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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk SPIN COSTS MERHI POTENTIAL TOP SIX FINISH IN MACAU
John Booth’s Dinnington-based squad, which won the highly prestigious annual F3 race in 2005 with Brazilian racer Lucas di Grassi, achieved a best finish of 12th position during the encounter on the streets of the former Portuguese enclave thanks to the sterling efforts of Columbian Carlos Huertas. Merhi, who ended the 2009 Formula 3 Euroseries seventh overall, started ninth on the grid for the Grand Prix itself after a competitive run during the qualification race on Saturday, 21st November. Huertas would have to start from 19th position – his efforts not aided by a grid penalty due to an engine change – while Manor’s third entry, Macanese driver Michael Ho, lined up in 26th place. The main race was halted early on due to a multi-car collision and Ho was one of the eight drivers who were unable to complete the opening lap. At the re-start, Merhi and Huertas got away well and as the teenage Spaniard pressed on in his efforts to edge further into the top six, he posted the seventh fastest lap of the race with a time of 2m11.836 seconds.
British
Formula 3 International Series front-runner Huertas
Looking back on the weekend, Manor Motorsport team principal John Booth said: “It’s been hard work but the team produced a great effort and Roberto was unlucky not to finish in the top four or five due to his spin. He raced strongly and was quick but, ultimately, there was no reward at the end which sums up our year in Formula 3 really. “Carlos did a fantastic job. He was on the pace, passed people and raced very well. He wasn’t helped by an unfortunate shunt at the start of second qualifying. It resulted in a broken engine, so he had to take a 10 place grid penalty when the engine had to be changed, but he fought back brilliantly. It’s a shame Michael wasn’t able to get further into the main race but, all in all, it’s not been too bad.” Pics - Jakob Ebrey Photograpy
SEASON-ENDING WIN JUST ELUDES UNLUCKY MERHI AT HOCKENHEIM
Looking well placed to claim his maiden F3 Euroseries race win, Merhi held a cushion of almost eight seconds in wet conditions with eight laps remaining, having started the race from fifth on the grid. As a drying line became ever more prevalent though, the 18-year-old began to suffer with the reduction in grip from his treaded tyres. On lap 18, Merhi was passed for the lead by Finnish racer Valtteri Bottas and although a podium still looked possible, unfortunate contact with the kerbs resulted in broken suspension and a bitterly disappointing retirement just four laps from the chequered flag. He was still classified as a finisher though in 13th position.
Merhi was on the pace from the off during pre-event practice on Friday with the second fastest time and he continued his front-running performance into qualifying where he set the fourth best lap of 1m49.974 seconds (149.730km/h) in damp conditions. Post session though, the Spaniard was promoted to third on the grid for the opening race when Frenchman Tom Dillmann was excluded from the qualifying results completely due to a technical infringement. Further behind, Enrique was 23rd quickest and so would line-up on the last row of the grid alongside Dillmann for round 19. Getting away from third place well, Merhi attempted to run with front-row starters Jules Bianchi and Bottas but he soon had to keep his eyes on his mirrors due to a determined effort by French racer Jean Karl Vernay to challenge for the podium. Merhi held his rival off well during the first half of the race but six laps from the finish he slipped behind Vernay to fourth position after running wide at the Mercedes Arena. In the end, he finished just 1.4 seconds shy of the podium while Enrique was unfortunately forced to retire on lap four. Merhi concludes his maiden season of F3 Euroseries action seventh overall in the championship, a single point outside the coveted top six, with Manor Motorsport fourth in the team standings. MANOR MOTORSPORT MAKES WELCOME PODIUM RETURN AT DIJON
The 18-year-old Spaniard, who had three other rostrum finishes under his belt prior to the weekend, raced to his -- and the Dinnington-based team's -- first points finish since the Oschersleben event at the beginning of August during Saturday morning's opening race. He then converted a fourth place grid start for the second encounter into a podium finish on Sunday. Moving him back up the championship table into seventh place on 36 points, Merhi is now just three points away from the coveted top six in his maiden season in the world's most competitive F3 series and his weekend tally of eight points has consolidated Manor's top four placing in the team's table. South American driver Pedro Enrique enjoyed a strong drive in the opening encounter, round 17, as he carved his way through the order from the back of the grid to a highly creditable 15th place. Sadly, his round 18 efforts were dealt a blow after being handed a time penalty for speeding in the pitlane. "It's been a long time since we were last in the points and on the podium, a couple of months for sure, so we're absolutely delighted to be back where we should be", commented Manor Motorsport team owner John Booth, "Roberto's races this weekend have been fantastic and Pedro has produced two very good performances as well -- it's been a pleasing weekend for everyone." Lining up in 11th place on the grid for the opening race, after posting a best lap of 1m11.023 seconds (192.664 km/h) during Friday afternoon's qualifying session, Merhi made an outstanding start and gained several places immediately as he climbed into the top six. The Spaniard then moved into fifth when Valtteri Bottas had to serve a drive-through penalty for a jump-start, Merhi finishing almost four seconds ahead of his closest pursuer with a fastest lap of 1m11.340 seconds -- just three 10ths of a second shy of the best of all. Merhi's result marked a very welcome return to the points for Manor after a barren run over the last three events.
