicity stunt due to the Spaniard’s lack of a Super Licence.
The nature of the incident may see the authorities cast an eye over how straight line tests are laid out and conducted. Irrespective of how the incident occurred, one must wonder how she came to collide with a truck.
Get well soon Maria.
© GP3 Media Services.
Former Auto GP race winner Giovanni Venturini today announced a deal to race with Trident Racing for the remainder of the GP3 season.
The Italian – who has spent 2012 racing in Formula Renault 3.5 – joins the series from this weekend’s round at Silverstone.
It may prove to be an uphill battle for the 20-year-old Venturini, as he steps into a car that that is an unknown quantity.
Venturini has previously raced in Italian and Swiss Formula Renault, before moving to the Renault Eurocup Series in 2010, taking five race wins along the way.
This year has proved a more difficult prospect for Venturini, with the Italian scoring only 3 points in seven Formula Renault 3.5 races, miring him 20th in the championship standings.
Meanwhile, Silverstone will mark the first time that Trident will be running a full compliment of cars at a GP3 round this season. In previous seasons, teams competing in the GP3 Series have been forced to run three entries, although that rule was dropped at the start of this year.
Thus far the squad have been competing with rookies Vicky Piria and Antonio Spavone, both of whom have struggled to find results thus far.
Also débuting at Silverstone will be Auto GP and European F3 Open regular Facu Regalia. The Argentine racer replaces Jakub Klasterka at Jenzer Motorsport, who was not entered at the last round in Valencia.
Regalia is currently lying 5th in Auto GP and 6th in European F3 Open after scoring three podiums. Neither championship clashes with GP3 for the rest of the season, allowing Regalia to compete without prioritising.
© SRO.
Raffaele Marciello won the final European Formula 3 race of the weekend at a rain hit Norisring, ahead of Daniel Juncadella and Felix Serralles.
The Italian survived a torrential downpour, tiptoeing his way around the bumpy German streets, in an event that could realistically have been called off!!
Alas, it became a race dominated by the safety car. With 21 laps completed – two-thirds of which were run behind the safety car – the red flag was shown as conditions eventually passed beyond the point of sensibility.
The race started under neutralised conditions and did not receive a green flag until the seventh tour.
Sensing an opportunity, Marciello slipped down the inside of poleman Pascal Wehrlein at turn one; however the unfortunate Wehrlein was in turn hit by the out of control Will Buller at the opening corner – an incident that encouraged a wry smile from Marciello.
“At the first corner, I need to overtake Wehrlein, but I turn[ed] in first and Buller took him. It was dangerous, because in the dry you can see if a driver has stopped; in the race, you see nothing.”
Buller was given a drive through penalty for his actions – a harsh decision considering the appalling conditions.
Carlin’s Jack Harvey and Jazeman Jaafar also suffered incidents at the restart, with Harvey clipping the rear of an overly cautious Sven Muller in the towering spray.
Jaafar clattered Buller’s strewn front wing, damaging his suspension in the process – Jaafar continued briefly, but soon fell out of the event due to his wounded car.
Meanwhile, Marciello kept ahead of Juncadella although the gap between the pair rarely drew past one second.
The line-up would be locked come the start of lap 15, when the safety car emerged for the second time, thanks to Philip Ellis’ stranded GU Racing machine. The Englishman had a near miss with Carlos Sainz Jr through the first hairpin, only to slide straight into the wall at turn three.
The static field ensured Marciello of the win, although the Italian was less than impressed with the conclusion of the race.
“I don’t know why the put out the red flag, because the rain was less, so I think we could have made full points. I am a little disappointed. The start, there was a lot of rain. After I saw the safety car, there was less, so I don’t know why we stopped.”
Despite missing out on the victory, Juncadella was pleased to have taken solid points from the race he felt was becoming too dangerous.
“Here you need to race with no downforce [in the dry], but when it’s raining there’s a lot of rivers in the straights and it’s quite crazy racing. I wouldn’t call it a race, because there was all those yellow flags, so I have to be happy with points and 2nd position.”
The Spaniard lamented the conditions feeling the effects of the torrid weather impeded racing far too much:
“When you are really close to the guy in front, you always have a lot of spray in front and you don’t always see anything – you just look at his rear light and you look at the sides to see the braking point and when you are really slow in the hairpins, you see a lot.
“The most dangerous place was the braking for the first hairpin; there’s a few rivers and also on the main straight, there are quite a few rivers and we’re in 5th gear flat and you feel the wheels spinning and that’s when a guy spun on the straight. It was quite dangerous.”
Serralles brought his Fortec racing machine home a safe 3rd, after skipping through the restart carnage. Apart from sleeping passed the Buller / Wehrlein melee, the Puerto Rican took Pietro Fantin and Emil Bernstorff, as the pack filtered amongst the hanging rain.
Serralles managed the gap to a fired-up Bernstorff; however Fantin’s fortunes took a slight knock when lost 5th to Hannes van Asseldonk on the ninth tour.
The Brazilian collided with the power sliding Pipo Derani in turn three, pushing both wide and opening the door for van Asseldonk to sneak through. Out of control, Derani lost his front wing against the harsh turn three wall, necessitating a pit stop.
Unable to match van Asseldonk, Fantin maintained 6th until the end.
Fortec proved their worth for van Asseldonk, when his engine failed when fired-up in the morning. The team mechanics worked frantically to change the unit in 37 minutes, ensuring the Dutchman made the start.
Tom Blomqvist pipped Michael Lewis to 7th before the final safety car emerged, while both Alex Lynn and Harry Tincknell climbed up the order with little fuss to take 9th and 10th respectively.
2012 European F3 Championship (Rd 5, race 3, 21 laps)
(also British F3 (Rd 6) & F3 Euro Series (Rd 4)
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Raffaelle Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 26m22.376s
2. Daniel Juncadella Prema Dallara-Merc + 0.731s
3. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 1.194s
4. Emil Bernstorff Ma-Con Dallara-VW + 2.783s
5. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 3.715s
6. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 5.632s
7. Tom Blomqvist Ma-Con Dallara-VW + 9.081s
8. Michael Lewis Prema Dallara-Merc + 9.409s
9. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 9.780s
10. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 11.027s
11. Sven Muller Prema Dallara-Merc + 11.388s
12. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc + 11.708s
13. Andrea Roda Zeller Dallara-Merc + 14.617s
14. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc + 16.343s
15. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 19.313s
16. Luis Sa Silva Angola Dallara-Merc + 20.992s
17. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen + 25.529s
18. William Buller Carlin Dallara-VW + 1 lap
19. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW + 1 lap
20. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen + 1 lap
21. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 2 laps
22. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc + 2 laps
23. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc + 3 laps
Retirements:
Philip Ellis GU Dallara-Merc 13 laps
Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc 13 laps
Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 9 laps
Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Dallara-Merc 8 laps
Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 7 laps
Bold = British F3
Italics = British F3 National Class
2012 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 5, Race 1) Drivers Championship Pos Driver Points 1. Raffaele Marciello 149.5 2. Daniel Juncadella 124 3. Carlos Sainz Jr 96 4. Will Buller 78 5. Felix Rosenqvist 66 6. Pascal Wehrlein 62 7. Michael Lewis 51 8. Sven Muller 49 9. Tom Blomqvist 33 10. Emil Bernstorff 23
2012 British F3 Series (Rd 6, Race 1) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jazeman Jaafar 186 2. Jack Harvey 182 3. Felix Serralles 176 5. Alex Lynn 144 4. Carlos Sainz Jr 140 6. Pietro Fantin 137 7. Harry Tincknell 133 8. Pipo Derani 96 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 81 10. Nick McBride 57 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 270 2. Duvashen Padayachee 232 3. Adderly Fong 62
2012 Formula 3 Euro Series (Rd 4, race 1) Drivers' Championship Pos Driver Points 1. Daniel Juncadella 122 3. Raffaele Marciello 116.5 2. William Buller 105.5 4. Pascal Wehrlein 92 6. Sven Muller 83 5. Carlos Sainz Jr 82 7. Felix Rosenqvist 76 8. Michael Lewis 74 9. Tom Blomqvist 67 10. Emil Bernstroff 33.5 Teams' Championship Pos Team Points 1. Prema Powerteam 313.5 2. Carlin 187.5 3. Mucke Motorsport 168 4. ma-con Motorsport 100.5 5. Jo Zeller Racing 24
© SRO.
A “cool under pressure” drive from Harry Tincknell, saw the Exeter man lead from lights to flag in race two at the Norisring this evening.
