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Dream First Single-Seater Win For Jakes At Magny-Cours |
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Tuesday, 03 July 2007 |
Yorkshire race ace James Jakes secured Manor Motorsport’s first win of the Formula 3 Euroseries season at Magny-Cours in France today during the eighth round of the 2007 campaign, the victory also marking the 19-year-old’s first ever win in single-seaters.
At the wheel of his Dallara-Mercedes, Jakes benefited from a coming together between then race-leader Jean-Karl Vernay and Manor team-mate Yelmer Buurman on lap 11 to seize the advantage and open up a gap of over three seconds en-route to a popular and richly deserved victory for both team and driver.
Importantly for the BRDC Rising Star and former McLaren Autosport BRDC
Award finalist, his debut single-seater victory was earned in front of
the most influential people in global motorsport with the F3 Euroseries
this weekend acting as a support event for the French Grand Prix.
Speaking after his win, his first since graduating to single-seaters in
2004, Jakes said: “I’m very happy with my maiden victory in the F3
Euroseries. Winning in front of the Formula One crowd is great as any
driver wants to be on the top step of the podium in front of all the F1
team principles.”
On a great day for the Dinnington-based team, Buurman took his second
podium of the season with third place in round eight while Frenchman
Franck Mailleux came home in fourth position to continue his strong
debut year of F3 competition, Manor seizing three of the top four
places.
While Jakes celebrated, Buurman was left ruing what might have been
after the incident with Vernay but a solid third position – added to
seventh place in Saturday morning’s seventh round – sees the Dutchman
move into fourth position in the driver standings, two points behind
Jakes in third.
At the start of this morning’s race, Buurman made a good start from
second on the grid as did Jakes and Mailleux from the second row, but
pole-sitter Vernay frustratingly held the lead for the first 10 laps
even though he was clearly much slower than the three Manor drivers.
On lap 11, Buurman had to try and make a move but the result saw the
two leaders run wide, giving Jakes the opportunity to nip through from
third position to take a lead he would then hold all the way to the
chequered flag.
The luckless Cyndie Allemann found herself in the wars and it was at
the hands, once again, of Edoardo Piscopo who simply drove the Swiss
lady racer into the wall at the start of the race. The Italian was, of
course, guilty of a similar piece of bad driving last weekend at the
Norisring when he eliminated Allemann from round five.
Mailleux top Manor finisher in round seven
Saturday’s seventh round of the F3 Euroseries season saw Mailleux get
the better of Jakes from sixth on the grid to take a well deserved
fifth place finish, a good result for the Frenchman in front of
on-looking Formula One team bosses at his home event.
Jakes, although disappointed to slip from his fifth-placed starting
slot, was happy with sixth and more vital championship points with
Buurman following him closely home in seventh place.
Cyndie failed to finish once again, having qualified a highly
creditable 13th fastest yet starting 12th on the grid due to a penalty
for a rival, but her pace and performances are most certainly improving
as her debut season of F3 Euroseries gathers momentum.
Looking back on the weekend, Manor team boss John Booth said: “I’m
absolutely delighted for James and the team, today’s victory means
we’ve won in F3 every year we’ve raced at this level since 1999. It’s a
great result for Jakesy, I think I’m right in saying it’s his first
ever win in single-seaters.
“He deserved the win but it was a shame what happened between Vernay
and Buurman as Yelmer deserved to win as well. Vernay was lapping about
seven 10ths of a second slower than our pace and so Yelmer had to try
and get past as the others were starting to close in but they both ran
wide and that’s when James nipped through.
“Franck had a couple of good results on home soil which is great for
him and puts him closer to the lead of the rookie class again but
you’ve got to feel for Cyndie. The off she had in the first race was
unfortunate but at the start of today’s race, Piscopo just forced her
into the wall at the start. It was a big accident but thankfully she’s
ok, if a bit shaken.”
The F3 Euroseries will make its first ever visit to Italy two weeks
from now, 14th/15th July, for the ninth and 10th rounds of the 2007
season at Mugello. Back in its regular support slot on the DTM package,
the championship will have both races featured on digital satellite and
cable channel Motors TV on Sunday, 15th July.
2007 Provisional Formula 3 Euroseries Driver Standings (after Rds7&8):
3rd James Jakes, 25pts; 4th Yelmer Buurman, 23pts; 8th Franck Mailleux, 14pts
2007 Provisional Formula 3 Euroseries Team Standings (after Rds7&8):
2nd Manor Motorsport, 57pts
2007 Provisional Formula 3 Euroseries Rookie Standings (after Rds7&8):
3rd Franck Mailleux, 34pts
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