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HITECH ENDS YEAR WITH VICTORY
Asmer wins and Grubmüller flies at Rockingham 

Hitech Racing ended the season with a dominant performance at Rockingham today; newly-crowned Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series champion Marko Asmer cruising to a convincing 13 second advantage at the flag.  His young team-mate Walter Grubmüller drove a steady opening race, improving from his 14^th grid slot to finish just outside the points in 11^th, but the second race showed remarkable pace as he traded fastest laps with the race winner. 

Starting from his 11^th pole of the season, Asmer judged the lights to perfection, making the best start to take the early lead which he never relinquished, as he went on to record his 11^th win of 2007.  Lap after the lap the 23 year-old stretched his lead and lap after lap he set the quickest time, the only driver to dip under the 1.12secs barrier to establish a new track lap record. 

Eighteen year-old Grubmüller, in his first season in the UK’s premier single-seater championship, made a storming start to make up three places off the line, and thereafter set about chasing down the cars ahead.  His eighth quickest lap time in the race showed his pace, and for several laps he enjoyed a four-car battle for tenth, the Austrian just missing out on the place at the flag. 

The second race had Marko start from tenth, after a tyre problem in yesterday’s qualifying and after a good start off the line, he maintained position going into turn one.  Sadly his final British race of the year was over almost before it began, after contact with another driver pushed him off the track and into instant retirement on the entry to Yenwood corner.  

For Grubmüller however, another superb run from the teenager saw him soon up to 13^th where he enjoyed a four-way battle for tenth before contact with Michael Devaney dropped him down to last.  A superb drive though the field, in which he traded fastest laps with eventual race winner Maro Engel, earnt him 18^th at the flag and praise from Team Principal David Hayle. 

David Hayle: “It’s disappointing for Walter to have been pushed off but what followed was unbelievable. He was trading fastest laps with Engel for the last five laps and passing people like they were standing still. If he could only qualify and race like that all the time he’d be regularly on the podium. His last five laps of that race were probably his finest five laps of the season. 

“A satisfying thing is that from Donington onwards our main rival was saying that that was the end of Marko’s wins and that the young ones were going to catch him, the gap was going to get smaller and that by this time of the year he wouldn’t be winning races.  The fact is he’s now winning races by the biggest margins ever, still getting poles, still getting fastest laps, so they’re wrong again!” 

Marko Asmer: “It’s good to end the year with another victory but it’s a shame not to have finished the final race of the season. Race one was great, no problems, and I’d had high hopes of a good finish for race two. I made up some places in the first couple of corners but coming into the third corner, we were two cars together and two cars there just don’t fit.” 

Walter Grubmüller: “It’s a shame really that I couldn’t have started higher up as I’m sure a better finish would have been possible, but you can’t change it now.  Hopefully I can work on qualifying better next year. I passed Devaney going into the hairpin but as we came out he was inside me going into the next right hander, I was already ahead but neither of us moved and we touched and both went off. It took me a while to get going again and then set after chasing the cars ahead.  In this morning’s race, I got another good start, but got held up by a few cars.  The pace has been there though in both races, so now it’s down to me to qualify higher.”  

Results of Round 21:

1. Marko Asmer Hitech Racing 29:23.941 (24 laps)

2. Atte Mustonen Raikkonen Robertson Racing 29:36.868

3. Sebastian Hohenthal Fortec Motorsport 29:38.437

4. Rodolfo Gonzalez T-Sport 29:43.507

5. Mario Moraes Carlin Motorsport 29:44.780

6. Niall Breen Carlin Motorsport 29:45.576

11. Walter Grubmüller Hitech Racing 29:55.621 

Fastest lap: Asmer 1:12.620 96.17mph 154.77kph (Lap record)

Results of Round 22:

1. Maro Engel Carlin Motorsport 29:31.443 (24 laps)

2. Sam Bird Carlin Motorsport 29:41.709

3. Sebastian Hohenthal Fortec Motorsport 29:42.759

4. Esteban Guerrieri Ultimate Motorsport 29:48.570

5. Atte Mustonen Raikkonen Robertson Racing 29:48.952

6. Alberto Valerio Carlin Motorsport 29:52.520

18. Walter Grubmüller Hitech Racing 30:29.715 

DNF Marko Asmer 0 laps

Hitech and Asmer crowned British F3 Champions

Hitech Racing has won the 2007 Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series for the first time with Estonian Marko Asmer in an unassailable lead with still two rounds remaining. A dominant performance which saw him take a lights flag victory, his tenth win of the year, gave the Silverstone-based team and the Buckingham-based driver title glory, but it was an unlucky day for his young team-mate Walter Grubmüller who unfortunately failed to finish either race, despite battling for sixth place in the opening one.

Twenty-three year-old Asmer led the series going into the penultimate round by a massive 72 points and starting race one from his ninth pole position of the year, made a stunning getaway at the lights to take the immediate lead as his main series rival Maro Engel clashed with team-mate Niall Breen at the first corner.

For nearly half of the 24 laps Marko stamped his authority on the race, extending his lead over eventual race winner Stephen Jelley to more than five seconds until his engine began to lose power and eventually expired on lap 12 forcing the Estonian to park his Dallara Mercedes HWA out on the track but with the coveted title firmly in his pocket.

Grubmüller also made a superb start, moving up three places on the opening lap before getting onto the tail of the battle for sixth place by the half-way point. Running in ninth place with the retirement of his team-mate Marko, Walter looked set for another top ten finish but an overtaking manoeuvre up the inside of John Martin’s Dallara on the very last lap saw the pair make contact, ending the Austrian’s race on the spot.

Race two again had Marko starting from pole position and a lightening getaway saw him lead into the first corner and thereafter he was never headed as he romped to his tenth victory to win by over three seconds from Breen. For Grubmüller who maintained his 12th place starting position off the line, the race lasted less than a lap, as an ambitious move by Mario Moraes saw the pair pitched off the track and onto the grass, his race ended on the spot.

For the team, victory this afternoon was a fitting result and just reward for five years of hard work and team Principal David Hayle was quick to praise not just Marko but the remainder of the Hitech outfit.

David Hayle: “It’s a strange feeling because we officially won it after a non-finish but the second race was just out of this world. It’s been five years of hard graft finally paying off. It’s more special winning our first title with Marko because very few drivers become very close to a team and you very rarely have a special bond with a driver and with Marko we definitely have a special bond which makes it all the more special.

“This win is the result of a superb job by the whole team and the driver and without this all falling into place none of it would be possible. Walter has had a difficult weekend, because this weekend was always going to be about Marko and winning the championship and it must be hard for any driver in that situation to focus on his job. He’s a rookie and it’s hard enough for him as it is, without that extra pressure but hopefully now that the title is done and won, we can all focus on going forward to help Walter even further.”

Marko Asmer: “It’s now sunk in; I didn’t feel like I’d really won the title after race one and I wanted to take it with another race victory. The team has been excellent this year, no mistakes, nothing, the car has been fantastic. It’s a stupid thing to say I know, but thanks to everybody. I’m very happy.”

Walter Grubmüller: “Moraes made a ludicrous move on me to pass me while I was already in the corner then coming out I passed him again. Then on the straight he just went into me and spun me round and the race was over before it even began. In this morning’s race, I made a pretty good start and moved up a few places then on the last lap I tried to make a move which unfortunately didn’t work out and it ended my race. The pace was there once again, so it’s a little disappointing to say the least.”