Sunday's 18th round began with Merhi lining up on the second row of the grid and he raced very strongly indeed to take his fourth podium of the season in an outing which began with a multi-car collision and subsequent re-start. Enrique's 30-second penalty came as a result of a pitlane speeding infringement following a spin and he was classified a lap down in 14th position. "Hopefully at the final event in a couple of weeks we can end the championship with a win", added Booth, "We're hungry to be back on the top step of the podium, it's been a long time and the team deserves a win for all the hard work they've put in once again this year. Roberto deserves it too, his pace has been outstanding and his racecraft is equally impressive. "Pedro had a very good drive on Saturday but in the second race he unfortunately had a 30 second penalty added to his time for speeding in the pitlane when he pitted following a spin. It was a shame for him to end an otherwise decent weekend that way. Now, we're all looking forward to the season finale which will hopefully provide us with some good results to end the championship on a high."
SPANISH TEENAGER MERHI JUST MISSES OUT ON HOME POINTS
Spaniard Roberto Merhi, racing in his homeland for the first time in the world’s most competitive F3 championship, climbed through the order well in the opening race of the weekend on Saturday from an uncharacteristically low starting slot of 19th position. He finished as the top Manor driver in ninth place, frustratingly one spot behind the final points paying place which, in turn, would have given the 18-year-old pole position for the second outing on Sunday morning by virtue of the championship’s reverse grid rule for the top eight finishers. Just that one place could have made all the difference to the team’s weekend. Brazilian Pedro Enrique, who qualified further back in 24th spot, made up ground too and ended the opening encounter in 15th position, just over a second shy of Swiss driver Christopher Zanella. For fellow South American Cesar Ramos, his day’s work on Saturday ended on lap 12 when he was forced to retire. For round 16 on Sunday, Merhi lined up in ninth position but had to drop-out of the race on lap 25 with car problems. Ramos and Enrique did at least both finish the encounter with the former taking 16th position and the latter rounding out the top 20. This weekend’s Barcelona action actually marked a return to F3 Euroseries competition for Manor with the team having last weekend been involved in the British Formula 3 International Series event at Portimao, Portugal, where Merhi and Enrique both took part as invitational drivers. Reflecting on the Spanish event, team principal John Booth said: “It’s been a shocker of a weekend really, very disappointing and one we need to put behind us. We had a problem with Roberto’s car in the second race but the biggest issue for us has been the lack of grip and the inexperience of our three drivers on such a surface. It’s been a tough event. “Hopefully we’ll be back where we should be at Dijon for the next round, it’s a higher grip track so that should suit us and we’ll hopefully be able to get back near the front. We’ve had one or two bad rounds recently so if we can get back into the points during the final two events we’ll be happy.”
