The Grid.co.uk    the national & club motor racing website - est1998          

  ^News

British F3 International Series

1. Jaime Alguersuari 164 

2. Sergio Perez  163 

3. Oliver Turvey  150 

4. Brendon Hartley 142 

5. Atte Mustonen 121 

6. Sebastian Hohenthal 105 

7. Marcus Ericsson 101 

8. Michael Devaney 79 

9. Max Chilton    57 

10.Nick Tandy   51 

11.Esteban Guerrieri 43 

12.Sam Abay    40 

13.Walter Grubmuller 36 

14.John Martin   29 

15.Henry Arundel 13 

mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk

 British F3 International Series 

Hartley Hares to Victory in Belgium

Brendon Hartley won Round 16 of the 2008 British F3 International Series at Spa passing Sergio Perez on the last lap after fighting his way back up from 5th after being delayed at the start after pole position holder Oliver Turvey was stranded on the grid. Nick Tandy scored his first ever British F3 podium finish after briefly leading on the opening lap. Jay Bridger took his fourth National Class win with a last lap move on Steven Guererro. It was a triple podium joy for the T Sport team as Salman Al Khalifa took his second podium finish of the weekend.

After being fastest all weekend in free practice, in qualifying and winning Round 15 Oliver Turvey was hopeful of making it a clean sweep at Spa as he lined up on pole position for Round 16. However the Mercedes engine in the back of his Carlin Motorsport Dallara had other ideas and as the lights went out to being the race Turvey's car ground to a halt causing the cars behind him to take avoiding action. Luckily nobody hit the hapless driver but it did shake up the order with 5th placed Nick Tandy and 6th place Sergio Perez exiting La Source in 1st and 2nd respectively. Perez harried Tandy all the way through Eau Rouge and up the hill to Les Combes, with the Mexican overtaking the Mygale before the corner and then Jaime Alguersuari deciding to have a look down the inside of Tandy as well but the Englishman held onto second place.

Behind these the front runners John Martin and Walter Grubmuller collided at La Source with the unlucky Atte Mustonen getting caught up in the mayhem, putting all three cars into retirement. Another casualty was Sam Abay who limped into the pits with a punctured front left tyre after a clash with Marcus Ericsson. Abay rejoined after receiving replacement Avon rubber but his hopes of his first podium finish after qualifying third were completely dashed.

Meanwhile back at the front it was Perez, who was 1.7 seconds ahead of Tandy, Alguersuari, with fourth placed Ericsson coming under pressure from Brendon Hartley who had lost out at the start. The New Zealander swept past the Swede's Fortec run Dallara into Les Combe and the Red Bull driver set off after his teammate to try and take third, which he duly did two laps later.

Round 16 will a race that Ultimate Motorsport will want to forget in a hurry. Michael Devaney's Mygale slowed to a halt on the outside of Turn 13, bringing out the yellow flags on lap 2 and then on lap 4 both Alistair Jackson and Ricardo Teixeira were given drive through penalties for corner cutting, which dropped both drivers out of points scoring positions.

Another retirement was Kristjan Einar, pulling his Carlin Dallara off the track with one wheel off the ground.

Lap 6 saw Brendon Hartley close the gap to Tandy and he chased the Mygale through Eau Rouge and up the hill trying desperately to use the superior speed of his car to drag past the British Driver. However Tandy had learnt a trick or two from his Formula Ford days and defended his position vigorously and as they went into Les Combes Tandy was still holding second place.

Meanwhile in the National Class Jay Bridger had got a fantastic start ending the opening lap ten places higher than his grid position however Steven Guerrero had also got a great start and was catching the class leader on every lap. Bridger held on until lap 7 when Guerrero made his move and swept into the class lead.

Hartley was still trying to get past Tandy and on lap 8 he succeeded and once clear of the Mygale he pulled away to start closing the gap on Perez. The Mexican held a 2.4 second lead but the New Zealander cut this by 0.7 seconds a lap and by the penultimate lap was right on the tale of the Honda powered Dallara.

Further back Henry Arundel had managed to get past Max Chilton for 6th place early on in the race and pulled away as Chilton came under pressure from Daniel Campos Hull in the Invitation Class Dallara and Philip Major's Fortec. Chilton held on until lap 8 but lost out to both the following drivers at Les Combes. Campos Hull soon closed the gap to Arundel, passing the English driver on the final lap to finish 6th overall and making up for the disappointing first race in which he failed to finish.

