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Who Will Be British F3’s ‘Top Gun’ at Silverstone? |
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Tuesday, 07 August 2007 |
On Sunday 12th August Silverstone, the home of British motor racing, will host the next two races in the Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series, the championship where the future stars of Formula One earn their spurs.
Since 1964 drivers from British F3 have won 18 Formula One world titles and ever other major race or championship around the world. Names such as Ayrton Senna, Sir Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet and Mika Hakkinen are some of the drivers who learnt their race craft in British F3; the championship that launched their careers on the world stage.
British F3 is the UK’s premier single seat championship and the 30
drivers competing in the 2007 series come from all corners of the globe
and with 18 countries represented British F3 lives up to its
international status as the world’s leading Formula 3 category.
Six of the eleven teams are based in Northamptonshire; with
championship leader Marko Asmer from Estonia racing for Silverstone
based Hitech Racing. Asmer holds a commanding 60 point lead in the
championship but at Spa Francorchamps two weeks ago the 23-year-old
from Tallinn faltered and the home of the Belgian Grand Prix became the
first circuit that Asmer has failed to win at in 2007. However with
seven wins from fourteen starts Asmer has built up an impressive points
total with eight races remaining. With 21 points on offer for each
race, the battle to become the next British F3 Champion is far from
over.
While Asmer is in his 4th season of Formula 3, Sam Bird is in his first
and the UK Formula Renault graduate has marked himself out as a man to
watch. The 20-year-old from Surrey has already won two races, the
first on the streets of Bucharest and the second on the awesome Spa
Francorchamps circuit two weeks ago. With six further podium finishes,
Bird has established himself as the main challenger to Asmer for the
title.
Bird’s Carlin Motorsport team mate Maro Engel has had an up and down
season so far, with wins at Oulton Park and Monza tempered by mediocre
races and mechanical problems. A second place in the last race at Spa
has put the young German back in the title chase but he knows that
consistent podium finishes is now required for the rest of the year.
Raikkonen Robertson Racing’s Stephen Jelley is the only driver in the
top seven not to have won a race in British F3. Two pole positions,
two fastest laps and six podiums have demonstrated that the driver from
Leicester has the pace to reach the top step on the podium and it seems
to be a case of when, rather than if, he can take his first win.
Jelley’s Double R team mate Jonathan Kennard was all smiles in Belgium
when the 2004 Formula Palmer Audi champion took his first victory in
British F3 in the rain, adding to the points he gained for finishing
second in first race of the weekend and securing the fastest laps,
including a new British F3 lap record, in both races.
Ireland’s Niall Breen is the second highest place rookie driver, with
the reigning UK Formula BMW champion winning at Snetterton in June to
lead home the first 1-2-3 of the year for the Carlin Motorsport team.
Breen scored two further podiums to push the driver from Dundalk up the
championship table.
Sebastian Hohenthal’s first season in British F3 for the Daventry based
Fortec Motorsport team has certainly been eventful, with the reigning
UK Formula Renault champion becoming the sixth different winner in 2007
on the full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit last month. This, coupled
with a new British F3 lap record at Oulton Park on his way to 3rd place
in his debut race at Easter, has certainly shown the rest of the grid
that the 22-year-old Swede is one to watch.
Just one point behind Hohenthal is the fourth Carlin driver in the top
ten, Brazilian Alberto Valerio. The 2005 South American F3 champion is
in his second full season of British F3 and has secured four podium
finishes and a new lap record at Monza. However the top step of the
podium has eluded the 21-year-old so far but, like many of the drivers
above him in the title race, has shown he has the pace to challenge for
victory.
Finland’s Atte Mustonen is the third Raikkonen Robertson Racing driver
and the Formula Renault Eurocup graduate has struggled earlier in the
season to adapt to Formula 3. However pole position at Snetterton and
a second place at Brands Hatch while challenging Hohenthal for the lead
has shown the 18-year-old has started to settle in and a win would seem
to be on the cards before the seasons end.
Rounding out the top 10 is Rodolfo Gonzalez, the top driver using the
Mugen-Honda power plant. The Venezuelan has struggled to reproduce the
form that won him the British F3 National Class title last season but
at Brands Hatch a fighting drive from 12th to 4th and three further
competitive drives in Kent and Belgium has got his season back on track
and a first visit to the podium in 2007 shouldn’t be ruled out on his T
Sport team’s home track.
Outside of the top 10 the Ultimate Motorsport pairing of Esteban
Guerrieri and Michael Devaney are ones to watch. The Northamptonshire
based team are new to British F3 this season and are also competing in
the brand new Mygale chassis against the dominant Dallara’s. The two
drivers have been consistent top 10 finishers, with a fastest lap for
Devaney in Bucharest last May.
While the British F3 Roll of Honour reads like a who’s who of
motorsport, a famous name has returned to the British F3 grid this
season. Formula BMW graduates Greg and Leo Mansell, racing for
Northamptonshire’s Fortec Motorsport, have found the going tough this
season, but this is only the brothers second full season of competitive
racing and they have both shown they have a winning turn of speed on
the track but just need to hone their race craft. Younger brother Greg
has shown that he has inherited his old mans racing gene with a
fighting podium finish at Donington Park and has been a consistent top
10 finisher.
The British F3 National Class is run for older Formula 3 cars, where
drivers can learn the car and the circuits out of the publicity glare
surrounding the Championship Class before stepping up the following
season. The class has a tradition of being hotly contested and 2007
has proven to be one of the best title races for many years. Mexico’s
Sergio Perez is the current leader, with seven wins, six pole positions
and five fastest laps to his credit from the first 14 races. However
these impressive statistics have been shadowed closely by China’s Cheng
Cong Fu. Both drivers have been on A1GP duty for their countries and
their pace in a Formula 3 car has lead to their domination of the class
this season.
Britain’s Michael Meadows has won two races earlier in the season but a
switch to the Raikkonen Robertson Racing team hasn’t produced a race
winning combination. Iceland’s Viktor Jensen is the other race winner,
the Formula Palmer Audi graduate taking a win at Snetterton, adding to
his tally of four further podium finishes.
With eight races of the season remaining, there is everything still to
play for. Sit back and watch the future stars of F1 battle it out at
the home of the British Grand Prix. Remember you can catch up with all
the latest news, and listen to driver interviews, on the series website
at www.britishf3international.com.
For the full TV listings of when to see British F3 on Channel 4 and Motors TV visit www.britishf3international.com/tv.php
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