HOME RACES FAIL TO BEAR FRUIT FOR MANOR MOTORSPORT
On home soil for the only time this year, the Yorkshire squad hoped to witness a return to the podium for lead driver Roberto Merhi. However, a combination of bad luck and the well documented lack of overtaking opportunities for single-seaters at the short 1.2-mile track meant the team departed Kent without adding to its points totals in both the driver and team championships. Saturday’s 13th round had to be halted following a collision at Paddock Hill Bend on lap 13 involving championship leader Jules Bianchi and Tiago Geronimi as they fought over 11th place, both cars making heavy contact with the barriers on the outside of the corner. Due to the length of time it took to extract both drivers from their cars and to clear the wreckage away, officials chose to postpone the resumption of the race until later in the afternoon to allow qualifying for the headline DTM touring car series to be held on schedule. At the original start, Merhi lined up 13th on the grid with team-mate Ramos alongside him on row seven and Enrique back in 23rd position. All three Manor drivers enjoyed a good opening to the race and at the time of the red flags being shown Merhi was ninth, Ramos was 12th and Enrique was an excellent 17th – the latter having gained six places on his starting position. The race resumed with the order as was at the time of the earlier abandonment and the re-start came behind the Safety Car. Little changed over the remaining 18 minutes of racing with Merhi ninth, frustratingly a mere seven 10ths of a second behind eighth-place which would have given him the reverse grid pole position for Sunday’s encounter. Ramos finished 11th and Enrique stayed 17th. Round 14 on Sunday was another Safety Car-affected encounter with two separate cautionary periods. Spanish star Merhi lined up in ninth position, Ramos was 11th on the grid and Enrique started in 17th place. Ramos enjoyed a strong run inside the top 10 early on but he was forced to retire at mid-distance after being involved in a collision with Adrien Tambay and Jake Rosenzweig . Merhi achieved a hard fought 11th place after dropping down the order early on while Enrique finished in 17th position.
MANOR LOOKS TO BRANDS AFTER NURBURGRING DISAPPOINTMENT
Off the back of a podium performance at Oschersleben two weeks previously, hopes were high for Spanish star Roberto Merhi to fight for more championship points and a potential rostrum placing at the Nurburgring but a difficult weekend led to a best result of 17th position in round 11 after a drive through penalty for an adjudged jump-start ruined his chances. In Sunday’s encounter, round 12, the championship rookie faced more misfortune when a good start was compromised following contact at the first corner which damaged his front wing and led to a need to pit for a replacement. He ended the race outside the classified positions. Cesar Ramos(pictured) produced one of his best race performances of the year in race two with a fine drive to 13th place while at the opposite end of the fortune spectrum, fellow South American Pedro Enrique was involved in an opening lap collision. In Saturday’s race the Brazilian duo were both excluded at the conclusion due to an error prior to the start. Both drivers backed their cars down the pit-lane, which is against the regulations, and so the subsequent penalty came as no surprise. Bitterly disappointed with the way the sixth event of the season turned out, Manor Motorsport team principal John Booth said: “That was a weekend we’d like to forget really but Cesar’s performance in Sunday’s race was excellent, he did a cracking job to finish in 13th position. “Roberto had a decent start but he got tangled up at the first corner and had to pit then for a new wing so that meant the end of his hopes of a good result. Pedro, unfortunately, had quite a big shunt at the start but thankfully he was ok.” Booth added: “On Saturday things didn’t go well with the penalties for both Pedro and Cesar and Roberto was adjudged to have made a jump-start so, again, he couldn’t challenge at the front as he was given a drive-through penalty. It’s our ‘home’ race at Brands Hatch next and we’re certainly due a turnaround in luck so we’re looking forward to that and hoping for a much better weekend then.”
