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British F3 champions Hitech Racing
topped the times in the penultimate pre-season test at
Oulton Park yesterday with rising British
star Max Chilton pipping Marcus Ericsson by nearly three tenths of a second in
the morning session. Max’s team-mate
rapid Austrian Walter Grubmüller was a superb third just four hundredths of a
second off second place.
However when the session resumed
after lunch, the Buckingham-based team were left frustrated by an abundance of
red flags that interrupted the flying laps of both drivers, preventing them from
a repeat performance. Despite that, Team
Principal David Hayle was delighted with another strong showing from the two
teenagers and confident that both would have otherwise been in the top
three.
“We had another fantastic session
in the morning with both drivers really on it and looking for a repeat in the
afternoon. However it ended up very frustrating with a number of red flag
situations preventing them both from capitalising on fresh
tyres.
“The other drivers took new tyres
around 3.30ish in perfect conditions whilst we were doing data simulations runs,
unfortunately when we put the two guys on new tyres with an hour to go we had
nothing but disruption. Despite that
though I’m very happy overall with the outcome.
Everyone else was gaining over a second on new tyres and even on our
older ones we weren’t that much off and with a second gained the way everyone
else did, we would have easily been right up at the front again, so I’m very
happy.”
The team will now have just over a
week to re-prepare the Dallara F308 Mercedes HWAs in preparation for the final
official pre-season test at Oulton Park next Friday before the crucial
qualifying on Saturday morning.
Walter Grubmüller: “The morning
was great, we had a good test and I’m very happy with how it went although I
knew there was more to come. So in the
afternoon it was very frustrating to be denied the chance of going quicker. In the space of one hour, when I was on new
tyres, I think there were four red flags and I got just seven laps in. But still we know the reason we weren’t
higher up and it was overall a very positive day so I’m feeling pretty confident
about next week and the event.”
Max Chilton: “I’m very happy with
the day, especially the morning as it was damp and dry and I was quickest in
both conditions. In the afternoon we spent a bit of time trying some new things
but then couldn’t get a clear run later due to all the red flags. However, overall it was a good day, my first
time running at Oulton in an F3 and the first time for a while. I’m feeling
confident ahead of next week’s final test.”
Top ten from the morning
session:
1. Max Chilton Hitech Racing
1:29.248
2. Marcus Ericsson Fortec
Motorsport 1:29.529
3. Walter Grubmüller Hitech Racing
1:29.574
4. Sergio Perez T-Sport
1:29.605
5. Oliver Turvey Carlin Motorsport
1:29.684
6. Alistair Jackson Raikkonen
Robertson Racing 1:29.826
7. Nick Tandy JTR Marshall
Westland 1:29.851
8. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin
Motorsport 1:30.073
9. Atte Mustonen Raikkonen
Robertson Racing 1:30.101
10.John Martin Raikkonen Robertson
Racing 1:30.172
Top ten from the afternoon
session:
1. Marcus Ericsson Fortec
Motorsport 1:28.807
2. Brendon Hartley Carlin
Motorsport 1:28.886
3. Oliver Turvey Carlin Motorsport
1:29.007
4. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin
Motorsport 1:29.052
5. Max Chilton Hitech Racing
1:29.112
6. Nick Tandy JTR Marshall
Westland 1:29.120
7. Alistair Jackson Raikkonen
Robertson Racing 1:29.504
8. Walter Grubmüller Hitech Racing
1:29.631
9. Sebastian Hohenthal Fortec
Motorsport 1:29.696
10.Sam Abay Carlin Motorsport
1:30.025
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