Results of Round 19:
1. Stephen Jelley Raikkonen Robertson Racing 30:50.597
2. Sam Bird Carlin Motorsport 30:52.548
3. Greg Mansell Fortec Motorsport 30:53.052
4. Atte Mustonen Raikkonen Robertson Racing 30:53.895
5. Alberto Valerio Carlin Motorsport 30:58.515
6. Mario Moraes Carlin Motorsport 31.02.059

Results of Round 20:
1. Marko Asmer Hitech Racing 30:08.115
2. Niall Breen Carlin Motorsport 30:11.404
3. Atte Mustonen Raikkonen Robertson Racing 30:17.162
4. Alberto Valerio Carlin Motorsport 30:22.757
5. Maro Engel Carlin Motorsport 30:22.934
6. Greg Mansell Fortec Motorsport 30:24.317

Double top ten maintains Asmer's series lead

Hitech Racing’s Marko Asmer took two points scoring finishes in rounds 17 and 18 of the Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series at Thruxton today to maintain a healthy 72 point advantage at the head of the points standings. Despite struggling with straight-line speed in both 24-lap races, Asmer finished ninth and fifth while his rookie team-mate took 10th in race one but spun out of race two when oversteer caught him out at the Complex mid-way through.

For the Silverstone-based championship leaders, there was some consolation in that the two main series rivals didn’t fare much better, Maro Engel taking third and fourth to close the gap by just 12 points, while Sam Bird failed to finish both races, putting the title out of his grasp.

Race one saw Walter start from eighth, just ahead of Marko, and at the lights a good start by both drivers saw Marko up into seventh but a collision in the pack ahead of Walter saw him drop down the field crossing the line 17th at the end of lap one.

Over the course of the race, which saw a mid-race safety car period to retrieve the crashed cars of Bird and Atte Mustonen at the Complex, Marko increasingly lost pace, slowly dropping down the order to ninth at the flag. Walter meanwhile, was on a charge, despite also struggling with straight-line speed, he managed to move through the order, passing two cars on the exit of the chicane five laps from home to move him into tenth place.

At the start of race two both Marko and Walter made good getaways, Marko up to fourth with Walter holding position until a touch from another car damaged his suspension and later sent him spinning off the track. Marko drove a steady race to hold position; to take fifth place at the finish to keep his championship hopes very much on track.

David Hayle, “We just seem to have struggled all weekend with a lack of straight-line speed, the drivers can’t even stay in a tow, in the speed traps we’re 17th and 20th we have checked the obvious things but at the moment we have no idea what it is. We’re going to have to strip the cars completely and start all over again, change everything we feel we need to change and put it all right for Croft.

“But at the end of the day the people we’re chasing the championship with have not had special weekends either so we still have a 72 point advantage and they’ve got to do the winning and the chasing. Going to Croft we’ll still try and get two poles and two wins, our philosophy is going to be exactly the same nothing’s going to change, we’ll just keep fighting for wins.”

Marko Asmer: “It’s been a very hard weekend. I was a bit scared of this one anyway to be honest. Hitech’s always been good here but this year we’ve been really strong on normal circuits but at those with long straights like Monza and Spa and now here, we’ve been struggling a bit with straight line speed. I’m not exactly sure where we’re going wrong or what we’re doing different to the others or what I did.”

Walter Grubmüller: “In the first race I had a good start off the line but then a few cars came together and I lost a few places. Then over the course of the first two laps then I touched with another car and broke my front suspension so I had to drive with that and with blisters and managed to come home tenth. In the second race I made another good start but then after the safety car I was struggling with a lot of oversteer and lost a couple of places then I just ended up losing the car coming out of the complex and couldn’t restart it so that was that.”