Hartley was right on Perez's tail as they crossed the line to being the final lap. The two cars were side by side out of Eau Rouge and up the hill for Les Combes with Perez holding the inside line. It looked as if Perez was going to hold on but Hartley left his braking to last possible second. His timing was perfect and he swept past his rival and into the lead in possibly the move of the championship.

Hartley pulled away and by the time he saw the chequered flag he was 1.3 second ahead. However Perez waved his arms in the air to his T Sport team on the wall, obviously pleased to finish on the podium at what had been a very difficult weekend for him. Nick Tandy held off the attentions of Jaime Alguersuari to claim his first podium finish, while 4th place was god enough to give the Spaniard a slender one point championship lead over Perez with six races remaining.

The National Class battle was just as exciting. On the penultimate lap Salman Al Khalifa managed to pass Round 15 winner Stefan Wilson to claim the final podium position but the real fight was at the front as Steve Guerrero and Jay Bridger crossed the line nose to tail to start the final lap, with Bridger getting a good run to reclaim the lead at the right moment to take the chequered flag and extend his championship lead.

The next two races are at Silverstone on Saturday 16 August, with the next two races on the streets of Bucharest in Romania the following weekend. With just 22 points separating the top four drivers and 126 points still on offer, the 2008 British F3 International Series title race looks like going down to the final race at Donington Park in October.  

Spa Win for Turvey

Oliver Turvey scored his second win of the 2008 season after a race long battle with Brendon Hartley at Spa in Round 15 of the 2008 British F3 International Series. Jaime Alguersuari completed a podium lockout for Carlin Motorsport, with Sam Abay coming home in 4th to complete a Carlin 1-2-3-4. Stefan Wilson also took his second win of the year, passing Salman Al Khalifa on lap 7 after the Bahraini made up six places on the opening lap.

Twelve laps of Spa awaited the twenty seven drivers as they came onto the grid to start the race. The engine notes rose as the red lights came on and Turvey shot off the line from pole position as the lights went out. However the British driver’s start wasn’t as good as his teammates as Brendon Hartley got down the inside of Turvey into the first corner to take the lead. As Hartley headed down the hill into Eau Rouge for the first time Turvey fought back and was alongside the Red Bull car as they headed up the hill to Les Combes with Turvey getting the better line to regain the lead.

Meanwhile further back other drivers made up places as other floundered. Marcus Ericsson got past Sam Abay and as the cars came into the final corner for the first time the Swede dived to the inside of Jaime Alguersuari to cross the line in 3rd. However on the next lap Ericsson lost all the ground he had made to finish the second lap back in 5th and coming under pressure from John Martin. Invitation Class driver Basil Shaaban had a short lived return to British F3 as he pulled into the pits at the end of the opening lap to retire.

In the National Class Jay Bridger got boxed in as Salman Al Khalifa made possibly his best ever start in British F3 to take the National Class lead. Bridger was then demoted another place by his Fluid Motorsport teammate Stefan Wilson as the driver from Sheffield fought to get on terms with the lead car. Bridger was then passed by the International Class car of Ricardo Teixeira, which meant he couldn’t get back at Wilson while in turn he was now under pressure from Steven Guerrero in the T Sport Dallara.

Meanwhile back at the front Turvey and Hartley were pulling away from 3rd placed Alguersuari who was maintaining a comfortable gap to Abay in 4th. On lap 4 Marcus Ericsson lost another place to Sergio Perez for 6th as John Martin continued to maintain a gap to the duelling pair in 5th.

On lap 5 Walter Grubmuller slipped past the Invitation Class Dallara of Daniel Campos Hull on lap 6 to move into 9th overall, with the Spaniard then coming under pressure from Atte Mustonen and Sebastian Hohenthal. Mustonen got past on lap 7 but Hohenthal and Campos Hull collided forcing both cars out of the race.

Al Khalifa was trying desperately to hold onto the National Class lead but on lap 7 Wilson made a move at Les Combes which propelled him into the lead.

The final few laps were pretty static as the chequered flag approached, with Ericsson trying to regain 6th from Perez on the final lap. However as Turvey approached the finish line for the 12th time there was confusion as the chequered flag failed to appear and the cars continued round for another lap. The race was declared on lap 12 despite the lack of a chequered flag which meant a 1-2-3-4 for Carlin Motorsport led by Oliver Turvey. Brendon Hartley was second and set the fastest lap of the race just two tenths outside of Jonathan Kennard’s lap record set in 2007. Jaime Alguersuari’s third place gives him a four point lead over Oliver Turvey in the championship table with Sergio Perez now six points behind the Spanish driver.

