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Perez Celebrates with a One Man Mexican Wave

Sergio Perez did a one man Mexican wave as he took the first win for T Sport in Round 3 of the 2008 British F3 International Series at Croft. His victory also marks the first overall win in British F3 for a Mexican driver and the first for a Mugen Honda powered car since Oliver Jarvis at Thruxton in October 2006.

Perez finished the wet race 4.2 seconds ahead of Sebastian Hohenthal, with Esteban Guerrieri securing the first British F3 podium finish for Ultimate and Mygale in 3rd place.  Andy Meyrick took his third win from three starts in the National Class.

A very wet track forced all the drivers to select Avon wets for the race.  Salman Al Khalifa came back into the pits after his Mugen Honda developed a misfire on the formation lap and after the mechanics had solved the problem the Bahraini driver started the race from the pitlane.

As the lights went out, pole sitter Marcus Ericsson got a poor start off the line and was passed by Perez, Hohenthal and Devaney before the first corner at Clervaux as the spray from the 29 race cars obscured the view.  Oliver Turvey had stalled his Carlin Motorsport Dallara on the line, forcing the cars behind to take avoiding action.  The Racing Steps Foundation driver got his Mercedes engine fired up and he rejoined in 19th. Ricardo Teixeira and Brendon Hartley clashed at the first corner, with both cars spinning into the gravel and bringing out the waved yellows for two laps.

At the end of lap one it was Perez followed closely by Hohethal, with Devaney in 3rd and 4th placed Ericsson coming under pressure from Alguersuari, the Spaniard making up five places on the opening lap.  Alguesuari swept past Ericsson on lap 3 and started to reel in Devaney.  The Irish drivers Ultimate Motorsport teammate Esteban Guerrieri was also on the move after losing two places on th opening lap, moving ahead of Atte Mustonen at the Hairpin on lap 4 and he repeated the move a lap later on Ericsson.

Meanwhile Andy Meyrick was leading the National Class, running in 7th overall, six places ahead of second placed Jay Bridger, with Steven Guerrero five places further adrift.

By lap 9 Sergio Perez had started to pull away from Hohethal, ending the lap 1.8 seconds ahead of the Swede, who in turn held a 3.6 second advantage over Devaney.  A dry line had started to appear on the track and the front runners were trying to keep their Avon wet weather tyres cool by seeking out the wet patches off the racing line on the start finish straight.

Atte Mustonen started to make his presence felt by posting the fastest lap on three successive laps but the Finn couldn't make any inroads in the gap between himself and 5th placed Esteban Guerrieri.  The Argentine driver was concentrating on the Red Bull Dallara of Alguersuari ahead of him on lap 11 and he got close enough to attempt a passing move at Tower.  The Ultimate Mygale went down the inside and moved into 4th place.  Mustonen followed Guerrieri's lead and by the end of the lap Alguersuari had lost two places, dropping the Spanish driver to 6th.

The top three looked pretty well set but then Guerrieri started to close on his teammate Devaney, the Mercedes engine in the back of his Mygale misfiring intermittently.  The Irish driver looked determined to hold onto the podium position and everyone held their breath as the Guerrieri went around the outside of his teammate at Tower.  The two Mygales exited the corner side by side but it was Guerrieri who moved ahead as they approached the Jim Clark Esses.  As the cars came into the complex Devaney's car slowed dramatically as the chequered flag approached.

At the flag it was Sergio Perez who punched the air in delight, with Sebastian Hohenthal finishing in 2nd place, which was enough to give the Swede a 1 point lead in the championship over his Fortec teammate Marcus Ericsson who had finished 5th.  Esteban Guerrieri took his first Formula 3 podium for two years and his first in British F3.  Max Chilton, who had switched to slick tyres just before the end of the race took a championship point for the fastest lap.

Andy Meyrick took his third win and also took the point for the fastest lap to continue his domination of the National Class and holds a 19 point advantage over Jay Bridger.

Round 3 - Provisional Result

1 - 9 - Int - Sergio PEREZ - MEX - T-Sport - 30:49.794 - 22 laps

2 - 7 - Int - Sebastian HOHENTHAL - SWE - Fortec Motorsport - +4.294s

3 - 11 - Int - Esteban GUERRIERI - ARG - Ultimate Motorsport - +5.568s

4 - 26 - Int - Atte MUSTONEN - FIN - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +7.267s

5 - 8 - Int - Marcus ERICSSON - SWE - Fortec Motorsport - +9.769s

6 - 4 - Int - Jaime ALGUERSUARI - ESP - Carlin Motorsport - +17.691s

7 - 25 - Int - Alistair JACKSON - GBR - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +18.840s

8 - 17 - Int - Oliver TURVEY - GBR - Carlin Motorsport - +19.456s

9 - 24 - Int - John MARTIN - AUS - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +20.539s

10 - 18 - Int - Sam ABAY - AUS - Carlin Motorsport - +24.608s

11 - 6 - Int - Henry ARUNDEL - GBR - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +25.446s

