Who Will Be British F3’s ‘Top Gun’ at Silverstone?
08
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.
SRO
See 2007 series calendar for British
F3 Championship
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Targeting British F3 Success at Spa