The Carlin racer held Fortec’s Felix Serralles at bay for the duration, with the gap between the pair less than one second throughout.
Mücke Motorsport’s Pascal Wehrlein came home 3rd, despite contact with Sven Muller.
A stellar start from Tincknell played its part – the Englishman drew cleanly away from the pack upon the start, with Serralles filtering through from 4th to slot in behind the leader.
From there, the gap ping-ponged – some laps, Tincknell pulled a lead of eight-tenths, only to lose much of it come the following tour. The fight continued as such, but with Serralles unable to close those vital last few tenths, Tincknell was assured the victory.
Prema Powerteam’s Pascal Wehrlein came home 3rd following a poor start from the front row.
The German dropped behind Serralles, Felix Rosenqvist and Will Buller; however moves on Buller (lap 9) and Rosenqvist (lap 20) promoted the Prema Powerteam racer to 3rd. Rosenqvist stayed 4th, while Buller maintained 5th to the flag.
Tom Blomqvist took 6th, aided somewhat by a gap on the grid where Daniel Juncadella was originally supposed to start. Next up was Carlin’s Jack Harvey in 7th following a stellar start from the seventh row.
Harvey beat teammate Pietro Fantin to the line; however the Brazilian suffered a dire start when he dropped from 5th to 10th on the opening lap.
Fantin’s cause was helped somewhat when Sven Muller ran into the rear of Wehrlein on lap seven, breaking his front wing in the process.
The Carlin man picked up another spot with a pass on the struggling Sandro Zeller, although the German rookie did well to hang on as long as he did, while at the wheel of old generation Dallara.
Alex Lynn took 9th after a sterling race long battle with Jazeman Jaafar, Hannes van Asseldonk and later Daniel Juncadella.
The quartet became grouped together as they fought to pass Zeller; however it was Lynn who made the most of the challenge, taking Jaafar on lap twelve when the Malaysian clipped the turn three wall.
Van Asseldonk followed through, although Jaafar’s attempts to repass were tersely brushed away.
Jaafar eventually fell into the clutches of Michael Lewis and Juncadella. The American ran wide while taking Jaafar on lap twenty, allowing Juncadella through into 11th. Zeller eventually fell to 12th, while Lewis and Jaafar clung on 13th and 14th respectively.
As per usual, the opening corner was a site for sore eyes, as Jack Harvey clipped the rear of Jazeman Jaafar and Sainz Jr touched Andrea Roda. However, it was Emil Bernstorff slamming the turn three wall that neutralised events, with the first lap shenanigans bringing the safety car briefly on track.
Sainz Jr’s car gave up the ghost with a mechanical issue with three laps remaining.
2012 British F3 Series (Rd 6, race 2, 22 laps)
(also F3 Euro Series (Rd 4, race 2)
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 20m10.193s
2. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 0.419s
3. Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Dallara-Merc + 2.102s
4. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc + 4.715s
5. William Buller Carlin Dallara-VW + 4.840s
6. Tom Blomqvist Ma-Con Dallara-VW + 5.049s
7. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW + 7.098s
8. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 8.522s
9. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 9.059s
10. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 13.053s
11. Daniel Juncadella Prema Dallara-Merc + 14.037s
12. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc + 15.460s
13. Michael Lewis Prema Dallara-Merc + 16.926s
14. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 16.938s
15. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc + 18.904s
16. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 19.895s
17. Raffaelle Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc + 20.496s
18. Luis Sa Silva Angola Dallara-Merc + 22.182s
19. Andrea Roda Zeller Dallara-Merc + 22.425s
20. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc + 22.843s
21. Philip Ellis GU Dallara-Merc + 38.530s
22. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen + 40.608s
23. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen + 51.078s
24. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 1 lap
Retirements:
Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 18 laps
Sven Muller Prema Dallara-Merc 6 laps
Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc 1 lap
Emil Bernstorff Ma-Con Dallara-VW 0 laps
Bold = British F3
Italics = British F3 National Class
2012 British F3 Series (Rd 6, Race 2) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jack Harvey 186 2. Jazeman Jaafar 182 3. Felix Serralles 152 4. Carlos Sainz Jr 137 5. Alex Lynn 134 6. Harry Tincknell 125 7. Pietro Fantin 125 8. Pipo Derani 94 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 65 10. Nick McBride 53 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 249 2. Duvashen Padayachee 217 3. Adderly Fong 62
2012 Formula 3 Euro Series (Rd 4, race 2) Drivers' Championship Pos Driver Points 1. Daniel Juncadella 113 2. William Buller 105 3. Raffaele Marciello 104 4. Pascal Wehrlein 92 5. Carlos Sainz Jr 82 6. Sven Muller 79 7. Felix Rosenqvist 74 8. Michael Lewis 69 9. Tom Blomqvist 61 10. Emil Bernstroff 29 Teams' Championship Pos Team Points 1. Prema Powerteam 292 2. Carlin 187 3. Mucke Motorsport 166 4. ma-con Motorsport 87 5. Jo Zeller Racing 21
© SRO.
In one for the anoraks, no one won the opening Formula 3 race at Norisring this weekend, following the disqualification of original winner Daniel Juncadella.
Carlin’s Will Buller, who finished 2nd on the road, kept his 2nd position; however the record book will show a blank space next to the “winning driver” slot.
Juncadella was running 2nd behind Mücke Motorsport’s Pascal Wehrlein on lap 39, when he missed his braking point into the sharp turn one, slipping into the side of the innocent Wehrlein – Juncadella continued, while Wehrlein dropped to 7th spot.
Wehrlein may well have fallen further had it not been for an immediate call for the safety car. With only two minutes remaining in the event, the race director brought out the red flag, ending the race.
Juncadella jumped into the lead from the start; however the Spaniard began suffering problems as the race aged, due to heavy wear suffered by the right rear tyres of his his Mercedes-powered machine. Wehrlein stayed glued to Juncadella throughout, eventually taking the lead on lap 34.
The later accident was not the only collision Juncadella was involved in – on the same lap as his collision with Wehrlein, the Prema man was also clashed with teammate and title challenger Raffaele Marciello.
As the Italian began to draft around the outside of his teammate on the approach to the final corner, the pair glanced wheels, spinning Marciello into the unforgiving wall, breaking his front wing.
Juncadella again continued; however the wounded Marciello made only as far as the turn 2 / 3 chicane, before sliding into the wall at the exit.
Regardless of Juncadella’s penalty, it proved a disappointing ending for Marciello. The Italian had started on pole, only to drop to 5th after a poor getaway. Moves on Bernstorff (lap 11) and Buller (lap 19) made that 3rd, before he latched on to the leading duo.
With both Wehrlein and Marciello removed from the action, Juncadella temporarily inherited the win when the red flag was introduced at the end of lap 42, but was excluded ninety minutes later.
All the action action ahead promoted Buller (who enjoyed a relatively quiet race) to 2nd – a position he maintained despite Juncadella’s exclusion, while Emil Bernstorff took a hard-earned first podium of the season in 3rd.
Pietro Fantin’s finished 4th – the Brazilian being the first of the British F3 runners. The Carlin man spent the running challenging Bernstorff, but struggled to find the Englishman’s breaking point.
Fortec’s Felix Serralles took 5th overall ahead Mücke Motorsport pair Felix Rosenqvist (6th) and the hobbling Wehrlein.
Harry Tincknell took an encouraging 8th for Carlin. The Englishman beat Sven Muller and Tom Blomqvist after several laps trapped behind the sluggish Sandro Zeller.
Geoff Uhrhane and Nick McBride drove solid races to 12th and 13th, although the latter was lucky to come away unscathed following a mid-race bump with Philip Ellis. For his troubles, Ellis retired although that had more to do with hitting the turn three wall earlier in the lap.
Jack Harvey took a lucky 14th in a race that included a collision, a drive through penalty and a damaged front wing. It fell apart for Harvey on the opening tour, when the Lincolnshire man climbed the turn one kerb, collecting teammate Jazeman Jaafar in the process.
Damaged, Harvey pushed Jaafar into the first lap pack, forcing Alex Lynn (Fortec) and Lucas Wolf (URD) wide and into a crash of their own. Lynn pitted for a new front wing; however Wolf’s Dallara was beyond repair.
The opening lap also saw Carlos Sainz Jr hit the wall at exit of turn three, ending his race there and then. All these incidents brought out a four-lap long safety car period, as debris and broken machines littered the bumpy streets.