Triple Podium Joy for T Sport

Sergio Perez took his 4th win of the season, and his first podium finish since Monza, after getting a great start in Round 14 at Brands Hatch. The Mexican was under pressure from Marcus Ericsson for the entire race but the Swede made a mistake two corners from home, spinning off into the barriers and promoting Atte Mustonen and Oliver Turvey to the final podium places. In the National Class it was a 1-2 for T Sport as Steven Guerrero scored his second win leading home teammate Salman Al Khalifa, with Jay Bridger in 3rd.

Twenty seven cars lined up on the grid for Round 14, including the Ultimate Mygale of Alistair Jackson, the Ulsterman being given the all clear by the medics after his heavy accident in Round 13. At the start it was Ericsson who led the field away but it was second placed Perez who got an even better getaway to get alongside the Swedish driver into Paddock Hill and sweep into the lead. Oliver Turvey also got the drop on his Carlin teammate Jaime Alguersuari to slot into 4th behind Atte Mustonen at the first corner. John Martin stalled on the grid and once he had fired the Mercedes engine into life he set off in last place.

Perez had Ericsson Fortec Dallara filling his rear view mirrors as they crossed the line for the first time, followed by Mustonen, Turvey, Alguersuari, Hartley and Tandy.

As the laps counted down the leading pair continued to circulate with just 0.3 seconds separating them as they pulled away from third placed Mustonen who was having the fend off the attentions of Turvey.

On lap 8 Martin O'Connell in the #56 Carlin Motorsport Dallara came into the pits to change a rear tyre after he went off at Clearways. O'Connells second Formula 3 race since 2001 ended a few laps later. Alistair Jackson also retired after he pulled into the pits.

On lap 15 Ericsson started to line Perez up for a pass but the Mexican defended well causing the Swede to lose ground for the rest of the lap. Brendon Hartley was another casualty when his Carlin Dallara pulled off at Graham Hill Bend.

As the race entered the final Marcus Ericsson was still right behind the leading T Sport Dallara but it looked as if he would have to settle for second place after Perez had soaked up all the pressure Ericsson could throw at him. However it was Ericsson who cracked and two corners from the Fortec Dallara went straight on and into the barriers. Perez crossed the line in first place, three seconds ahead of Atte Mustonen, with Oliver Turvey claiming his second podium of the weekend.

Red Bull Driver Wins Red Flagged Race

Jaime Alguersuari dominated Round 13 at Brands Hatch from pole position but the race was red flagged after 16 laps following a heavy accident involving Alistair Jackson at the exit of Surtees. Oliver Turvey finished second after passing Atte Mustonen at the start. Jay Bridger won the National Class from pole but it was a great result for Jonathan Legris on his British F3 debut, finishing a strong second in the LitespeedF3 SLC R1.

Jaime Alguersuari got the best start off the line to lead the 27 car field into Paddock Hill for the first time. Third placed Oliver Turvey got a better start than Atte Mustonen to demote the Finn into the first corner by one place. Further back 5th placed Sebastian Hohenthal and 8th placed Henry Arundel both stalled their cars causing the drivers behind them to take avoiding action off the line, luckily with no incidents.

Brendon Hartley went down the inside of Max Chilton at Graham Hill Bend, gaining the New Zealander three places before the end of lap one. Another driver making a good start off the line was John Martin, the Australian making up six places as he crossed the line for the first time to end the lap in 10th, the place he would've started before his qualifying penalty for a yellow flag infringement.

In the National Class Jay Bridger led the class away but Jonathan Legris got a great start in the Litespeed SLC, moving ahead of Salman Al Khalifa, Stefan Wilson and Steven Guerraro to end lap one second in the National Class and challenging Bridger for the lead.

Alguersuari started to pull away at the front of the field as Mustonen put pressure on Turvey, who on turn had Sergio Perez filling his mirrors, with Marcus Ericsson and Walter Grubmuller not far behind. By lap six the leader had opened a five second gap to the Turvey / Mustonen battle and broke Marko Asmer's lap record as he continued to pull away.

Max Chilton was being challenged by John Martin for 9th place and on lap 8 the Australian picked off the Hitech Dallara. Chilton's race then got worse as the 17-year-old spun off at Paddock Hill, clattering the barriers hard.