MERHI SECURES THIRD PODIUM OF 2009 AT OSCHERSLEBEN
With F3 Euroseries racing at Oschersleben’s Motorsport Arena for the first time since 2006, Merhi underlined his ability during his first ever competitive qualifying run at the track with the fourth fastest time during Friday afternoon’s session – a lap of 1m21.116 seconds (164.032 km/h) placing him just four 10ths of a second shy of pole position. In the opening encounter of the weekend on Saturday morning, the Spanish teenager raced superbly to his third podium result of the campaign, finishing around three seconds clear of closest challenger Christian Vietoris. His race wasn’t without incident though, a small mistake on lap 10 forcing the Manor star to run off track at the chicane, but he recovered without drama to take a fine third place. After the race, Merhi said: “My start was good, I could battle with Valtteri Bottas for second place but unfortunately he came out on top. After that, I tried to follow him but I made a mistake on lap 10 or so and I was briefly off the track. Then, I concentrated on bringing third place home.” For Brazilian pairing Cesar Ramos and Pedro Enrique, Oschersleben didn’t prove to be a happy hunting ground. Things originally looked good for Ramos in qualifying, the South American posting the 15th fastest time with one of his best performances of the year, a lap of 1m21.739 seconds (162.782 km/h) placing him as the fifth highest rookie. Enrique, meanwhile, was half a second further adrift with a time of 1m22.242 seconds (161.786 km/h) sealing a position on the 11th row. Unfortunately, the opening race of the weekend on the 3.7 kilometre circuit failed to deliver good results for either of the drivers with both ending up a lap down on the final classification and still in search of their first points of the season. Round 10 then turned out to be a confusing affair when a total of 21 drivers were given 30 second time penalties towards the end of the race for setting their best lap times while yellow flags were being shown during a cautionary period. This meant Merhi, who had been in fourth place, dropped back to fifth position, Ramos was 16th and Enrique, the last driver on the lead lap, was 21st.
MANOR MISFORTUNE ON ZANDVOORT FORMULA 3 RETURN
Having visited the Dutch venue a month ago for the stand-alone Tango Masters of Formula 3 race, Manor was hopeful of a successful weekend for its impressive young Spanish charge who has proven to be a superb talent in only his first season of action at the pinnacle of F3 racing, Lining up sixth on the grid for the first race of the weekend on Saturday, 18th July, the 18-year-old got away from the line a little too well according to championship officials. After running a solid fifth for the first eight laps, Merhi was then handed a jump-start penalty and the net result meant he was classified in 18th place at the finish. Team-mates Pedro Enrique and Cesar Ramos(pictured above) both raced well during the opening encounter and finished 14th and 17th respectively after coming through from 20th and 26th on the grid, the rookie Brazilian pairing improving more and more in race conditions as the season unfolds. For round eight on Sunday, 19th July, Merhi underlined his racecraft and pace by scything his way through from the ninth row of the grid into an 11th place finish – just missing out on the top 10 by a little over a second. Again, Ramos and Enrique performed well with the former getting the better of his South American countryman by taking a fine 13th position. At the chequered flag on lap 26, the Manor team-mates were split by just half a second. Although the squad wasn’t able to score points this weekend, Manor Motorsport still retains fourth in the entrant standings. John Booth, team principal of Manor Motorsport, commented: “Obviously, we’re disappointed to have come away from Zandvoort without any points as Roberto proved he had the pace to run in the lead bunch. It’s just a shame he had the jump-start penalty in race one. In the second race, all three drivers did a good job. Pedro and Cesar continue to improve with each outing, we’re pleased with the progress they’re making.” Television highlights of the weekend’s race action at Zandvoort will be screened in the UK on digital satellite channel Sky Sports Xtra on Tuesday evening, 21st July, at 19.00. Please check listings for more details.
WEEKEND OF MIXED FORTUNES FOR MANOR AT NORISRING
The British squad, based in Dinnington near Sheffield, concluded rounds five and six of the year fourth in the entrant standings while teenager Merhi is fourth in the driver’s championship after taking away an excellent fifth place finish during the first race of the weekend. Not for the first time, qualifying on Friday afternoon, 26th June, turned into something of a lottery with the session starting wet and then progressively drying towards the end. The top grid slots went to those drivers in the right place at the right time but unfortunately Manor’s trio weren’t among the fortunate ones. Merhi lined up 12th on the grid for the opening race of the weekend on Saturday, 27th June, and he enjoyed a superb first lap by climbing into the top seven before setting about trying to find a way past Dutchman Henkie Waldschmidt as quickly as possible. On lap eight, the Manor driver moved ahead into the top six and then a drive-through penalty for Adrien Tambay meant he was taken out of the front-running equation and Merhi was handed a further place into fifth position. Esteban Gutierrez was the Spaniard’s next target and he passed him for fourth on lap 13. The good move proved short-lived though, unfortunately, when Merhi ran too deep into the first hairpin at the start of the 14th tour and Gutierrez nipped back ahead to demote the Manor man to fifth.