Results of Round 17 – 24 laps
1. Stephen Jelley Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 29:58.967
2. Jonathan Kennard Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:00.777
3. Maro Engel Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:01.463
4. Esteban Guerrieri Mygale Mercedes HWA 30:02.786
5. Alberto Valerio Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:04.318
6. Greg Mansell Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:05.107
9. Marko Asmer Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:06.145
10. Walter Grubmüller Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:09.819

Results of Round 18 – 24 laps
1. Atte Mustonen Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:07.208
2. Niall Breen Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:12.040
3. Rodolfo Gonzalez Dallara F307 Mugen-Honda 30:13.766
4. Maro Engel Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:15.440
5. Marko Asmer Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:19.102
6. Mario Moraes Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 30:22.929

Asmer does it again with win number 8 and 9

Hitech Racing has got its title bid very firmly on track with two dominant lights to flag victories in Rounds 15 and 16 of the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series at Silverstone today.  The team, based just down the road from the home of the British Grand Prix, qualified on pole with Estonian Marko Asmer for both races and two superbly controlled drives from the 23 year-old earnt him wins eight and nine to extend his series lead to 84 points. 

His young team-mate, Austrian Walter Grubmüller was not so fortunate.  In race one the youngster recovered from a tap from Sergio Perez which sent the 18 year-old rookie into a spin and dropped him down to last but he clawed his way back to 12^th at the flag. In race two, a left rear puncture on the second lap eventually ended his race as he felt the car was not handling to his liking after it was replaced. 

Team principal David Hayle was understandably delighted with the performance which saw Marko also claim the fastest lap in each race to put himself and the team well on course to clinch the title but with six rounds remaining is unwilling to think that far ahead. 

David Hayle: It’s absolutely fantastic, everything you want to get you get in one weekend and when it comes it does so on your home track. It doesn’t get any better than that. It may have looked easy, but it’s never as easy as it looks.  Looking ahead to the championship, well if you win every race you win the championship, if you win the most races you win the championship, so we have to concentrate on winning as many of the remaining races as possible.  

“Sadly, it didn’t go as well for Walter though, he got a puncture in the second race, which we replaced but after that there was a problem with the car, it just wasn’t how he liked it and he wasn’t comfortable driving it so in the end we decided to play it safe, but it didn’t stop him doing 5^th fastest lap of the race.” 

Marko Asmer: What a perfect weekend for me and the team at our home track. In race one, I got the gap to three seconds then I made a big mistake at the hairpin, I almost spun, then I just had to slow down but I could see Maro was not closing and it was only six laps to go, so I eased it back a bit. In race two, the start was OK and I just pushed very hard early on to try and get away from him and in the end it was fairly easy. A great weekend, I’m very happy for the team.”  

Walter Grubmüller: “In the first race I got a good start and passed three cars going into Copse but after that I had a touch from Perez which put me into a spin and onto the grass and I rejoined last. But thankfully because of the safety car I was able to get onto the back of the pack and then at the restart I had to work my way through. But it was a long race, which was fun, but also frustrating because we could have finished a lot higher. In race two, I got a left rear puncture and after that the car didn’t feel quite right so we had to retire.”

Results of Round 15 – 22 laps

1. Marko Asmer Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:13.633

2. Maro Engel Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:15.289

3. Atte Mustonen Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:18.333

4. Greg Mansell Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:20.897

5. Stephen Jelley Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:27.532

6. Sam Bird Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:29.015

12. Walter Grubmüller Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:54.078

Fastest lap: Asmer 1:15.943 106.61mph 171.57kph

Results of Round 16 – 24 laps

1. Marko Asmer Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:47.439

2. Maro Engel Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:54.210

3. Greg Mansell Dallara Mercedes HWA 30:56.844

4. Michael Devaney Mygale Mercedes HWA 31:00.164

5. Alberto Valerio Dallara Mercedes HWA 31:08.054

6. Sam Bird Dallara Mercedes HWA31:12.214

Fastest lap: Asmer 1:16.094 106.39mph 171.23kph

HITECH TOP BRITS AT F3 MASTERS

Asmer tenth but Grubmüller forced out

Hitech Racing finished top British F3 team at the ultra-competitive Zandvoort Masters of F3 race at Zolder today.  The Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series leaders with Estonian Marko Asmer took tenth place in the 28-lap race at the Belgian track but there was disappointment for F3 rookie Walter Grubmüller who was forced to retire on lap 16. 