Sam Abay was making progress from the back of the field, moving past Ricardo Teixeira to take 12th place from the Angolan. Alistair Jackson, who had started at the back of the field with Abay, was also making swift progress towards the front of the grid. The Northern Irish driver had to negotiate the five car National Class battle and as Stefan Wilson moved over to let Jackson through Salman Al Khalifa saw an opening to move ahead of Wilson for 4th in class.

Then Jackson pushed a little too hard and put two wheels on the outside kerb at Surtees, losing control of the Mygale which spun across the track hitting the barriers on the inside of the exit hard. The safety car was deployed slowing the pace and bunching the field back up. With just a few minutes remaining the red flag was shown and the race declared on lap 16. Alistair Jackson was conscious the whole time and was taken to hospital as a precaution after complaining of neck pains and pain in his knee.

Hartley Doubles Up and Leads Home a Carlin 1-2-3

Brendon Hartley added a second win at Thruxton in Round 12 of the 2008 British F3 International Series with a lights to flag victory from pole position. The New Zealander finished just ahead of Carlin teammate Oliver Turvey, the Racing Steps Foundation backed driver keeping the leader honest for the entire 24-lap race. Jaime Alguersuari finished a great day for the Carlin team in third place. Steven Guerrero took his first National Class win with a fighting drive to the flag against Jay Bridger and it marks the first win in British F3 for a Columbian since Juan Pablo Montoya.

At the start it was almost a rerun of the first race with Oliver Turvey attacking his pole sitting teammate Brendon Hartley into the Complex for the first time, but the difference this time was the New Zealander held the advantage and covered the racing line. Beind them Nick Tandy passed Marcus Ericsson for third but unfortunately the two clashed at the Chicane, breaking the front wishbone on the Swedes Dallara and forcing both cars into retirement.

While at the front of the field Hartley was able to maintain a 0.5 second gap to Turvey other drivers were on the move. Sebastian Hohenthal passed John Martin on lap 3, with Henry Arundel and Philip Major moving up a place on the next lap.

In the National Class pole position holder Jay Bridger had a bad first lap, dropping behind Steven Guerrero but setting the scene for a titanic struggle for the Class lead. Andy Meyrick, who had started on the back row of the grid after a disaster in qualifying, was soon on the move and by lap 3 was tagged onto the back of the Guerrero / Bridger battle. For the next 10 laps this three way dog fight continued with none of the drivers making the mistake that would allow their rival an advantage.

Michael Devaney and Sergio Perez were also nose to tail for 4th place, with the Mexican snatching the place with an inside move at the Chicane on lap 9. At the front Hartley started to open up a small gap to Turvey, which had grown to 1.5 seconds by lap 13.

Sebastian Hohenthal was coming under pressure from John Martin and Atte Mustonen, the Australian overtaking the Swede on lap 12 and the Finn attempted the same move at the Chicane on the next lap. However the two cars collided and Mustonen was left stranded on the outside of the Chicane, bringing out the Safety Car and bunching the field back up.

The Safety Car stayed out until lap 17 when racing resumed with Hartley pulling away from Turvey and Alguersuari. Hohenthal also used the restart to retake 6th from Martin. With the chequered flag approaching the cars at the head of the field settled into rhythm. In the National Class the contrast couldn't be greater. Bridger had managed to find a way around the Columbian but Guerrero wasn't going to be denied his first win. The T Sport Dallara retook the lead on lap 20 and held it to the flag despite many attempts from the Englishman.

Brendon Hartley scored his second win of the day and his third British F3 win, ahead of Carlin teammates Oliver Turvey and Jamie Alguersuari. Sergio Perez finished 4th to leave Thruxton with a 1-point lead in the Championship over Alguersuari.

Hartley Blitzes Thruxton to Take Second Win of 2008

Brendon Hartley took his second win of the 2008 British F3 International Series season with a mature drive that saw the New Zealander lose out at the start only to work his way back up to the front to control the race to the flag. Marcus Ericsson recorded his third podium finish of the year and took the fastest lap of the race, finishing ahead of top British driver Oliver Turvey. In the National Class the battle between Andy Meyrick and Jay Bridger went to the chequered flag with the two separated by less than a car length in one of the best races this year.