Further
behind, team-mates Pedro Enrique and Cesar Ramos(pictured below)
On lap 19, heavy rain hit the Norisring which meant red flags were shown and the race was halted. Each car lined up on the grid to have tyres changed from slicks to treaded wet-weather rubber but by the time the race got back underway, the scheduled time limit had surpassed. At this point round five was declared a result with Merhi finishing fifth, a gain of seven places on his starting slot, Enrique was 14th – having climbed nine places – and Ramos was 16th, a gain of 10 positions on his grid slot. In round six earlier today, Sunday, 28th June, Merhi was again the top finisher for Manor but his race wasn’t without incident. Managing to come through from fourth on the grid into the lead on lap five after an incident involving Sam Bird and Alexander Sims, 18-year-old Merhi slipped back following a Safety Car period around lap nine when passed by Christian Vietoris. Back in fourth place and battling hard with Finnish driver Mika Maki, an unfortunate mistake at the second turn on the final lap meant Merhi ran wide and dropped to eighth position – missing out on his second points result of the weekend. Moving up to second in the standings on Saturday, today’s result has seen Merhi slip back to fourth in the championship. Ramos secured by far his best finish since graduating to the F3 Euroseries at the start of 2009 with an impressive drive to a superb 10th place, having started 16th on the grid by virtue of his finishing result yesterday. Countryman Enrique, meanwhile, started in 14th place but ended the encounter down in 20th position after an action-packed outing. Reflecting on the weekend, Manor Motorsport team principal John Booth said: “We had a very good day on Saturday, Roberto did a fantastic job from where he started as did Pedro and Cesar – we were really pleased with the all-round team performance. Today it was all going well until the last few laps really but all in all it’s been a decent weekend.”
MERHI PROVES HIS QUALITY WITH F3 MASTERS FIGHTBACK AT ZANDVOORT
Ending the race, the biggest and most prestigious F3 outing on the European calendar, in a highly creditable 10th place, Merhi had to mount a terrific fightback but he did so in great style and posted the fourth fastest lap of the race in the process, even with a damaged car. Lining up third on the grid thanks to a qualifying time of 1m31.538 seconds, the 18-year-old was initially well placed to challenge for a podium finish for his Dinnington-based squad. Not getting away from the grid as well as he would have liked, Merhi was then tagged from behind and forced wide at the first corner. Struggling with a damaged Dallara chassis, the Manor ace fell as low as 16th place at one point but mounted a tremendous fightback and was into the top 10 by lap 14 where he remained to the chequered flag on lap 25. Pedro Enrique Nunes raced well to claim 20th position, from 26th on the grid, while fellow Brazilian Cesar Ramos ended the encounter in 28th place having slipped one position from his starting slot. Manor also fielded a fourth car for Italian driver Francesco Castellacci and he finished two spots behind team-mate Ramos. Reflecting on the weekend, Manor Motorsport team principal John Booth said: “Roberto showed his class with a great comeback after being forced wide at the first corner. He fell a long way down the order but battled back well into the top 10, even with damage to his car. “Pedro had a good drive to 20th and our other two lads, Cesar and Francesco, didn’t do a bad job either. It was unfortunate we weren’t able to fight for the podium as Roberto definitely had the pace to do that.”