The top nine finishers were all competitors from the European series who are more used to the Kumho tyres favoured in Europe, over the Avon tyres used in Britain.  Marko’s performance was all the more impressive as the 23 year-old struggled with damaged steering following a first corner clash. 

Starting from the eighth row, Asmer made a good start to gain two places off the grid, and over the course of the race made up a further four places to cross the line tenth and the top British series driver. Grubmüller meanwhile, dropped two places off the grid when he was unable to see the lights due to confusion on the grid but got up to 27^th position from his 31^st starting point before contact with another car filled his sidepods with gravel and caused his car to begin overheating.  

The 18 year-old, on his debut International F3 race and first outing on the Kumho rubber, put up a good fight, although he too was affected by damaged steering which ultimately sent him into retirement. 

David Hayle: “Marko bent the steering at the first corner when he had a collision with Engel and Clos and did the whole race with the steering out.  We even considered bringing him in on the second or third lap as the car was very difficult to drive, but he managed to find a way to drive and decided to continue as the lap times were not too bad.  We did well considering but the only consolation really is to be top British runner. 

“With Walter it was a similar thing.  He had a collision on the opening lap which damaged his steering which then caused him to go off the track and filled the sidepods with gravel. That sent the temperature too high and we had no choice but to stop. 

Marko Asmer: “At the first corner I was between Dani Clos and Maro Engel and we touched. Dani came into me and Maro went onto the grass, it was a racing incident, I couldn’t avoid it, I was in the middle. The car was hard to drive because the steering was damaged and I was going to come in but then I saw that the others were even slower so I carried on.” 

Walter Grubmüller: “It was a very frustrating first time competing at the Masters, the start was mixed up and then I couldn’t see the lights so I dropped a few places at the start.  Then I had contact with a couple of people over the course of the first few laps and several offs when I went into the gravel which I can’t really explain because they were at the most ridiculous places. I kept locking up and couldn’t control the car plus the team couldn’t hear me properly. Then I saw that the engine temperature was starting to rise so my engineer brought me in.” 

Results of Zandvoort Masters of F3 – 28 laps

1 Nico Hülkenberg Dallara-Mercedes 40:45.974

2 Yann Clairay Dallara-Mercedes 40:52.664

3 Jean Karl Vernay Dallara-Mercedes 40:53.359

4 Brendan Hartley Dallara-Mercedes 40:53.636

5 Renger van der Zande Dallara-Mercedes 40:55.654

6 Edoardo Piscopo Dallara-Mercedes 40:58.140

7 Edoardo Mortara Dallara-Mercedes 40:58.855

8 Yelmer Buurman Dallara-Mercedes 41:01.114

9 Harald Schlegelmilch Dallara-Mercedes 41:01.330

10 Marko Asmer Dallara-Mercedes 41:07.861

HITECH LEAVES SPA WITH SERIES LEAD INTACT

The threatened rain played its predicted role in the outcome of the 14^th round of the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series at Spa at the weekend but it could do nothing to dampen the mood in the Hitech Racing camp.  The Championship leaders leave the Belgian track with its lead intact, after drivers Marko Asmer and Walter Grubmüller finished eighth and 13^th respectively. 

A wet track greeted the grid as they formed up for the off, and as the race start neared, the heavens opened forcing the organisers to start the race behind the safety car.  After two laps the race finally got underway, but after just four racing laps, the safety car was again deployed to remove the stricken cars of Ricardo Teixeira and Esteban Guerrieri. 

With the safety car on track right up to the chequered flag which signalled the end of the race after 30 minutes, both Marko and Walter were unable to move up through the order. 