The start saw the three Carlin cars of Jaime Alguersuari, Brendon Hartley and Oliver Turvey get a good getaway and they were all side-by-side as they headed into Allard for the first time. Everyon eheld their breath but Brendon Hartley elected to back off to avoid his teammates and this allowed Oliver Turvey to take the lead, ahead of Alguersuari and Hartley, who had the Dallara of John Martin right on his rear wing as they headed down to Club Chicane. Martin went around the outside of the New Zealander to take 3rd place as they crossed the line, but it didn't last long and Hartley had regained the place by the end of lap 2.

Turvey was holding the lead despite some heavy pressure from Alguersuari, who was now being caught by the recovering Hartley. The #3 Red Bull Dallara swet past the Spaniard on lap 3. Further back Marcus Ericsson was on the move in the Fortec Motorsport Dallara regaining the place he lost to Martin on the opening lap and then on lap 5 moved ahead of the Alguersuari, who was clearly struggling with the hadling of his car.

Brendon Hartley was now on the tail of the leader and it was only a matter of time before Turvey would have to give way. On lap 7 Hartley was close enough as they approached the final Chicane to dive down the inside of the Racing Steps Foundation backed car to sweep into the lead of the race. Turvey then had to defend had from the charging Ericsson, allowing the new leader to open up a small gap at the front of the field. Ericsson made his move on Turvey at the Chicane on lap 9 to move into 2nd place and the young Swede set off after Hartley.

In the National Class Andy Meyrick was able to hold his lead as the International Class cars moved ahead but this allowed Jay Bridger to close up on the leader and by the halfway point of the 24 lap race the two cars were nose to tail, with Steven Guerrero closing up to join in a three way battle for class honours.

Meanwhile back at the front Hartley was able to maintain a 1.5 second lead over Ericsson, who held a similar gap to third placed Turvey. Jaime Alguersuari lost another place as Sam Abay, who was enjoying his best race of the year so far, moved into 4th place with an inside move at the Chicane. The Spaniard clearly had a problem as he was caught and passed by Sebatian Hohenthal and then Sergio Perez and Atte Mustonen. The reason became clear on the next lap as he came into the pits with a puncture to his front left tyre, Alguersuari climbing out of the cockpit to retire.

Mustonen and Perez were having their own battle for 6th, with the Finn moving ahead a few laps from home. Meyrick and Bridger were still at it for the lead of the National Class and on lap 22 Bridger made a challenge at the Complex but Meyrick held his nerve and his place. Bridger never gave up and tried again on the last lap at the Club Chicane but once again it wasn't to be.

Brendon Hartley saw the chequered flag and saluted his Carlin teammates who lined the pitwall. Hartley finished 2.2 seconds ahead of Marcus Ericsson and a further four second in front of Oliver Turvey. Australian Sam Abay brought his Carlin Dallara home in 4th to record his best finish in British F3

Devaney Does the Double

Michael Devaney took his second win of the weekend, this time from 4th on the grid, overtaking two cars at the first corner. The Irishman inherited the lead when Brendon Hartley spun off at Riches but held off the challenge of Sebastian Hohenthal and Jaime Alguersuari to the chequered flag. Stefan Wilson took his first National Class win and the second for his Fluid Motorsport team, finishing ahead of teammate Jay Bridger and Hywel Lloyd.

At the start Brendon Hartley got a good getaway from pole but it was Round 9 winner Michael Devaney who made the best of the situation to move up two places at the first corner to follow Hartley in Sear ahead of Sebastian Hohenthal and Atte Mustonen with Sergio Perez losing three places, the championship leader dropping back to 6th behind Jaime Alguersuari. Further back there were spinning cars at Sears and at the end of the lap Sam Abay and Nick Tandy came into the pits for repairs.

Hartley started to pull away slightly from Devaney as the Irishman came under pressure from Hohenthal and by lap 4 the New Zealander was 1.5 seconds ahead. But on lap 5 disaster struck as the Red Bull sponsored Dallara was seen spinning off into the field at Riches all on its own after getting onto the dirty part of the track and handing the lead to Devaney. On the same lap Marcus Ericsson’s Fortec Dallara came out of Corum slowly while battling with Oliver Turvey for 7th, dropping the Swede three places behind Max Chilton, Walter Grubmuller and National Class leader Stefan Wilson.

Jay Bridger, who had lost touch with his Fluid Motorsport teammate Stefan Wilson in the National Class battle was coming under pressure from Andy Meyrick and for lap after lap the two championship contenders circulated, fighting it out for the minor podium places as Wilson headed for his first win unchallenged.