SECOND F3 PODIUM OF SEASON FOR MERHI
Backing up his stunning debut performance at Hockenheim a fortnight ago, the 18-year-old championship rookie was in great form once again this weekend and after securing a superb sixth place finish on Saturday, from 14th on the grid, Merhi went on to finish runner-up in this morning’s encounter to leap into second position in the driver standings. Underlining his potential as a genuine star in the making, the Spaniard is now just two points shy of experienced championship leader Jules Bianchi as the series heads into a four-week break in action. His efforts also mean Manor Motorsport is fourth in the team standings. Scything his way through the order in round three with one of the highlight performances of the race, Merhi started further down the order than expected due to a rain-affected qualifying session. Looking all set for a top four grid slot, the Manor ace slipped down the timesheets to 14th as the track dried but before he had chance to post another lap the rain fell again. Merhi put his full range of skills on display over the course of the weekend as he soaked up unbelievably intense pressure from British driver Sam Bird throughout round four, keeping the former Manor racer at bay with some quality racecraft. Commenting on Merhi’s performance, Manor team principal John Booth said: “From where he qualified on Saturday, Roberto was absolutely electric during the first race. It was especially pleasing for us as we managed to match Mucke Motorsport in their own back-yard. It’s been a fantastic start to the season for Roberto, he’s a superb driver and a pleasure to work with.” Cesar Ramos was the best of Manor’s three drivers during qualifying on Saturday morning with an excellent, career-best, fifth fastest time of 1m32.336 seconds (135.600 km/h) as he benefited from being in the right place at the right time during the rain-hit session. Fellow South American Pedro Enrique was 21st on the grid for race one with a lap of 1m34.215 seconds (132.896 km/h). In round three, Ramos ended up a disappointing 17th after stalling at the beginning while Enrique was just a second behind his team-mate in 18th place. In round four, Ramos faced more misfortune with a lap two retirement while Enrique served up a solid run to 16th place, having started 18th on the grid.
SPANISH STAR MERHI TAKES HOCKENHEIM PODIUM ON MANOR DEBUT
Marking an incredible start to his maiden season in the world’s premier F3 championship, the 18-year-old began the weekend impressively with timesheet topping performances in testing and then by running right at the front in qualifying on Saturday. Lying in second position with just one lap remaining in the session, Merhi slipped to fourth right at the end – his best lap a time of1m34.226 seconds (174.754 km/h) – due to the qualifying period being something of a lottery with the track drying from earlier rain. At the start of round one, Merhi moved into third place immediately and then managed to get second from former Manor driver Sam Bird on the opening lap as well. From that point on the order never changed, the series newcomer enjoying a fantastic debut. Brazilian team-mates Pedro Enrique and Cesar Ramos, who qualified 21st and 23rd respectively, finished in 20th and 23rd positions although the latter was three laps down after a stall at the start of the season curtain-raiser. In Sunday’s race, Merhi ran a strong eighth for the majority of the 24-lap encounter but slipped to 13th after being served with a drive-through penalty for running wide over a red line at a restricted part of the track. He did fight back well though into the top 10. Enrique raced well to climb from 19th on the grid to 14th place at the finish while Ramos wasn’t able to even complete a lap when he was tagged and turned around by another car at the start, spinning him into the path of oncoming traffic and resulting in an instant retirement. Following the first two rounds of the season in Germany, Manor Motorsport is fourth in the team standings, nine points off the lead. In the driver standings, Merhi lies third overall after just two races on eight points, only four shy of championship leader Stefano Coletti. Looking back on the opening event of the 2009 season, Manor Motorsport team owner John Booth said: “Qualifying was a bit of lottery, Roberto was second fastest with enough time on the clock for one more lap but he just missed out on a front row with other drivers managing to go a bit quicker as the track dried. “The first race was all a bit messy at the start, we had two re-starts but Roberto did a great job to get up to second and by the end he was right up with Coletti. In Sunday’s race, he was given a penalty but fought back well into the top 10.” Booth added: “Pedro did a very good job to climb up to 14th place in the second race but Cesar didn’t even have chance to get a lap under his belt when he was turned around on the grid by another car – it was an instant retirement unfortunately. We’ve certainly got plenty to build on and, all in all, it wasn’t a bad weekend.”
pics F3 Euroseries |
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Manor
Motorsport’s Robert Merhi challenged hard for a top six finish during
the 56th Windsor Arch Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix on Sunday, 22nd
November, but an unfortunate spin for the Spaniard prevented him from
delivering the result both he and the team deserved. 
also
made similarly strong progress as he lapped the 6.1 kilometre Guia
Circuit and eventually finished in 12th place just two 10ths of a second
behind Victor Garcia. For luckless Merhi, hopes of a top result ended
following an unfortunate spin at Lisboa Bend. He was classified 17th in
the end, a lap down on the leaders. 
