Brit F3: Vergne fastest again

Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne again topped the time sheets as British F3 testing switched to Oulton Park today.

The Red Bull-backed driver, who last week revealed he will dovetail campaigns in the British F3 International Series and Formula Renault 3.5 Series this year, was one of a handful of drivers to sneak beneath the circuit’s unofficial lap record.

Vergne’s best time of 1:27.44 in his Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen was three tenths-of-a-second quicker than Raikkonen Robertson Racing’s Carlos Huertas. Carlin drivers Adriano Buzaid and James Calado set the third and fourth best times with Fortec Motorsport’s Oli Webb fifth fastest at his home circuit.

In the National Class, Menasheh Idafar was once again the pace-setter with a lap of 1:28.776, well over a second faster than his T-Sport team-mate, James Cole.

Testing moves on to Silverstone later in the month before returning to Cheshire for the opening round of the 2010 season at Oulton Park on Easter weekend.

Top Ten times

1 Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m 28.537s / 1m 27.444s
2 Carlos HUERTAS / COL, RR Dallara-Mercedes 1m 28.446s / 1m 27.797s
3 Adriano BUZAID / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m 29.267s / 1m 27.846s
4 James CALADO / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m 28.744s / 1m 28.376s
5 Oli WEBB / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes 1m 29.110s / 1m 28.399s
6 Felipe NASR / BRA, RR Dallara-Mercedes 1m 29.689s / 1m 28.510s
7 Daisuke NAKAJIMA / JPN, RR Dallara-Mercedes 1m 28.586s / 1m 28.741s
8 Hywel LLOYD / GBR, CF Racing Dallara-Mercedes 1m 28.729s / 1m 28.906s
9 Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m 29.750s / 1m 28.742s
10 William BULLER / GBR, Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen 1m 30.580s / 1m 28.960s
Etc

Leading National Class runners

1 Menasheh IDAFAR / GBR, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda 1m 29.923s / 1m 28.776s
2 James COLE / GBR, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda 1m 31.017s / 1m 30.291s
3 Alex JONES / GBR, West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda 1m 31.580s / 1m 30.903s
4 Max SNEGIREV / RUS, West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda 1m 35.324s / 1m 33.512s

Watch the British F3 International Series on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545) in 2010.


Andy Wilkinson