12 - 15 - Int - Oliver OAKES - GBR - Eurotek Motorsport - +28.292s

13 - 56 - Nat - Andrew MEYRICK - GBR - Carlin Motorsport - +29.290s

14 - 2 - Int - Walter GRUBMULLER - AUT - Hitech Racing - +29.754s

15 - 50 - Nat - Jay BRIDGER - GBR - Fluid Motorsport Development - +45.174s

16 - 13 - Int - Michael DEVANEY - IRL - Ultimate Motorsport - +51.717s

17 - 5 - Int - Viktor JENSEN - ISL - Nexa Racing - +01:00.280s

18 - 53 - Nat - Steven GUERRERO - COL - T-Sport - +01:14.216s

19 - 51 - Nat - Stefan WILSON - GBR - Fluid Motorsport Development - +01:19.730s

20 - 54 - Nat - Kristjan EINAR - ISL - Carlin Motorsport - +1 lap

21 - 58 - Nat - Niall QUINN - IRL - Team Loctite - +1 lap

22 - 1 - Int - Max CHILTON - GBR - Hitech Racing - +1 lap

23 - 55 - Nat - Craig REIFF - GER - Nexa Racing - +1 lap

24 - 57 - Nat - Salman AL-KHALIFA - BHR - T-Sport - +3 laps

Not Classified

DNF - 28 - Int - Nick TANDY - GBR - JTR Marshall Westland - 19 laps

DNF - 3 - Int - Brendon HARTLEY - NZL - Carlin Motorsport

DNF - 12 - Int - Ricardo TEIXEIRA - ANG - Ultimate Motorsport 

DNF - 14 - Int - Philip MAJOR - CAN - Fortec Motorsport 

DNF - 52 - Nat - Hywel LLOYD - GBR - C F Racing

FASTEST LAP

1 - Int - Max CHILTON  - GBR - Hitech Racing - Lap 21 - 97.19mph -  1:18.711

56 - Nat - Andrew MEYRICK  - GBR - Carlin Motorsport - Lap 19 - 93.44 mph -  1:21.870

Hartley Makes it 4 Different Winners in 4 Races

Brendon Hartley took a lights to flag victory in Round 4 to score his first British F3 win and making it four different winners from four races. In the restarted race Sergio Perez finished 0.8 seconds behind the Kiwi driver to put the Mexican at the top of the Championship table.  Round 1 winner Oliver Turvey returned to the podium after overtaking Atte Mustonen four laps from home.  Andy Meyrick notched up his 4th win in the National Class finishing well ahead of Salman Al Khalifa.

The cars lined up on the grid to start Round 4.  Ricardo Teixeira would start the race in his Ultimate Mygale from the pitlane and as the lights went out Brendon Hartley got a good start to lead the 29 car field into the first corner at Clervaux with Marcus Ericsson and Sergio Perez battling for 2nd.  Sam Abay also got a good start to move up a place at the expense of his Carlin teammate Oliver Turvey for 4th.

Perez and Ericsson were battling down the back straight with nothing separating the two cars as they exited Tower and charged towards Jim Clark Esses.  Perez got his nose down the inside of Ericsson but both cars were offline and they touche, the Fortec Dallara spinning round across the track.  Perez managed to avoid being collected by the spinning Swede but the cars following behind weren't so lucky and mayhem ensued.  Abay went off in avoidance and was joined in the tyre wall by Henry Arundel, Esteban Guerrieri, Oliver Oakes and Niall Quinn, all cars going off at high speed and causing the race to be red flagged before the end of lap2.  All the drivers were OK but one marshal was injured, being treated at the trackside for a broken leg before being moved to the medical centre.

The cars formed up on the grid to restart in the positions at the end of lap 1 to race over 18 laps, the times of which would be an aggregate of the two race starts.

Brendon Hartley got a good getaway on the restart, followed by second place Perez, with Atte Mustinen in 3rd.  Oliver Turvey once again lost out at the first corner, losing 4th place to Jaime Alguersuari but he fought back and regained the place at Hawrhorns.  Michael Devaney, who had moved up to 19th after starting at the back of the grid had blitzed through the field and was challenging Ali Jackson for 10th on the outside at Tower but overcooked it and went off.  The Irish driver regained the track but only to retire the Mygale at the end of the lap, a sad end to an otherwise great weekend for the Ultimate team.

Hartley now had control of the race, putting in fastest laps on lap 3 and lap 4, breaking Takuma Sato's 8 year old F3 record, and more importantly opening up a slight gap to the second placed Mexican driver.  Perez responded, closing the gap to the New Zealander but not getting close enough to challenge for the lead.

Meanwhile the two leading cars were pulling away from Mustonen, who was being tracked by Turvey, Alguersuari, Sebastian Hohenthal and Nick Tandy.  Further back John Martin spun his Double R Racing Dallara at Sunny and regained the track a lap down.

In the National Class Andy Meyrick was mixing it with the International Class runners in 8th place, 3 places ahead of Salman Al Khalifa who had Stefan Wilson and Jay Bridger snapping at his heals.  Philip Major, who was just ahead on the road of Wilson, collided with the Sheffield driver at the hairpin, the Canadian driver getting stuck on the grass at the exit while Wilson continued.  This allowed Bridger to catch up with Al Khalifa but Hywell Lloyd, who was now fourth in class joined in with the podium battle.