“It was a bit of a non-event to be honest,” said team Principal David Hayle.  “The race hardly got started, before the safety car came out again, leaving both Marko and Walter with little to do except get to the finish in one piece. But despite the best efforts of several people to ruin our weekend, we still have a healthy lead in the Championship heading to our home event, where we will be going all out for double victory and at this stage I’d rather be 60 points in front than 60 points behind.

“Before that we also look forward to our next event, the Masters of F3 at Zolder next weekend where we’ll be looking to bounce back to the front and attempt to beat the cream of European racers.” 

“It was a pretty uneventful race,” said Walter. “There were just four racing laps and it was hard to even see the braking points with all the spray, so there was not much chance of moving up so we pretty much stayed where we were.”  

“Obviously I want to win every race but it’s not always possible,” said Marko. “But it’s only the first weekend in seven that we didn’t win so I’m not complaining. When I have a race like this I just get more determined to win next time which is what we will do in Silverstone and I can’t wait.” 

STORMING DRIVE FOR HITECH’S ASMER 

A scintillating drive through the field saw Hitech Racing’s Marko Asmer take a stunning sixth place from the back of the grid, earning six valuable championship points to maintain a healthy 69 point advantage.  Asmer’s 18 year-old team-mate Walter Grubmüller took 12^th place as he was forced to take avoiding action from a first-lap incident. 

Starting from the back of the grid, Marko made a superb start and passed 15 cars on the opening lap, thereafter moving through the pack and taking sixth on the final tour. For Grubmüller, the first lap incident cost him dearly, as he lost several places taking avoiding action and then struggled slightly with understeer which prevented him from making much progress. 

Hitech Racing team Principal David Hayle was understandably delighted with the performance of both drivers and was quick to praise Asmer’s startling run to sixth place. “Marko was absolutely brilliant, just superb,” he said. “He passed 15 cars on the first lap; I think he passed more cars on one lap than some drivers do in a season. 

“He just kept going forwards, if we’d had another couple of laps we would have been challenging for a podium result. He’s just a fantastic racer. Obviously tomorrow will be more difficult, but from seventh you’ve got to say we should be able to win after today. There’s certainly no reason not to aim for that. 

“Walter had to avoid an accident on the opening lap and lost some places and we’d made some changes to his car from qualifying.  Unfortunately it had a bit too much understeer for him and it meant he wasn’t able to make as much progress as he wanted to.” 

Marko was equally happy with his result, but determined to take his eighth win of the series in the second race tomorrow. “I got a good start and managed to get a couple of cars away from the line, then another through Eau Rouge. Then they all seemed to queue up going over the hill so I managed to pass a few more there, it’s hard to remember who I passed where as there were so many! 

“Sixth is a good result, but for the championship we still need to win races. I hope that after starting 30th and finishing sixth I can win race two from seventh on the grid, but tomorrow is a different race and we’ll have to see. 

“It’s a good result after the start to the weekend we had. The car was good in the race and hopefully will be even better tomorrow, so we’ll see.” 

F3 rookie Walter remains confident of being able to run in the top ten tomorrow after yet another good performance in his first season in the series. “I made a pretty good start,” said Walter. “But when we got to Les Combs there was a collision ahead of me and I had to avoid it, which lost me several places. I managed to make up a few of them, but I was struggling with the understeer throughout the race. I’m confident I can make up more places in race two though.” 

Race two takes place at 11.45 local time tomorrow in which Marko starts from seventh on the grid and Walter in 14^th.

Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series

Round 13 – Results

1 Sam BIRD Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 27:15.453

2 Jonathan KENNARD Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 27:18.921

3 Stephen JELLEY Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 27:20.045
4 Atte MUSTONEN Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 27:20.883
5 Rodolfo GONZALEZ Dallara F307 Mugen-Honda 27:27.070
6 Marko ASMER Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 27:29.161

12 Walter GRÜBMULLER Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA 27:44.619

HITECH EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AS ASMER WINS

AGAIN

The Hitech Racing team scored another victory in the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series, as Estonian Marko Asmer took a lights-to-flag win in Round 11 of the championship. His team-mate, Austrian Walter Grubmüller took two brilliant top ten finishes in the two races. 