Prema Powerteam’s American pilot Michael Lewis also found himself in a spot of bother at turn one. Two laps after the restart, Lewis slid into the side of Derani in turn one, causing both to drop out with damage. The clash pushed Hannes van Asseldonk (Fortec) and Muller wide, with the latter losing time and positions.
Van Asseldonk lost his front wing in his attempt to escape the crash.
2012 European F3 Championship (Rd 5, race 1, 42 laps)
(also British F3 (Rd 6) & F3 Euro Series (Rd 4)
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
DSQ. Daniel Juncadella Prema Dallara-Merc 37m11.584s
2. Will Buller Carlin Dallara-VW + 1.854s
3. Emil Bernstorff Ma-Con Dallara-VW + 2.963s
4. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 3.574s
5. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 4.868s
6. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc + 6.152s
7. Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Dallara-Merc + 13.241s
8. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 13.671s
9. Sven Muller Prema Dallara-Merc + 13.949s
10. Tom Blomqvist Ma-Con Dallara-VW + 14.538s
11. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc + 20.855s
12. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc + 21.832s
13. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 22.399s
14. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW + 22.637s
15. Luis Sa Silva Angola Dallara-Merc + 23.242s
16. Andrea Roda Zeller Dallara-Merc + 1 lap
17. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen + 1 lap
18. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 1 lap
19. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 1 lap
20. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 1 lap
21. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen + 2 laps
Retirements:
Raffaelle Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 39 laps
Philip Ellis GU Dallara-Merc 17 laps
Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc 7 laps
Michael Lewis Prema Dallara-Merc 7 laps
Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 6 laps
Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 1 lap
Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 0 laps
Bold = British F3
Italics = British F3 National Class
2012 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 5, Race 1) Drivers Championship Pos Driver Points 1. Raffaele Marciello 137 2. Daniel Juncadella 115 3. Carlos Sainz Jr 96 4. Will Buller 85 5. Felix Rosenqvist 68 6. Pascal Wehrlein 64 7. Sven Muller 51 8. Michael Lewis 49 9. Tom Blomqvist 32 10. Emil Bernstorff 20
2012 British F3 Series (Rd 6, Race 1) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jazeman Jaafar 178 2. Jack Harvey 174 3. Felix Serralles 140 4. Carlos Sainz Jr 137 5. Alex Lynn 126 6. Pietro Fantin 115 7. Harry Tincknell 105 8. Pipo Derani 92 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 59 10. Nick McBride 52 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 228 2. Duvashen Padayachee 202 3. Adderly Fong 62
2012 Formula 3 Euro Series (Rd 4, race 1) Drivers' Championship Pos Driver Points 1. Daniel Juncadella 109 2. William Buller 106 3. Raffaele Marciello 104 4. Pascal Wehrlein 84 5. Carlos Sainz Jr 82 6. Sven Muller 81 7. Felix Rosenqvist 69 8. Michael Lewis 67 9. Tom Blomqvist 58 10. Emil Bernstroff 29 Teams' Championship Pos Team Points 1. Prema Powerteam 289 2. Carlin 188 3. Mucke Motorsport 153 4. ma-con Motorsport 87 5. Jo Zeller Racing 21
Yep. P1 is blank.
© SRO.
Reigning Macau Grand Prix winner Daniel Juncadella won a chaotic opening European F3 Championship race this afternoon, but may yet lose it in the stewards room.
The Spaniard was running 2nd behind Mücke Motorsport’s Pascal Wehrlein on lap 39, when he missed his braking point into the sharp turn one, slipping into the side of the innocent Wehrlein.
It was the second time the pair have clashed this season, following on from their clash at Pau in May, which took both out.
On this occasion, Juncadella continued, while Wehrlein dropped to 6th spot, although he may have fallen further had it not been for an immediate call for the safety car.
Following that, Juncadella suffered yet another collision – this time with title challenger Raffaele Marciello, causing the latter to spin into the unforgiving wall, breaking his front wing.
Juncadella again continued; however Marciello made only another corner before sliding into the wall at the exit of turn three, this time destroying his Prema Powerteam machine.
With both Wehrlein and Marciello removed from the action, Juncadella inherited the lead – and the win when the red flag was introduced at the end of lap 42.
Stewards announced the investigation into the accidents as the race ended; although the evidence at this stage may see the Spaniard lose his victory.
Will Buller came home in 2nd spot, while Emil Bernstorff took his first podium of the season in 3rd.
[more to follow…]
© SRO.
Pascal Wehrlein secured pole position for the Formula 3 Feature Race at the Norisring this morning.
The Mücke Motorsport racer topped the timings with a best lap of 49.1s around the 2.3 km circuit, earning a 0.020s advantage over Grand Prix de Pau winner Raffaele Marciello.
It was an impressive feat for the rookie to nab pole position on his first visit to the East German track.
Indeed for all the drivers, the circuit presented was vaguely new. Track break-up last night ensured a new layer of tarmac coated the entry into the turn 2/3 chicane, presenting an additional challenge for the field.
One driver to be caught out was Will Buller. The Carlin driver lost the rear end of his Volkswagen-powered machine toward the tail end of the session, but not before setting the 3rd best time.
Prema Powerteam’s Daniel Juncadella fills out row two alongside the Englishman.
Pietro Fantin proved the fastest of the British F3 contingent with a run to 5th. The Brazilian enjoyed a one-tenth advantage over Emil Bernstorff (ma-con, 6th), while Felix Serralles and Pipo Derani made it an all-Fortec fourth row.
Michael Lewis made it three Prema Powerteam cars in the top ten, while Hannes van Asseldonk placed his Fortec- Mercedes in an encouraging 10th spot.
It was not the best of days for the British F3 Series title contenders. Current points leader Jazeman Jaafar could do no better than 13th place in his Carlin-Volkswagen; however that was still some four places higher than challenger Jack Harvey.
Of those chasing the silverware, Sainz Jr fared the best – the Spaniard ended the session in 11th position, giving him the inside of row six.
Spike Goddard headed the National Class pairing, although that still left the Australian a distant 27th overall.
The top positions are slightly re-arranged for race one; with Marciello on pole form Wehrlein, Juncadella and Buller.
As with the race three times, Fantin was the quickest of the British F3 drivers, ahead of Bernstorff, Sainz Jr, van Asseldonk, Derani and Lewis.
2012 European F3 Championship (Rd 5) Qualifying Race 1 (also British F3 (Rd 4) & F3 Euro Series (Rd 5)) Pos Driver Team Time / Gap 1. Raffaele Marciello Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.254 2. Pascal Wehrlein Mücke Motorsport-Mercedes 49.271 3. Daniel Juncadella Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.273 4. William Buller Carlin-Volkswagen 49.327 5. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen 49.376 6. Emil Bernstorff ma-con-Volkswagen 49.500 7. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen 49.567 8. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes 49.571 9. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes 49.578 10. Michael Lewis Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.580 11. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes 49.582 12. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen 49.631 13. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes 49.684 14. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen 49.727 15. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen 49.743 16. Sven Muller Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.746 17. Tom Blomqvist ma-con-Volkswagen 49.758 18. Andrea Roda Jo Zeller-Mercedes 49.819 19. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes 49.866 20. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes 49.889 21. Nick McBride Threebond with T-Sport-Nissan 49.922 22. Felix Rosenqvist Mücke Motorsport-Mercedes 49.959 23. Lucas Wolf URD Rennsport-Mercedes 50.114 24. Sandro Zeller Jo Zeller-Mercedes 50.174 25. Luis Sa Silva Angola Racing-Mercedes 50.318 26. Philip Ellis GU Racing-Mercedes 50.599 27. Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen-Honda 51.506 28. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda 51.912
Bold = British F3
Italics = British F3 National Class
2012 European F3 Championship (Rd 5) Qualifying Race 3 (also British F3 (Rd 4) & F3 Euro Series (Rd 5) Pos Driver Team Time / Gap 1. Pascal Wehrlein Mücke Motorsport-Mercedes 49.100 2. Raffaele Marciello Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.120 3. William Buller Carlin-Volkswagen 49.238 4. Daniel Juncadella Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.262 5. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen 49.328 6. Emil Bernstorff ma-con-Volkswagen 49.493 7. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes 49.494 8. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes 49.501 9. Michael Lewis Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.506 10. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes 49.522 11. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen 49.559 12. Tom Blomqvist ma-con-Volkswagen 49.571 13. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen 49.613 14. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes 49.664 15. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen 49.687 16. Sven Muller Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 49.694 17. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen 49.715 18. Andrea Roda Jo Zeller-Mercedes 49.778 19. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes 49.817 20. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes 49.834 21. Felix Rosenqvist Mücke Motorsport-Mercedes 49.864 22. Nick McBride Threebond with T-Sport-Nissan 49.869 23. Luis Sa Silva Angola Racing-Mercedes 49.901 24. Sandro Zeller Jo Zeller-Mercedes 50.071 25. Lucas Wolf URD Rennsport-Mercedes 50.074 26. Philip Ellis GU Racing-Mercedes 50.346 27. Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen-Honda 51.434 28. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda 51.805
Bold = British F3
Italics = British F3 National Class
© SRO.