Devaney and Hohenthal started to pull away from Mustonen at the front of the field as the Finn had a train of cars snapping at his heals led by Alguersuari. On lap 13 the Spaniard moved up a place with a move on Mustonen that allowed him to set off after the leading duo. Mustonen dropped back two more places losing out to Perez on lap 18 and Turvey on lap 21.

Devaney had control of the race knowing that the only way Hohenthal was going to get past him was if he made a mistake and the experienced racer kept his cool in the hot Norfolk sunshine.

Further down the order the Bridger-Meyrick battle came to an abrupt end after the Welshman went off the track at the Esses and into retirement on lap 20 ending a frustrating weekend for the championship leader.

At the flag it was double delight for the Ultimate Motorsport team as their driver took the second win of the day ahead of Sebastian Hohenthal. Jaime Alguersuari finished third and took the extra point for the fastest lap which puts the Spanish driver at the top of the championship table, one point ahead of 4th placed Sergio Perez.

Stefan Wilson took his first National Class win in 10th overall, with a 1-2 for Fluid Motorsport on their home track as Jay Bridger came home a distant 2nd ahead of a very happy Hywel Lloyd, the CF Racing driver ending a disappointing weekend on a high note after starting the race in 26th overall and 8th in class.

Devaney's Ultimate Delight

Michael Devaney made British Formula 3 history by scoring the first ever win for a Mygale and the first victory for himself and his Ultimate Motorsport team. The Irishman led from the start holding off a very determined Jaime Alguersuari for the entire 28-lap race. It was a double podium for Red Bull as Brendon Hartley took his third podium of the season. Jay Bridger took a well deserved victory in the National Class well ahead of a resurgent Andy Meyrick and Columbian Steven Guerrero.

The 27 car field formed up on the grid in perfect summer sunshine behind the Mygales of Michael Devaney and Nick Tandy. The lights went out to begin the race and Devaney got the perfect start to lead into the first corner at Riches with Brendon Hartley getting the jump on his Red Bull teammate Jaime Alguersuari to move into 3rd place as they headed down the Revett Straight. Devaney pulled away from the rest of the chasing pack as Tandy defended his second place in vain. The three cars went into the Esses three abreast with Alguersuari regaining the place from Hartley and both Red Bull cars passing the JTR Mygale of Tandy.

Behind the leaders Max Chilton stalled his Hitech Dallara on the grid and was delayed by half a lap before he fired up his Mercedes engine and joined in the race.

At the end of the opening lap Devaney had a 2.3 second lead but Alguersuari was closing up on the Irishman and by lap 5 was the lead was cut to just 0.5 seconds. However the Spaniard couldn't get much closer on the high speed circuit due to the dirty air behind the Ultimate Mygale causing the Carlin Dallara to lose downforce. Alguersuari would close up to the back of the Mygale at Russells but Devaney would then pull away on the start-finish straight.

Nick Tandy continued to slide down the order being passed by Oliver Turvey, Sebastian Hohenthal, Sergio Perez and Marcus Ericsson before finding some speed to keep Atte Mustonen behind him from lap 6 onwards.

Sergio Perez's race came to an abrupt end on lap 9 when his T Sport Dallara pulled off the track in a cloud of oil smoke, a cambelt problem stopping the championship leaders Mugen Honda powerplant.

Things then settled down as Devaney, Alguersuari and Hartley circulated at the head of the field, each driver trying to apply pressure that would force an error and allow them to overtake. Further back Marcus Ericsson was battling with Oliver Turvey and Sebastian Hohenthal for 4th place, the young Swede setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 14, a new British F3 lap record for Snetterton.

In the National Class Jay Bridger held a comfortable lead over Columbian Steven Guerrero but it was Andy Meyrick who was moving steadily up through the field from his lowly 22nd on the grid passing Salman Al Khalifa and Stefan Wilson on the opening lap and then getting on terms and passing Guerrero on lap 17. The Columbian then came under pressure from Stefan Wilson for the final podium position and the British driver got alongside the T Sport Dallara going into the Esses but couldn't make the corner and went across the grass, dropping Wilson down the order.

Back at the front Devaney was circulating without making any errors and Alguersuari wasn't able to get close enough to the leader to challenge. At the chequered flag Devaney punched the air as the Ultimate Motorsport team lined the pitwall to welcome their driver home.