Leading
Formula 3 Euroseries team Manor Motorsport just missed out on race
victory during the final round of the campaign at Hockenheim in Germany
today, Sunday, 25th October, when a drying track late-on led to the
demise of rapid Spanish racer Roberto Merhi.
Pedro
Enrique climbed through the order well from 21st on the grid – after
retiring from Saturday’s 19th round – and on lap 12 the Brazilian sat an
impressive eighth. Slipping out of the top 10 during the final third of
the race, the 21-year-old concluded the 20th round in 12th place. 
Roberto
Merhi took Manor Motorsport back onto the Formula 3 Euroseries podium on
Sunday, 11th October, during the penultimate race meeting of the 2009
season at Dijon-Prenois in France. 
Team-mate
Enrique(left) also enjoyed a good race by carving his way through
to an eventual finish of 15th, ahead of the aforementioned Bottas,
having started the encounter from a lower than expected 22nd on the grid
with a qualifying time of 1m11.741 seconds (190.736 km/h). 
Leading
Formula 3 Euroseries entrant Manor Motorsport concluded the 15th and
16th rounds of the season at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain over the
weekend, 19th/20th September, disappointed to miss out on race one
points by a single position. 
Dinnington-based
Manor Motorsport didn’t have the happiest of homecomings at Brands Hatch
Indy Circuit in Kent over the weekend, 5th/6th September, although the
team does still retain fourth place in the entrant standings following
rounds 13 and 14 of the 2009 Formula 3 Euroseries. 
Formula
3 Euroseries squad Manor Motorsport had perhaps its most luckless outing
of the 2009 season at Germany’s Nurburgring over the weekend, 15th/16th
August, but the Dinnington based team still managed to hold on to its
top four placing in the entrant’s championship. 
Manor
Motorsport’s rising single-seater talent Roberto Merhi produced two
excellent race drives at Oschersleben in Germany over the weekend,
1st/2nd August, during the ninth and 10th rounds of the 2009 Formula 3
Euroseries. 
Yorkshire-based
Formula 3 Euroseries team Manor Motorsport had a frustrating return to
Zandvoort over the weekend, 18th/19th July, when a potential podium
challenge by Roberto Merhi was halted after he was adjudged to have made
a jump-start to round seven. 
Germany’s
Norisring provided its usual dose of excitement and chaos during the
third event of the 2009 Formula 3 Euroseries over the weekend, 27th/28th
June, with Spaniard Roberto Merhi once again producing some impressive
performances for Manor Motorsport. 
were
both having an impressive race after climbing up the order very well
from 23rd and 26th on the grid respectively. Like Merhi, the Brazilian
duo had a good opening lap to round five with Enrique lying in 16th
place and Ramos up to 19th position.
Manor
Motorsport’s Roberto Merhi produced an impressive performance during the
blue riband Tango Masters of Formula 3 race at Zandvoort in the
Netherlands on Sunday, 14th June, the young Spaniard recovering well
after being forced wide on lap one. 
Dinnington-based
Formula 3 Euroseries squad Manor Motorsport celebrated a double points
finish for exciting young driver Roberto Merhi at the EuroSpeedway
Lausitz in Germany over the weekend, 30th/31st May, during the third and
fourth rounds of the 2009 season. 
Manor
Motorsport started the 2009 Formula 3 Euroseries season in great style
at Hockenheim in Germany over the weekend, 16th/17th May, with Spanish
driver Roberto Merhi taking a superb second place finish during the
opening round of the campaign for the Dinnington based squad.