Senna Makes it 3 out of 3 in Wet British F3 Race at Donington

22 May 2006

Bruno Senna took his third win from three starts in the 2006 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series in the wet at Donington Park. His Raikkonen Robertson Racing teammate Mike Conway led the race for the first 5 laps from pole position and looked on course to take the chequered flag but a piece of debris got lodged under his car forcing him into the gravel at Redgate. Senna then took the lead, controlling the race in the tricky conditions, taking the chequered flag ahead of James Walker and Stephen Jelley.

Rodolfo Gonzalez also made it 3 out of 3 wins in the National Class, after making up 6 places on the opening lap. Cristiano Morgado and Ricardo Teixeira were 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Starting from Pole, Conway got a clean getaway but Senna, starting alongside his Raikkonen Robertson Racing teammate, pulled alongside him but in the water spray Conway held his line through Redgate to retain the lead as the cars dropped down through the Craner Curves. Maro Engel lept into third place, demoting James Walker to fourth. Further down the field Rodolfo Gonzalez made a demon start in the National Class to move up six places from a lowly 18th position on the grid and also move ahead of Rodolfo Avila to take the class lead.

Conway continued to control the race, keeping Senna behind and maintaining a 1 second gap to the Brazilian. As the cars came round to complete the fifth lap disaster struck as Conway picked up a piece of debris under his car as he exited the chicane. As he powered down the straight towards Redgate the scrapping of the debris on the track was clear for all to hear and as he attempted to turn in at Redgate the car just continued to travel in a straight line. The debris had lifted the front of the car sufficiently off of the track so Conway was unable to steer. As he bounced through the gravel trap the debris must have come loose because he regained the track and was able to steer again, but he had lost seven places and, more importantly, the lead to Senna.

Senna then started to pull away from Engel by 1.5 second per lap and in the tricky conditions, the German was unable to respond to the Brazilians charge. Engel was coming under pressure from Walker, with the Jerseyman putting his Hitech Dallara alongside the Carlin Motorsport Dallara at Redgate. Walker made the move stick but there was more disappointment for Engel as the gravel trap at The Old Hairpin claimed another victim.

As Senna controlled the pace at the front of the field it was 3rd placed Stephen Jelley that started to increase the pace, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11. Jelley was starting to reel in the flying James Walker, but the Hitech driver was not going to be denied his first podium after the disappointments of Oulton Park. Walker responded, first stabilising the gap to Jelley and then as the race entered the final 2 laps the gap started to open up again.

This battle behind him didn't worry Senna as he seemed to cruise to win number 3 in the tyre spray of the cars he was lapping.

As the chequered flag came out at the end of lap 20, Bruno Senna held both arms aloft to salute his team on the pit wall. James Walker was equally estatic to gain his first podium in British F3, with Stephen Jelley taking the final podium position, his second of the season for the driver from Leicester. Jelley also claimed the bonus point for the fastest lap of the race.

In the National Class Rodolfo Gonzalez maintained his 100% record, taking the win and fastest lap of the race, adding another 21 points to the maximum 42 he took at Oulton Park.

SRO

See 2006 series calendar for British F3 Championship

Related Story 17.04.2006 - Double Top for Senna and Gonzalez in British F3