Qualifying for the European Formula 3 Championship at the Norisring has been postponed until tomorrow, due to deteriorating track surface conditions.
The circuit, which has been under relatively heavy use throughout today, began to break up during the afternoon.
However circuit difficulties became most apparent during free practice for the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup.
Two late accidents in the session highlighted the problems drivers faced, as the road crumbled in the searing 35°C heat. Track temperature, meanwhile, climbed as high as 47°C at certain points.
Formula 3 qualifying will now take place at 8.10am (CET), with the opening race still scheduled to run at 11.50am (CET).
© SRO.
Prema Powerteam racer Daniel Juncadella headed the opening Formula 3 practice session at the Norisring this morning.
The Spaniard pipped Harry Tincknell and Tom Blomqvist to the top spot, although many of the session’s faster times came courtesy of fresh Hankook rubber.
Pau Grand Prix victor Raffaele Marciello was lumbered with a loose wheel on his final run, although the Italian brought his Prema car back to the safety of the pits, before engaging another run.
Duvashen Padayachee endured a torrid time in his Double R machine. A broken clutch necessitated lost time in the garage, only for his mechanics to discover an additional gearbox issue later on.
Norisring’s heavy bumps dominated discussion amongst drivers, as each pilot assumed various routes to solving balance issues.
Due to the fast layout of the circuit, many of the competitors are running thin rear wing sections, adding to the lack of feel through the circuits few turns – something that may prey upon driver’s minds as they skim Norisring’s punishing walls.
The circuit’s high top speeds have also proven to be difficult on brakes, with drivers struggling to come to grips with the hard braking points.
2012 European F3 Championship (Rd 5) / British F3 (Rd 4) / F3 Euro Series (Rd 5) Free Prcatice
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Daniel Juncadella Prema Dallara-Merc 49.897s 2. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 49.958s + 0.061s 3. Tom Blomqvist Ma-Con Dallara-VW 49.976s + 0.079s 4. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 50.005s + 0.108s 5. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 50.011s + 0.114s 6. Michael Lewis Prema Dallara-Merc 50.080s + 0.183s 7. Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Dallara-Merc 50.093s + 0.196s 8. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 50.104s + 0.207s 9. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 50.115s + 0.218s 10. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 50.129s + 0.232s 11. Sven Muller Prema Dallara-Merc 50.136s + 0.239s 12. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 50.206s + 0.309s 13. Emil Bernstorff Ma-Con Dallara-VW 50.210s + 0.313s 14. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 50.227s + 0.330s 15. Will Buller Carlin Dallara-VW 50.273s + 0.376s 16. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 50.411s + 0.514s 17. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc 50.427s + 0.530s 18. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 50.480s + 0.583s 19. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc 50.518s + 0.621s 20. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 50.601s + 0.704s 21. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc 50.611s + 0.714s 22. Andrea Roda Zeller Dallara-Merc 50.625s + 0.728s 23. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 50.678s + 0.781s 24. Luis Sa Silva Angola Dallara-Merc 50.837s + 0.940s 25. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc 50.978s + 1.081s 26. Philip Ellis GU Dallara-Merc 51.255s + 1.358s 27. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 51.386s + 1.489s 28. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen 52.530s + 2.633s
Bold = British F3
Italics = British F3 National Class
© GP2 Media Services.
TV Notes
—-
Esteban Gutierrez and Luiz Razia proved that is just as important as guile during the sixth round of the GP2 Series at Valencia last weekend.
Both bolstered their championships with decisive late wins when fortune fell away from Calado – a victim of ill-timed safety cars and disintegrating tyres.
Whereas Gutierrez will welcome the boost to a slightly bruised confidence, Razia will take delight in reeling in series leader Davide Valsecchi.
Indeed Razia now only trails the Italian by a single point. But it’s not just Valsecchi – his rookie teammate Felipe Nasr has also began struggling in recent rounds, as the yellow machine fall back into the pack.
The alarm bells must surely now be ringing at DAMS.
—-
Feature Race
Gutierrez assumed the Feature Race, when teammate Calado twice had his tyre strategy scuppered by the safety car.
Starting 5th*, the Mexican victor was a distant 3rd when the first stoppage occurred on lap 13. Rapax racer Tom Dillmann took damage to his rear wing on the opening lap – the fragile carbon fibre piece collapsing as the halfway mark approached.
The majority danced around the stricken object, but not all would be so fortunate – Rodolfo Gonzalez (in the midst of an “interesting” weekend**) smashed the remains of the wing to litter. Cue safety car number one.
By this stage, Calado – had a 15 second lead over Racing Engineering’s Fabio Leimer, only for that to be wiped away in an instant. Those who had not pitted already did so before the safety car caught them – except for Calado, now just a couple of car lengths up on Leimer, but with a stop still to do.
The lap 18 restart proved to be calamitous. Struggling with throttle problems, Felipe Nasr (DAMS) twice lost drive, with the latter stall crowding the field as they crossed the bridge.
Unsighted, Jolyon Palmer dived down the inside of Nasr while others negotiated the safer outside line, only for Palmer to spear Fabrizio Crestani (Venezuela Lazarus GP), pitching the Italian into a violent barrel roll.
Safety car number two. Thankfully Crestani climbed out with no injuries.
The next restart came on lap 22 – and this, too, was brief. Having still not pitted, Calado again led away, while Gutierrez clattered Leimer, allowing an opportunistic Razia into 2nd.
Gutierrez would retake Razia further on down the lap in a tough, but clean manner, while the quiet Marcus Ericsson breezed by Leimer and Razia in quick succession.
Something that could not be said for Gonzalez. Attempting a move on Giancarlo Serenelli, the Venezuelan simply punted the right rear of the Italian, punting Serenelli into the barrier and an unattainable position for the circuit cranes. Safety car number three.
Calado’s plan of making a gap before a tyre change was beginning to collapse; the Englishman was finally brought in on lap 24. Luck finally came Calado’s way; the safety car had not picked him up yet, allowing the Lotus racer to glide quickly to the pits – he would emerge in 10th in Valsecchi’s mirrors.
The disappearance of one Lotus gave the other the lead, as Gutierrez stepped up to the front. The Mexican only had three laps to run and he held Ericsson at bay with ease, while Razia and Leimer filled out 3rd and 4th respectively.
It is a solid result for Razia, who crucially jumped four spots to 7th off the line, before crucially skipping over van der Garde in the pits.
Rio Haryanto (Carlin, 5th) crossed the finish line marginally ahead of Nathanael Berthon (Racing Engineering), Max Chilton (Carlin, 7th) and Valsecchi (DAMS, 8th); however the latter was later demoted ten places for overtaking the safety car.
Johnny Cecotto initially took 9th, but he too received a post-race penalty for an unsafe release in the pits, dropping him to 19th. The dual penalties would eventually promote Calado to 8th and pole position for the Sprint Race.
Stefano Coletti, Simon Trummer and van der Garde would all cross the line together with van der Garde losing out on the final points place by a mere two-tenths.
2012 GP2 Round of Europe (Rd 6, Feature Race, 28 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus 1h00m31.895s
2. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 1.615s
3. Luiz Razia Arden + 6.064s
4. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 6.403s
5. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 6.928s
6. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 7.605s
7. Max Chilton Carlin + 8.384s
8. James Calado Lotus + 11.099s
9. Stefano Coletti Coloni + 15.404s
10. Simon Trummer Arden + 15.782s
11. Giedo van der Garde Caterham + 15.962s
12. Julian Leal Trident + 16.869s
13. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 17.715s
14. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 18.338s
15. Josef Kral Addax + 19.580s
16. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 22.983s
17. Daniel de Jong Rapax + 23.456s
18. Davide Valsecchi DAMS + 10.573s+
19. Johnny Cecotto Addax + 39.627s
20. Victor Guerin Ocean + 1 lap
Retirements:
Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus 21 laps
Felipe Nasr DAMS 18 laps
Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus 17 laps
Jolyon Palmer iSport 17 laps
Tom Dillmann Rapax 11 laps
Nigel Melker Ocean 1 lap
+ 10-place penalty for overtaking the safety car.