Italian Double for Perez

Sergio Perez took another fighting victory from 14th on the grid to take his third win of the season and extend his championship lead. Esteban Guerrieri took his, and his Ultimate Motorsport teams, best British F3 finish in second with Atte Mustonen in third. All three Chassis/ engine combinations were represented on the grid underlining the competitive nature of this year's British F3 International Series.

Jay Bridger became the latest winner in the National Class as Andy Meyrick failed to score any points in Italy. Hywel Lloyd finished off a great weekend for himself and his CF Racing team with second place from the back of the grid. Kristjan Einar scored his first podium of the season and gave his Carlin Motorsport team something to cheer about.

As the 28 cars filed out to the Monza grid for the second race of the weekend the rain that had been the overriding feature of the event started to fall on the back of the circuit. The track was dry for most of the lap and the teams sent their drivers out on slicks. As the lights went out Max Chilton got a great start from pole position to lead into the first corner with Matteo Chinosi slotting in behind the 17-year-old Hitech driver.

At the first corner everyone held their breath as the field filed around the chicane but in the middle of the field Sam Abay spun but the rest of the grid missed the spinning Aussie who rejoined further down the field.. The cars sped away down to the next chicane, with Federico Leo becoming the first casualty of the race, his Ombra Racing Dallara stopping at the second Chicane.

The falling rain was starting to make the track extremely slippery, especially as all of the cars were wearing Avon slick rubber. The leaders rounded Lesmo and headed down towards Ascari for the first time. Chilton went through but Alguersuari, who had made up some ground on his grid place, slid off the track at Ascari dropping him back down the order. Then there was chaos in the mid field as a spinning car collected Viktor Jensen and other cars went off in avoidance. The safety car was deployed to enable the marshals to collect the beached cars of Jensen, Philip Major, Salman Al Khalifa, Craig Reiff and Henry Arundel.

The race was restarted at the end of lap 3 and once again Chilton moved ahead of the rest as Chinosi came under pressure from Mustonen and Devaney. Alguersuari had recovered from his earlier spin and was slicing his way to the front, passing Esteban Guerrieri and Sebastian Hohenthal on lap 4 and then moving into second on the next lap by passing Chinosi, Devaney and Mustonen.

As the rain stopped two other drivers were on the move, the first being Sergio Perez and the second was Nick Tandy. The Mexican was 10th at the end of lap 4 and was making rapid progress, gaining five further places by the end of lap 7, with Tandy tracking his every move to end the lap one place behind Perez.

In the National Class Andy Meyrick was being caught by Jay Bridger but then had the International Class runners Sam Abay and John Martin slotting in between them to give Meyrick some breathing space. However on lap 9 Bridger caught and passed the Welshman before his race ended in the barriers at the exit of Ascari. Bridger now had a comfortable lead over the battling duo of Kristjan Einar and Hywel Lloyd.

Back at the front of the field Perez overtook Guerrieri, Mustonen and Alguersuari to move into second place, with the Spaniard dropping back to 6th. On a drying track Perez was now catching Chilton as Guerrieri passed Mustonen for third. Further back Walter Grubmuller had overtaken Brendon Hartley for 11th place but the New Zealander was fighting back as the pair headed into Ascari. Hartley went for a gap but was too far back and the pair touched with both cars coming to a halt at the side of the track.

Lap 10 saw Perez take the lead from Chilton, who was soon demoted to third by Guerrieri and then down to fourth a lap later when Mustonen went ahead of the Englishman. Perez couldn't shake off the second placed Argentine as the race entered the final phase with Chilton now coming under pressure from Tandy, the pair crossing the line for the twelfth time side by side with Tandy taking the place at the first corner.

As the cars crossed the line for the thirteenth time Perez was 0.6 seconds ahead of Guerrieri who had a two second advantage over Mustonen. The fight for seventh place was raging between Sebastian Hohenthal and Oliver Turvey and as they headed into the first corner Turvey went for the inside of the Swede's Dallara. The two cars touched with Hohenthal barrel rolling and coming to rest upside down in the middle of the track bringing out the red flags.

The race was declared on lap 12 with Perez taking his third win of the season ahead of Esteban Guerrieri, who claimed the fastest lap of the race, and Atte Mustonen. Max Chilton was classified fourth because he was ahead of Tandy at the end of lap 12, with the JTR Mygale taking the team's best finish of the year in fifth. Oliver Turvey was giving a 10 second penalty for causing the accident with Hohenthal and the Swede was not classified because his car wasn't moving when the red flags were shown.