Meanwhile nearer the front Nick Tandy was tracking the Fortec Dallara of Sebastian Hohenthal and tried to make a move on the Swede at Tower but had to back out as Hohenthal held onto the racing line.  However Tandy tried again, braking late for the Hairpin and with a cloud of tyre smoke from his front left the Bedfordshire driver made the move stick on lap 15. 

At the same time Atte Mustonen was having to defend against a concerted attack from Oliver Turvey, the Englishman coming onto the back straight right on the back of the Finns rear wing.  Mustonen jinked left and Turvey went to the inside, leaving his braking very late into Tower to take the podium place.  Mustonen fought back through the Jim Clark Esses but couldn't retake the place.

At the front Brendon Hartley took the chequered flag to the delight of the Carlin team who lined the pit wall just ahead of Sergio Perez and Oliver Turvey.  Atte Mustonen took 4th ahead of Jaime Alguersuari who had to fend off a last gasp charge from Nick Tandy who scored the first points for himself and the JTR Marshall Westland team.

Andy Meyrick came home in 8th overall to take maximum points for the second race running.  Salman Al Khalifa managed to hold on to take his second podium finish of the year ahead of Jay Bridger and Hywel Lloyd on the road.  However the final podium position went to Lloyd because of the combined times from the first part of the race.

Sergio Perez (40 points) now holds a four point lead over Atte Mustonen (36), with Jaime Alguersuari and Oliver Turvey tied for third on 35 points.

Rounds 5 & 6 of the British F3 International Series will take place at the home of the Italian Grand Prix, Monza on 16/17/18 May.  

Highlights from rounds 3 & 4 of the 2008 British F3 International Series will be shown on Channel 4 and Motors TV from Sunday 4 May.

Round 4 - Provisional Result (Aggregate Times)

1 - 3 - Int - Brendon HARTLEY - NZL - Carlin Motorsport - 23:39.172 - 19 laps

2 - 9 - Int - Sergio PEREZ - MEX - T-Sport - +0.818s

3 - 17 - Int - Oliver TURVEY - GBR - Carlin Motorsport - +11.705s

4 - 26 - Int - Atte MUSTONEN - FIN - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +13.746s

5 - 4 - Int - Jaime ALGUERSUARI - ESP - Carlin Motorsport - +14.438s

6 - 28 - Int - Nick TANDY - GBR - JTR Marshall Westland - +14.963s

7 - 7 - Int - Sebastian HOHENTHAL - SWE - Fortec Motorsport - +17.025s

8 - 56 - Nat - Andrew MEYRICK - GBR - Carlin Motorsport - +25.608s

9 - 25 - Int - Alistair JACKSON - GBR - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +28.178s

10 - 1 - Int - Max CHILTON - GBR - Hitech Racing - +31.659s

11 - 2 - Int - Walter GRUBMULLER - AUT - Hitech Racing - +38.481s

12 - 57 - Nat - Salman AL-KHALIFA - BHR - T-Sport - +42.787s

13 - 52 - Nat - Hywel LLOYD - GBR - C F Racing - +43.553s

14 - 50 - Nat - Jay BRIDGER - GBR - Fluid Motorsport Development - +43.388s

15 - 5 - Int - Viktor JENSEN - ISL - Nexa Racing - +52.017s

16 - 53 - Nat - Steven GUERRERO - COL - T-Sport - +01:01.839

17 - 54 - Nat - Kristjan EINAR - ISL - Carlin Motorsport - +01:03.776

18 - 51 - Nat - Stefan WILSON - GBR - Fluid Motorsport Development - +01:11.624

19 - 55 - Nat - Craig REIFF - GER - Nexa Racing - +01:12.055

20 - 14 - Int - Philip MAJOR - CAN - Fortec Motorsport - +1 lap

21 - 24 - Int - John MARTIN - AUS - Raikkonen Robertson Racing - +1 lap

Not Classified

DNF - 12 - Int - Ricardo TEIXEIRA - ANG - Ultimate Motorsport

DNF - 13 - Int - Michael DEVANEY - IRL - Ultimate Motorsport

DNF - 6 - Int - Henry ARUNDEL - GBR - Raikkonen Robertson Racing

DNF - 8 - Int - Marcus ERICSSON - SWE - Fortec Motorsport

DNF - 11 - Int - Esteban GUERRIERI - ARG - Ultimate Motorsport

DNF - 15 - Int - Oliver OAKES - GBR - Eurotek Motorsport

DNF - 18 - Int - Sam ABAY - AUS - Carlin Motorsport

DNF - 58 - Nat - Niall QUINN - IRL - Team Loctite

Fastest Lap

 9 - Int - Sergio PEREZ  - MEX - T-Sport -  Lap 7  - 103.86mph -  1:13.656 (New Lap Record)

 56 - Nat - Andrew MEYRICK  - GBR - Carlin Motorsport - Lap 6 - 102.48mph - 1:14.644