Sprint Race
Razia proved himself cleverer still on Sunday. Three laps from the end, the Brazilian lay 6th, several seconds behind the leading group of five – all of whom were covered by two seconds.
Yet Calado – out front and dominating once again – had begun to notice the grip in his Pirelli’s ebb away. Traction was getting difficult and it was becoming more obvious with every turn of the wheel.
Whether it be corner entry or exit, his Lotus slithered awkwardly, but the Englishman held his line and the chasing pack at bay.
Indeed Haryanto had been harassing Calado for the duration, when a quick start prompted the Indonesian to 2nd spot. Chilton was there too, as were the persistent Leimer and van der Garde; the quintet snaked around the 5.4 km circuit for lap after lap – always threatening, always lurking.
Eventually impatience got the better of Haryanto. The more Calado struggled, the more tempting the gap – he could wait no longer and on lap 20, the dive came down the inside of turn 12, but Calado kept turning…
The thud was ominous and the result immediate – his left front suspension now a mangled frame, Haryanto parked his Carlin, while Calado carried on – just. For his troubles, Haryanto earned a ten-place grid penalty for the Silverstone Feature Race.
Only metres behind the Calado / Haryanto clash, Leimer also dived inside Chilton, albeit successfully. With the Carlin absent, Leimer was now 2nd, while Calado remained only a few tenths ahead.
Now the Swiss pilot laid on the pressure. An intention here and an impression there, the Racing Engineering car loomed large in Calado’s green-framed wing mirrors.
Lap 23 – the final one – and Leimer had to go for it in turn 12, but this time the pair ran wide and over the tarmac run-off. Calado cut short and rejoined quickly; Leimer took liberties and rejoined ahead of the pack.
Yet the Swiss pilot was fair. Aware of a potential penalty – and despite only a few corners remaining – Leimer gave the lead back to Calado. Only, Leimer probably slowed a little too much…
Razia, meanwhile, fell to 8th off the line, although that became 6th when Fabio Onidi hit the rear of Berthon, causing the former to pit for a new front wing, while the latter took some turns to recover his confidence.
That really should have been it, but when Calado’s tyres began to cry enough toward the end, the Brazilian was drawn back into the game and when the leading pair clashed, Razia was already lining up van der Garde.
He got him – on lap 22 – and then breezed past Chilton several corners later. With Haryanto gone, Razia was in a podium spot and presumably satisfied with that – until Leimer and Calado ran wide.
As Leimer slowed to let Calado back into the lead, Razia spotted a small gap in between the duo – and with a couple of light flicks, he dived clean through. It was clean, concise and worthy of praise – marvellous stuff.
The Brazilian appeared more shocked than anything on the podium, but delighted nonetheless. Calado – pipped again – sealed 2nd ahead of Leimer, while Chilton assumed a hard earned 4th.
Out of nowhere, Berthon grabbed a very late 5th from a “tyred-out” van der Garde. The Frenchman lost out badly at the start, when his 2nd position on the grid had become 7th once the opening tours had shaken out.
The disappearance of Haryanto and collapse of van der Garde’s pace propelled the Racing Engineering man some way back up the order.
Behind van der Garde, Trummer picked up more points for Arden, while Julian Leal registered a rare point with an 8th place finish.
It was not all clean though. The opening lap was solid until turn two, when a squeezed Marcus Ericsson*** clattered the wall, narrowing the width of the road in the process.
As a result, the unsighted Gutierrez, Coletti, Crestani and Valsecchi all collided with the Swede; only Valsecchi would continue following a pitstop.
After the brief safety car period, the race was green for a few hundred feet, when Palmer somehow ran into the back of Cecotto Jr on the start / finish straight, bringing out another safety car.
The finally went green on lap 5; however that did not stop Gonzalez from punting Stephane Richelmi into the barrier at turn two.
2012 GP2 Round of Europe (Rd 6, Sprint Race, 22 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Luiz Razia Arden 46m07.255s
2. James Calado Lotus + 1.179s
3. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 1.587s
4. Max Chilton Carlin + 2.425s
5. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 2.957s
6. Giedo van der Garde Caterham + 4.969s
7. Simon Trummer Arden + 8.415s
8. Julian Leal Trident + 9.501s
9. Daniel de Jong Rapax + 13.591s
10. Davide Valsecchi DAMS + 17.564s
11. Josef Král Addax + 21.005s
12. Tom Dillmann Rapax + 34.565s
13. Nigel Melker Ocean + 46.929s
14. Luiz Nasr DAMS + 50.083s
15. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 51.366s
16. Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus + 57.490s
17. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 1m03.342s
18. Victor Guerin Ocean + 1m03.439s
Retirements:
Rio Haryanto Carlin 19 laps
Stephane Richelmi Trident 5 laps
Jolyon Palmer iSport 3 laps
Johnny Cecotto Jr. Addax 3 laps
Stefano Coletti Coloni 0 laps
Esteban Gutierrez Lotus 0 laps
Marcus Ericsson iSport 0 laps
Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus 0 laps
2012 GP2 Series points standings Drivers’ Championship Pos Driver Points 1. Davide Valsecchi 141 2. Luiz Razia 140 3. James Calado 95 4. Max Chilton 93 5. Giedo van der Garde 89 6. Esteban Gutierrez 87 7. Fabio Leimer 65 8. Marcus Ericsson 52 9. Nathanael Berthon 41 10. Johnny Cecotto Jr 31 Teams’ Championship Pos Team Points 1. Lotus GP 182 2. DAMS 169 3. Arden 144 4. Carlin 119 5. Racing Engineering 106
© GP2 Media Services.
Recently, I noted my disappointment with the standards of driving by GP3’s Dmitry Suranovich at Monaco.
The Russian blocked, weaved and backed into Lotus GP’s Conor Daly, eventually instigating a horrific accident that sent Daly skyward at the Nouvelle chicane.
Thankfully all emerged unscathed, but it was the latest in a string of incidents dictated by poor standards of action behind the wheel.
Last weekend’s GP2 races at the Valencia street circuit raised the bar of madness a touch further.
The on track action appeared – at times – to be almost amateurish, dominated by some shocking driving and mindless accidents.
These drivers are supposedly vying to be the future of Formula 1. One can only hope some semblance of maturity graces the field before they take their next steps on the motor racing ladder.
Whether it be Jolyon Palmer spearing an innocent Fabrizio Crestani in race one in attempt to take several cars at once, causing Crestani to barrel roll on a couple of occasions.
Or whether it was Rodolfo Gonzalez hitting Giancarlo Serenelli into the wall, bringing out what was then the third safety car of the opening race.
Then there was Tom Dillmann driving with a broken rear wing, which eventually fell off, leading to Gonzalez to crash into it head on, bringing out a safety car.
Or possibly the four-car pile-up on the opening lap of the Sprint Race as the GP2 field cast itself into turn two, bringing out an immediate safety car.
Or the aforementioned Palmer hitting the rear of Johnny Cecotto Jr on the start / finish straight just as the race went back to green flag racing.
The series of faux pas’ were not limited to the racing track. There was a team member who seemed to wander aimlessly off the pitwall and into the path of oncoming traffic during a series of live pitstops – Giedo van der Garde thankfully has quick reflexes.
Beyond that, there were incidents in free practice when Gonzalez crashed into the turn fourteen barrier on his own at slow speed.
In qualifying, Gonzalez and Cecotto Jr seemed determined to fight for position on track, baulking the fast Davide Valsecchi as a result.
The blissful lack of awareness added a light comical touch to the situation. Apparently it did not occur to them to slow down, so they could make track space for themselves.
In saying that, the final six laps in the Sunday morning Sprint Race was absolutely top notch – the fight for the win between James Calado, Rio Haryanto, Fabio Leimer, Max Chilton, van der Garde and eventual winner Luiz Razia was a joy to behold.
Prior to that, the action was somewhat less than enjoyable, because frankly the standard of racing in the field was appalling. Much of it represented the absolute nadir of GP2 – some truly abysmal driving.
It was rather reminiscent of GP2 in Monaco last year. Someone needs to sit these boys down and have a chat.
© SRO.