Asmer followed up his race one win with third place in Round 12, which extends his lead in the series to 78 points. In race one, Marko immediately pulled away from the rest of the grid as soon as the lights went green, pulling out a two second lead before the safety car was scrambled. 

At the re-start he was again able to pull out a commanding lead over the rest of the field, eventually crossing the line nine seconds clear of the opposition, picking up his seventh win of the season. His second race, however, was not as straight forward. At the start he suffered from too much wheelspin away from the line, dropping him behind Sebastian Hohenthal and Sam Bird. 

Bird, though, had jumped the start and was given a drive through penalty, which put him out of contention and put the battle squarely between Marko and Hohenthal. Two laps from home Marko went for the lead, but ran wide onto the grass, allowing Atte Mustonen through into second place. 

Despite being the fastest of the three drivers, with only a handful of laps left he was unable to find a way past and was forced to settle for the final podium position.  

Grubmüller had to work hard in the first of the two races when he dropped back two places at the start. A great drive allowed him to work his way through the field and into tenth place before the chequered flag fell. 

In the second race he suffered another bad start, dropping one place. But, he immediately started working his way back up the order, also taking advantage of Bird’s drive through penalty to gain another place, eventually taking ninth and finally breaking back into the points. 

“The first race was perfect for Marko,” said team boss, David Hayle. “Even the safety car period couldn’t put him off and he took victory easily. In the second race he got a bad start, but was right with Hohenthal for lap after lap.  He went for a move at Dingle Dell and ran wide and lost about four seconds, allowing Mustonen into second place.” 

“What is frustrating is that Hohenthal ran wide a couple of laps later and if Marko had stayed where he was he could have taken advantage of that. But he’s extended his lead in the championship and taken another win and a podium finish, but we’re disappointed by what could have been, which shows that we’re not getting complacent about the rest of the season.” 

“Walter had two good drives back through the field and in the second he was battling with Engel and had race-long pressure from Jonathan Kennard and set the sixth fastest lap of the race. It’s good for him to be back in the points again,” he added. 

“Tenth wasn’t too bad after starting 16th as I lost two places at the start,” said Grubmuller. “I lost a place at the start of the second race too, but managed to come back strongly and make it into the top ten. It feels really good to be back in the points. I am looking forward to Spa as I know the circuit really well and want to move even further up there,” he added. 

“The car was so good in the first race,” said Asmer. “The team worked so hard to get it right and it was easy really. When the safety car went in you never know what might happen into the first corner, but it was good.” 

“It’s disappointing to finish third from pole in race two though. Sebastian got a better start and I stayed as close as I could to see if he made a mistake, but he didn’t and I did. I thought about settling for second halfway through the race, but I couldn’t see Atte behind me so I went for it and ran wide instead. It’s good to pick up more points and increase my lead in the championship, though and hopefully we can be just as quick at Spa,” he added.

Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series

Round 11 – Results

1 Marko Asmer 22 laps 30m 08.961s

2 Stephen Jelley 30m 17309s

3 Jonathan Kennard 30m 18.909s

4 Rodolfo Gonzalez 30m 21.506s

5 Maro Engel 30m 29.020

6 Niall Breen 30m 30.346s

10 Walter Grubmuller 30m 49.346s

Fastest Lap: Asmer 1m 18.639s 105.33mph

Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series

Round 12 – Results

1 Sebastian Hohenthal 22 laps 29m 45.061s

2 Atte Mustonen 29m 45.585s

3 Marko Asmer 29m 46.090s

4 Michael Devaney 29m 54.842s

5 Niall Breen 29m 57.145s

6 Stephen Jelley 29m 57.790s

9 Walter Grubmuller 30m 01.540s