Jay Bridger took the National Class win in 12th overall and the fastest lap in the class to close the gap to Andy Meyrick in the championship to just 12 points. Kristjan Einar and Hywel Lloyd were swapping places on every lap with Einar holding second place as the red flags came out but it was Lloyd who had been in front at the end of lap 12 and was awarded the second place ahead of the Icelandic driver.

Sergio Perez now holds a 32 point advantage over Atte Mustonen in the championship table. T

Perez Storms through to Win from 14th on Grid

Sergio Perez won arguably the best race of the year so far with a brilliant drive from 14th on the grid to take the chequered flag 4.2 seconds ahead of Brendon Hartley and Oliver Turvey. Hywel Lloyd became the first driver to break Andy Meyrick's strangle hold on the National Class, taking a win after his fellow Welshman spun out of the race.

With a dry track all of the 28 cars wore Avon slick tyres for the first time since free practice. Matteo Chinosi was at the head of the field as the lights went out to start the race. Third place Sam Abay got a great start to take the lead as the field sped towards the first corner, with Max Chilton dropping back. Sebastian Hohenthal had also made a great start but clipped the rear of Atte Mustonen's Double R Racing Dallara, eliminating both cars and taking Chilton with them. Jay Bridger was also an early casulaty when he hit the stationary Chilton.

At the end of the opening lap Abay was leading by nearly a second from Jaime Alguersuari, the Red Bull driver storming up the field from 6th, with Chinosi and Marcus Ericsson, the young Swede also making good progress from 10th.

On the second lap the casualties continued as Nick Tandy came into the pits and Michael Devaney was speared off the track after his Ultimate Mygale was tagged coming into Parabolica. The Irishmans car rolled once and came to a halt on its wheels but that was Devaney's race run.

Abay continued to pull away from the chasing pack as Chinosi passed Alguersuari for 2nd place, with Guerrieri passing Ericsson for 4th place. Behind the leaders Sergio Perez was making rapid progress through the field and by lap 3 was up to 6th and then two laps later was 3rd as he passed Ericsson and Guerrieri in short order and then benefitted when Chinosi ran wide at the Parabolica to drop down the order.

Lap six saw Perez take the lead, who was followed by Guerrieri as the Argentine swept past Alguersuari and then Abay at Ascari, with the Australian losing out to his Carlin teammate at the next corner to drop three places on the lap.

Disaster struck for Andy Meyrick when his was seen spinning off the circuit backwards on the exit of Ascari and into retirement and with it his perfect run of race wins.

Perez started to edge away from Guerrieri as Brendon Hartley caught and passed Oliver Turvey for fourth to start challenging his Red Bull team mate Alguersuari. On lap 14 the Spaniard passed Guerrieri for second but the Argentine driver fought back to regain the place. But as the pair got closer together Alguersuari tagged the back of the Ultimate Mygale, spinning them both into the gravel with the Red Bull Dallara regaining the track while the Ultimate Mygale went into retirement, just as the rain started to fall again.

Hartley was now second, with Turvey in third but the Carlin pair were unable to mount any sort of challenge to Perez before the chequered flag. Behind the leading trio Walter Grubmuller was enjoying his best race of the season so far, closing on Turvey but also holding off the charging John Martin, the Australian making up two places on the final two laps. Sam Abay and Marcus Ericsson crossed the line side by side, with the Australian claiming 6th place.

Philip Major scored his first British F3 championship points crossing the line in 9th overall behind Invitation Class winner Matteo Chinosi. Jaime Alguersuari was given a 25-second penalty for hitting Esteban Guerrieri, dropping his down to 12th overall and 9th in the International Class, while the final championship point went to Viktor Jensen. Guerrieri was classified in 16th overall but claimed the point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

In the National Class Hywel Lloyd claimed his first win after overtaking Stefan Wilson two laps from home. Wilson was struggling with his Fluid Dallara as the track started to get wetter as the rain came down, while Lloyd took advantage of the conditions to the chequered flag. Craig Reiff was the final National Class runner and he took his first British F3 podium in only his 5th car race.

Perez jumped for joy on the podium and now leads the championship by 13 points from Oliver Turvey and 25 points in front of Brendon Hartley.  

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 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.

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, poleman 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.

www.britishf3international.com