Carlin championship contender Jack Harvey cruised to his fourth British Formula 3 win of the season at a sunny – if cool afternoon – Brands Hatch.
The 19-year-old led from lights-to-flag, while teammates Jazeman Jaafar and Harry Tincknell chased in the distance.
Fortec’s Alex Lynn broke the Carlin party as he shadowed Tincknell for the duration.
It was an impressive start for Harvey; especially considering the difficulties he has had getting off the line this season.
On this occasion, the Englishman pulled away gloriously, ensuring Jaafar fell away in his mirrors.
Jaafar held close to Harvey for the opening dozen laps, as the leader pulled out two-tenths at a time. From there, however, Harvey opened out and drew into the distance, eventually winning by a comfortable 9.5 seconds.
“There was a lot going on. I saved some tyres for this race – we worked on some bits and managed to pull a gap to Jazeman. Yesterday we struggled to do that and the race was probably a little bit easier than yesterday and I didn’t have this white-and-green machine in my mirrors the whole time. We made a few changes and managed to do a good job of it.”
With another relatively large gap to Tincknell, Jaafar settled for 2nd spot, solidifying his lead in the championship at the halfway point of the season.
“To be honest, the only opportunity I had was near the start of the safety car. I had a really good start, but [Harvey] was so much quicker in race pace and wasn’t making mistakes.”
Tincknell enjoyed a slightly busier race, although the Essex man seemed confident of his pace ahead of Lynn, who struggled to break his Carlin rival.
From there on, the race was somewhat static with Carlin’s Pietro Fantin nabbing 5th ahead of the squabbling Nick McBride (T-Sport) and Hannes van Asseldonk (Fortec), while Geoff Uhrhane assumed a solid 8th for Double R.
Felix Serralles forced 9th from Fahmi Ilyas just before the finish line – despite some rather “rough” defensive tactics from the Malaysian.
It was something of an unfortunate race for Serralles – the Puerto Rican lined up 6th on the grid, only to be caught out when Carlos Sainz Jr (Carlin) and Pipo Derani (Fortec) clattered eachother in Paddock Hill Bend on the opening lap.
The incident brought out a brief safety car, helping Serralles a degree while he pitted for a new right rear tyre. Meanwhile Sainz Jr and Derani were out of the spot.
Serralles can be pleased with the pace shown – the driver rejoined the race in 12th and some 20 seconds behind National Class runner Duvashen Padayachee.
It would be some ten laps before the Fortec man could catch the rear of the field, but when he did, he made short work of it.
Moves on Padayachee (lap 13), Spike Goddard (lap 19) and Adderly Fong (lap 20) gave Serralles free air and an opportunity to run on Ilyas – something the Puerto Rican national would take advantage of as they crossed the line.
Fong ran home to an unchallenged 11th, taking his third National Class victory of the weekend. The Canadian-Chinese driver led Goddard for much of the running, only for the latter to throw his T-Sport machine off after 22 laps, gifting Padayachee 12th spot.
“The car is very different with the Honda engine – there’s a bit less power, so the whole balance is different , but fundamentally it’s the same thing to drive. It’s nice to be back and to do well.”
With the sixth round coming in a week’s time, Jaafar still holds the lead of the series, but the gap has shrunk significantly, with the Malaysian now leading the resurgent Harvey by only seven points. Roll on Norisring.
2012 British F3 Round of Brands Hatch (Rd 5, Race 3, 30 laps)
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 40m32.384s
2. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 9.574s
3. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 19.246s
4. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 19.806s
5. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 30.700s
6. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 40.541s
7. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 41.400s
8. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Mugen + 51.096s
9. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 1m02.228s
10. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc + 1m02.261s
11. Adderly Fong CF Dallara-Mugen + 1m15.091s
12. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen + 1 lap
Retirements:
Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 22 laps
Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 0 laps
Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 0 laps
2012 British F3 points standings (Rd 5) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jazeman Jaafar 174 2. Jack Harvey 167 3. Carlos Sainz Jr 137 4. Felix Serralles 124 5. Alex Lynn 123 6. Pietro Fantin 95 7. Harry Tincknell 93 8. Pipo Derani 92 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 57 10. Nick McBride 44 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 207 2. Duvashen Padayachee 187 3. Adderly Fong 62
© SRO.
Fortec Motorsport runner Pipo Derani claimed his second win of the season, thanks to an understeering Fahmi Ilyas.
Starting 3rd, the Brazilian jumped Geoff Uhrhane off the line and began chasing the leading Ilyas for four intense laps.
Teammate Felix Serralles came home a close 2nd, while Pietro Fantin represented Carlin on the podium following a solid drive to 3rd.
As Derani pushed hard, the pressure proved too much for Ilyas who eventually slipped off at Paddock Hill Bend gifting the front to the Fortec man.
“He [Ilyas] made a mistake in corner one – which was quite easy at the moment. The track was getting better and better, but the first few laps were really bad.”
The Brazilian may have gained a clear view out front, but Serralles filled his mirrors for the duration.
Despite Serralles’ best efforts – and Serralles tried very hard indeed – the Puerto Rican could make no impression on Derani, with the Brazilian closing the door at every opportunity.
The pair remained together as they crossed the line – only two-tenths apart – with Derani staying ahead to take his second victory of 2012.
“First of all, it’s very difficult to pass here; there is too much downforce and in the beginning there were some damp parts on the track.
“I just tried to concentrate and not make any mistakes, because I knew [Serralles] was faster and I couldn’t make a big gap and that was it. It is really good to be 1st position again and just think about improving and improving.”
Serralles was helped somewhat by a stellar start that saw him jump from 6th on the grip to 3rd by turn one, with Ilyas’ mistake promoting the rookie to 2nd place.
“I had a really good start. It was incredible – the fastest I have had all year. I think I had the speed to pass him [Derani], but this track is all slow corners and fast straights, making it hard to pass on.”
The leading pair were not the only to benefit from Ilyas’ fumble – Fantin and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr also filtered trough ahead of the recovering Malaysia to gain 3rd and 4th respectively, while Ilyas fell to 5th.
Ilyas maintained his top five spot for the duration, while a train – headed by series leader Jazeman Jaafar – formed up in his mirrors.
A mere 8.43 seconds covered 5th to 12th, as Ilyas made his Double R machine incredibly wide amidst Brands’ flowing corners, keeping Jaafar, Nick McBride (T-Sport, 6th), Alex Lynn (Fortec, 7th), Jack Harvey (Carlin, 8th), Hannes van Asseldonk (Fortec, 9th), Uhrhane (Double R, 10th) and National Class winner Adderly Fong (CF Racing, 11th) at bay.
There was little movement in the pack – Uhrhane fell to 9th at the start, before dropping behind Lynn and Harvey (both lap 2) and van Asseldonk (lap 7).
Harry Tincknell was removed from the action at the one-third mark, as a result of Ilyas’ off – the Malaysian rejoined the circuit has field piled through the exit of Paddock Hill Bend.
As the pack squeezed together, Tincknell clipped the rear of McBride – broken front wing. The Englishman continued after a pitstop for a new nose, albeit one lap behind.
National Class runner-up Spike Goddard ended the race 11 seconds adrift of Fong, although he was lucky to pip Padayachee at the line – the pair were split by only 0.487 seconds.
After the race, Fantin remains under investigation for breaching track limits, as does Tincknell who is accused of taking liberties on the lap where he set the fastest tour of the race.
2012 British F3 Rd of Brands Hatch (Rd 5, Race 2) Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 20m12.024s 2. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 0.122s 3. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 1.555s 4. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW + 3.990s 5. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc + 19.036s 6. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 19.663s 7. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 20.157s 8. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 20.929s 9. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW + 21.522s 10 Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 22.071s 11. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Mugen + 26.433s 12. Adderly Fong CF Dallara-Mugen + 27.462s 13. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen + 38.103s 14 Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen + 38.590s 15. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 1 lap Italics = National Class
© SRO.
Carlin’s Jack Harvey held off a feisty Jazeman Jaafar to take his third win of the season at a cool and windy Brands Hatch today.
The 19-year-old led from lights-to-flag, because spent the duration facing severe pressure from his Malaysian teammate.
Fortec’s Alex Lynn came home an impressive 3rd place, marginally beating Carlos Sainz Jr across the line.
Although the gap between the leading pair – rarely larger than one second – Jaafar could not find a way passed his championship rival, irrespective of how much he ducked and dived in Harvey’s mirrors.
Indeed, Harvey helped his cause with a lightning start off the line, initially shooting into the distance as Jaafar fought with Lynn in the opening corners.
First time through Druids corner, Jaafar was back ahead of Lynn and promptly closed in on Harvey, yet the Malaysian simply did not have enough to force the issue.
Jaafar continued to press, but with overtaking virtually impossible at the Kent circuit, no change was forthcoming. Not that Harvey was disappointed:
“I made a good start, but Jaz[eman] was really fast; he caught me up and put loads of pressure on. It’s pretty hard when Jazeman is on your tail; he’s a good driver. There was a lot of pressure, because if you make one mistake, he will capitalise and go on to win the race.
“His pace was really good, so we need to improve for tomorrow – with an extra ten minutes; it’s going to be even harder to hang on. For the team to have four in the top five, so I can’t argue with the pace of the car. We just need to see where we can improve our car”
After falling away from Jaafar on the opening lap, Lynn spent the duration keeping Sainz Jr at bay, but like the fight for the lead, this would remain static throughout, although their battle was slightly less fraught than the battle for the win.
Harry Tincknell held 5th from start to finish, but came under pressure from Fortec’s Felix Serralles late on. Serralles ran behind Brands Hatch surprise package Nick McBride for 19 laps; however the Puerto Rican pushed his way by the T-Sport rookie with three laps remaining,
Pietro Fantin and Pipo Derani both drove quiet races to 8th and 9th respectively, while Geoff Uhrhane stepped up to close out the top ten.
Fahmi Ilyas came home 11th and running past National Class winner Adderly Fong at the mid-point, while Spike Goddard assume 13th.
Duvashen Padayachee suffered a spin entering the final corner of the race, while Hannes van Asseldonk added to the misery when he spun on lap seventeen.
2012 British F3 Rd of Brands Hatch (Round 5, Race 1)
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 28m54.308s
2. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 0.527s
3. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 11.917s
4. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW + 12.175s
5. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 23.108s
6. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 24.584s
7. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 28.724s
8. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 34.494s
9. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 38.207s
10. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Mugen + 41.193s
11. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc + 49.427s
12. Adderly Fong CF Dallara-Mugen* + 1m03.551s
13. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen* + 1m13.194s
Retirements:
Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen* 21 laps
Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 17 laps
2012 British F3 Round of Brands Hatch (Rd 5, Race 1) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jazeman Jaafar 153 2. Jack Harvey 144 3. Carlos Sainz Jr 127 4. ALex Lynn 110 5. Felix Serralles 107 6. Harry Tincknell 80 7. Pietro Fantin 75 8. Pipo Derani 72 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 52 10. Nick McBride 34 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 191 2. Duvashen Paayachee 160 3. Adderly Fong 21
© SRO.
British Formula 3 title challenger Jack Harvey secured a confident double pole position at Brands Hatch.
The Lincolnshire racer heads a trio of Carlin runners following a cool and windy session amongst the Kent hills.
Jazeman Jaafar will sit alongside Harvey on the front row for Sunday’s feature race, while Harry Tincknell holds 3rd.
Following a cautious opening run, Harvey set his quickest lap – a 1:17.048 – on his second set of tyres, comfortable jumping to the top of the table some seven-tenths up on the field.
As the session aged the pack closed up, with Jaafar eventually closing to within 0.083 of Harvey’s time.
Tincknell was a further two-tenths shy of the leading pair, with Fortec’s Alex Lynn running the Carlin man close in 4th.
After topping practice* yesterday, Carlos Sainz Jr qualified a disappointing 5th when his crucial final run was ruined by traffic. The Spaniard then enjoyed a half-second gap over Felix Serralles (Fortec, 6th) Nick McBride (T-Sport, 7th) and Pietro Fantin (Carlin, 8th).
Pipo Derani (Fortec) and Geoff Uhrhane (Double R) rounded out the top five. Both comfortably out-qualified Hannes van Asseldonk who threw his Mercedes-powered Fortec backwards into the tyre barrier at Paddock Hill Bend.
Fahmi Ilyas set only one timed lap after he went off only five minutes in.
Adderly Fong joined CF Racing for the National Class running at this event. The Canadian/Chinese driver topped qualifying in the class when he set a quickest lap of 1:19.504. Fong bettered Spike Goddard – although Goddard spun off – and Duvashen Padayachee.
For race one, Harvey will lead Jaafar, Lynn and Sainz Jr. Tincknell originally set the 5th fastest time, although he would lose his original time when the stewards ruled he had broken the track limits.
* {note 1}
Sainz Jr topped Friday practice in his Volkswagen-powered Dallara, leading a Carlin 1-2-3. The 17-year-old set a best of 1:17.257 in the afternoon – some three-tenths quicker than last year’s pole. Tincknell and Harvey followed to wrap up the top three, with Serralles gate crashing the Carlin party in 4th spot.
It was not all good for Carlin – Fantin missed a huge portion of practice following an off in the morning. Goddard crashed while attempting to match returning driver Fong, who had a spin of his own during the day.
2012 British F3 Round of Brands Hatch (Rd 5, Race 3 Qualifying) Pos Driver Team/Car Time 1. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.271s 2. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.287s 3. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m17.455s 4. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.518s 5. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.713s 6. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 1m18.141s 7. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 1m18.176s 8. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m18.297s 9. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m18.726s 10. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc 1m19.101s 11. Adderly Fong CF Dallara-Mugen 1m19.953s 12. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m20.011s 13. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m20.324s 14. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen 1m21.131s 15. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc no time Italics = National Class
2012 British F3 Round of Brands Hatch (Rd 5, Race 3 Qualifying) Pos Driver Team/Car Time 1. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.048s 2. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.131s 3. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.310s 4. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m17.340s 5. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 1m17.492s 6. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m17.935s 7. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 1m17.974s 8. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 1m18.024s 9. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m18.436s 10. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc 1m18.896s 11. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m19.412s 12. Adderly Fong CF Dallara-Mugen 1m19.504s 13. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m19.748s 14. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen 1m20.991s 15. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc 1m28.158s Italics = National Class
© GP3 Media Services.
Lotus racer Conor Daly found himself on the receiving end of a ten-place grid penalty for the opening GP3 race of the weekend at Valencia today.
The penalty – for the initial collision with Dmitry Suranovich at Monaco – certainly marks itself as a rather odd decision, especially considering the length of time since the incident (four weeks) and eventually crash that red flagged the race.
Aggressive and forthright in his attack, Daly rode over the rear of Suranovich, as the Russian defended hard, blocked, weaved and backed into the American. Taking both sides into account, it could have been classed as a racing incident.
The clash – which occurred at Loews on lap 9 – may have removed Suranovich’s rear wing; however it is arguable that it was the Russian driver’s lack of etiquette played a significant part in the accident.
The most serious crash – which came two laps later at the Nouvelle chicane – sent Daly airborne and into the catch-fencing, narrowly avoiding the marshal post.
Meanwhile, Suranovich was excluded from the results – a pointless exercise (literally) considering he was classified in 11th spot and outside the points.
Essentially, the Russian has escaped without punishment – a dreadfully poor example to give when one considers the accident could have resulted in the deaths of up to six people.
© SRO.
British Formula 3 veteran Adderly Fong has announced that will be returning to the series this weekend.
The 22-year-old starred at the Kent circuit two years ago and nabbed a front row start there last year while competing with the now dissolved Sino Vision outfit.
Fong joins up with former Sino Vision teammate Hywel Lloyd, who has now taken over the reigns as team manager with family squad CF Racing* after several years competing with the family-owned team.
Fong will be competing in three race weekends in total. Following Brands Hatch, the Canadian-Chinese pilot will also race at Spa-Francorchamps and Snetterton later in the year.
All three of Fong’s visits will be contested in the National Class – against class regulars Richard Goddard and Duvashen Padayachee – amidst a break in his current schedule. Taking a break from Formula 3, Fong opted to take a seat in the Chinese-based Audi R8 LMS Cup, where he currently sits 2nd in points.
Amidst all that, the series has begun to look toward the 2013 season. With new cars introduced this year, thoughts have returned to the potential of a new Formula 3 engine regulation package.
While no definitive set of rules have been released, it is thought the new power units will maintain their current 2.0L displacement, with an output of approximately 235-245 bhp, allowing the series to fill a powerband void left by the GP3 Series**.
There are currently six independent engine builders in talks with the series; however the negotiations over the new regulations have been fraught with delays, while Formula 3’s primary manufacturers Mercedes and Volkswagen examine the finer details of the rules proposal.
A final decision on the regulations is expected over the course of the Norisring weekend (June 29-July 1) and will apply to British F3 and the F3 Euro Series. While all this is unfolding, neither manufacturer has confirmed their presence in Formula 3 for 2013…
The engine regulation package may not be the only element to change come 2013 – the calendar is also facing an overhaul.
There are whispers that the British Formula 3 Series calendar may take on a slightly more international look next year, with five of the ten rounds outside UK borders.
Rather than meld further with the European F3 Championship, it is thought that British F3 may play a heavier supporting role to the Blancpain Endurance Series during its third season, with visits to Monza, Spa, Paul Ricard, Nurburgring along with one round in Spain on the cards.
With Pau potentially returning only as a stand-alone event, it raises questions as to the future of the F3 European Championship.
* {note 1}
Originally a family-run working in Motocross, CF Racing entered British F3 in 2008 with Lloyd behind the wheel, although the squad temporarily became Sino Vision when the team joined up with Fong last season.
Lloyd has had a car ready all season, but had declined to enter until the right driver package showed.
** {note 2}
The GP3 Series announced two weeks ago their intention to introduce a new car and engine package for 2013. The current chassis – the GP3/10 – has garnered much criticism for a weight distribution heavily skewered to the left rear, while the engine produces a 240 bhp, as well as a dreadful sound.
Should the rule makers get their way, the GP3/13 chassis will produce a far more refined balance and an engine package that produces up to 400 bhp; however GP3’s extremely prohibitive budgets – rumoured to be in the €1-1.2 million range this year – may still prove a stumbling block for drivers.
© GP2 Media Services.
Daniel de Jong will return to GP2 at Valencia this weekend as a replacement for Ricardo Teixeira at Rapax.
The announcement run contrary to rumours yesterday that Rapax leading man Tom Dillmann had been ousted due to budgetary reasons.
Teixeira apparently reported ill to team boss Gianfranco Sovernigo; however in a statement on his website from last Friday, de Jong declared his participation for four race weekends, starting with Valencia.
De Jong will also be in racing for Rapax at Silverstone, Hunagary and Spa-Francorchamps – all rounds where de Jong is free from existing Auto GP duties.
That is – of course – assuming Teixeira continues to get ill at the appropriate times. Regardless, Teixeira being sidelined by a timely “illness” is a rather hamfisted way of replacing a driver clearly struggling with the level of competition in GP2.
In his statement last Friday, de Jong noted that:
“This is an exciting time for my career, I’m really happy to have been able to agree a deal with the guys at Rapax to make my GP2 debut and I’d like to take this chance to thank the team for giving me the opportunity. We had a good GP2 test earlier in the year at Jerez but since then we’ve been focusing on AUTO GP.
“It’s going to be a really big challenge to step into the GP2 Series in the middle of the season but I can’t wait to get out there in Valencia, it’s a great opportunity for me. I know it’s going to be the biggest challenge of my career so far but I’m hoping we can do a good job and move forward from Valencia on – let’s see how it goes!”
Sovernigo added:
“We got the news of Teixeira’s illness at the eve of the round at Valencia, and we wish him a quick comeback. We’ll do our best together with Dillmann to keep the Angolan banner and the Sonangol name high in Spain. We’re also proud to be bringing a promising young driver like De Jong to his maiden GP2 Race.
“We met with Daniel in the 2012 pre-season tests and we’ve always been in-touch with the goal of working together for 2013. At the eve of the round at Valencia, the chance came earlier than planned, and for us it’s been a logical decision”.
As an aside, the initial reporting of this story has been very poor from all quarters. Rumours began to fly yesterday evening amidst a number of poorly re-reported links from Dutch websites, with “exclusives” cobbled together using Google Translate.
Downcast tweets from Dillmann added to the confusion, leading some – and I include my own Twitter feed in that – to jump to the conclusion that the Frenchman was indeed out.
Regardless, Teixeira being sidelined by a timely “illness” is a rather hamfisted way of replacing a driver clearly struggling with the level of competition in GP2.
William Buller. © Alastair Staley/GP3 Media Service
MW Arden’s Matias Laine and William Buller (Carlin) took charge during a two-day GP3 test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia last week, with the latter proving quickest of all.
For both days, the big pace came during the humid morning sessions, with Laine capitalising on Thursday.
The Finn registered a 1:26.610 to slot ahead of Daniel Abt (Lotus), while Nico Muller returned for Trident in the afternoon, taking the top spot albeit at a slightly slower pace.
Laine surged to the top early, although the 22-year-old settled into a fast-paced battle for the lead of the charts with Abt, Tio Ellinas (Marussia Manor) and Marlon Stockinger (Status GP).
Carlin pairing Buller and Antonio Felix da Costa battled with Conor Daly (Lotus) to be fastest in the afternoon, only to be beaten thanks to a late surge by Muller. As the afternoon aged, the twenty-five runners settled into race programmes and extended stints.
One of a number of drivers to improve on Friday, Buller sliced three-tenths out of Laine’s time come the morning running, although as the temperatures increased throughout the day, the laptimes steadily slowed.
With high temperatures expected at this weekend’s European Grand Prix, the teams quickly settled back into race preparation mode, including pitstop practice.
Dmitry Suranovich ran both days for Marussia Manor – his Monaco antics apparently forgiven without any punishment.
Fabiano Machado brought out two red flags on Thursday – one for a mechanical issue, another for a spin. Laine and Aaro Vainio (Lotus GP) also stopped on circuit with car problems as the test’s opening session closed for lunch.
Offs from Vicky Piria (Trident) and Kevin Ceccon (Ocean Racing Technology) on Friday morning halted running temporarily.
Jenzer fielded Samin Gomez* on Thursday, with Irish combatant Gary Thompson** taking the third car on Friday.
During her two days, Gomez ran relatively respectable times, as she bedded herself into unfamiliar machinery, while Thompson – also new to the category – set an impressive pace out of the box, ending the afternoon session in 6th spot.
With Alex Brundle racing in the LMP2 category at Le Mans, Carlin decided to only run two cars.
* {note 1}
While Gomez’ efforts were indeed credible, her results in other junior categories have been somewhat less than stellar.
After a difficult opening season in Formula Abarth Europe in 2011, Gomez has seen improved form and currently sits 7th in that championship, following one podium and points finishes in all but two races***.
Her most successful season thus far came in 2010, when Gomez came 3rd in the Asian Formula Renault Challenge on the back of three podiums, two pole positions and two fastest laps.
** {note 2}
Thompson was drafted in by Jenzer, while regular peddler Robert Visoiu sat a school exam. The Dubliner is currently competing in his third season of Japanese Formula 3 National Class, following a year in Formula BMW (Europe and Pacific) in 2009.
The 20-year-old took the runner-up spot in Formula BMW Pacific thanks to one win and ten podiums; however his two-and-a-bit seasons in Japanese Formula 3 have rather less fruitful, with only one victory coming Thompson’s way.
*** {note 3}
It’s a bit of curious truth. In Formula Abarth Europe, the top ten collect points; however there are generally only eleven or twelve drivers in each race.
2012 GP3 test of Valencia (June 14th-15th) Thursday / Friday combined times: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Will Buller Carlin 1m26.389s 2. Nico Muller Trident 1m26.481s 3. Mitch Evans MW Arden 1m26.543s 4. Matias Laine MW Arden 1m26.610s 5. Daniel Abt Lotus 1m26.613s 6. Tio Ellinas Manor 1m26.629s 7. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin 1m26.641s 8. David Fumanelli MW Arden 1m26.686s 9. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 1m26.693s 10. Marlon Stockinger Status 1m26.725s 11. Aaro Vainio Lotus 1m26.810s 12. Conor Daly Lotus 1m26.836s 13. Kevin Ceccon Ocean 1m26.865s 14. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS 1m27.077s 15. Robert Visoiu Jenzer 1m27.323s 16. Dmitry Suranovich Manor 1m27.645s 17. Antonio Spavone Trident 1m27.651s 18. Vicky Piria Trident 1m27.993s 19. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 1m28.092s 20. Alice Powell Status 1m28.117s 21. Fabiano Machado Manor 1m28.142s 22. Gary Thompson Jenzer 1m28.275s 23. Samin Gomez Jenzer 1m28.343s 24. John Wartique Atech CRS 1m28.414s 25. Robert Cregan Ocean 1m28.762s 26. Carmen Jorda Ocean 1m29.328s
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