Sainz does the double at wet Monza

Carlos Sainz Jr vaulted to the top of the British F3 standings with a double victory at Monza last weekend while Felix Serralles won the reverse grid encounter for the second time in seven days.

Race 1:
Changeable weather conditions in the opening race might have played into the Spaniard’s hands but there was no denying that the Carlin driver was good value for his victory at the chequered flag.

With light drizzle becoming harder as the cars left the grid, there was a mad dash for the pits at the end of the parade lap. While Sainz’s crew reacted fastest in fitting his grooved wet weather rubber, pole sitter Serralles was left stranded in 10th.



With Sainz able to creep away at the front, it was left to the chasing pack to squabble over the remaining podium places. Despite initially profiting from the unplanned pit-stop, Fahmi Ilyas was unable to maintain second when on lap five the charging Pipo Derani – up from eighth – made the place his.

As Ilyas continued to slide down the order it was Pietro Fantin who initially held third before Jazeman Jaafar slipped past his Carlin team-mate.

While the top three maintained position, the fight for fourth was eventually won by Hannes van Asseldonk ahead of Jack Harvey whose hard fought recovery drive was stunted by a 10-second penalty for jumping a chicane, elevating Alex Lynn and Fantin.

Harvey was classified seventh ahead of Nick McBride, Ilyas and Serralles whose pit-stop disappointment was addressed when Sainz picked number 10 from the reverse grid lottery.

What the National Class field lacked in quantity it more than made up for in drama when Spike Goddard’s last lap lunge for the lead on Duvashen Padayachee resulted in contact that pitched the Double R driver into the barriers, gifting Goddard a fourth consecutive victory.

Race 2:
With the treacherous conditions returning for Sunday’s reverse grid race, a point illustrated when Van Asseldonk span off during the installation lap, officials took the decision to run the opening two laps behind the Safety Car.

Once racing got underway Serralles quickly set about pulling away from McBride in second as wet weather specialist Harvey began to harry the Australian. An impeccable move at the Variante Ascari did the job but with the gap at nearly five seconds, there was little the Briton could do to catch the Puerto Rican out front.



Fantin ensured that McBride’s wait for a first British F3 podium continued when he pinched third two laps from home, while Jaafar took fifth.

Sixth place went down to the wire between Fortec team-mates Lynn and Derani after a last lap showdown. The pair touched wheels in to the first chicane as the Brazilian moved ahead, only for Lynn to cut the chicane and regain the place. Post-race the officials deemed the move constituted an unfair advantage and docked the Briton 1-second, handing Derani – who sustained heavy damage by ploughing into the back of his team-mate on the slowing down lap – sixth.

Race one winner Sainz was eighth ahead of Harry Tinknell and Ilyas, while Padayachee took his first National Class win of the season after Goddard’s accident on lap six.

Race 3:
A dominant wet weather display helped Sainz claim his second victory of the weekend and move clear at the top of the championship standings.

Once again conditions warranted the Safety Car to lead the field for the opening lap. When it peeled off Sainz was in no mood to wait around, opening up a 2.3-seconds advantage by the end of the first racing lap. Never troubled, his eventual victory margin stood at an incredible 17-seconds.



Serralles’ performance might have been hobbled by a gearbox issue but he was still able to cruise to second on the road and in the championship standings. Fortec team-mate Lynn was 11-seconds back in third for his maiden British podium ahead of Jaafar and Van Asseldonk.

With the top positions settled, the fight for sixth provided much excitment in the closing stages when Tincknell pulled off a pair of excellent passing manoeuvres – first on Harvey and then Derani – to claim his best result of a difficult weekend.

Goddard atoned for his earlier error to make it five National Class wins in six outings with T-Sport in 2012 so far.

Race 1 Results (15 laps)
1 Carlos SAINZ / ESP, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 30m 32.179s / 106.07mph
2 Pipo DERANI / BRA, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +9.889s
3 Jazeman JAAFAR / MAS, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +12.509s
4 Hannes VAN ASSELDONK / NED, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +17.418s
5 Alex LYNN / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +18.892s
6 Pietro FANTIN / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +20.575s
7 Jack HARVEY / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +28.608s (inc penalty)
8 Nick McBRIDE / AUS, T-Sport Dallara-Nissan +34.042s
9 Fahmi ILYAS / MAS, Double R Dallara-Mercedes +43.095s
10 Felix SERRALLES / PUR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +1m 01.445s
11 Geoff UHRHANE / AUS, Double R Dallara-Mercedes 12 laps
R Harry TINCKNELL / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 11 laps
Fastest lap Lynn 1m 59.933s / 108.06mph

National Class
1 Spike GODDARD / AUS, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda +1m 58.060s
R Duvashen PADAYACHEE / AUS, Double R Dallara-Mugen Honda 14 laps

Race 2 Results (20 minutes)
1 Felix SERRALLES / PUR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes 21m 09.965s / 91.84mph
2 Jack HARVEY / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +3.702s
3 Pietro FANTIN / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +10.915s
4 Nick McBRIDE / AUS, T-Sport Dallara-Nissan +15.235s
5 Jazeman JAAFAR / MAS, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +18.254s
6 Pipo DERANI / BRA, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +19.823s
7 Alex LYNN / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +19.959s (inc penalty)
8 Carlos SAINZ / ESP, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +21.313s
9 Harry TINCKNELL / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +22.692s
10 Fahmi ILYAS / MAS, Double R Dallara-Mercedes +26.107s
11 Geoff UHRHANE / AUS, Double R Dallara-Mercedes +47.433s
NS Hannes VAN ASSELDONK / NED, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes
Fastest lap Serralles 2m 08.651s / 100.72mph

National Class
1 Duvashen PADAYACHEE / AUS, Double R Dallara-Mugen Honda +56.468s
R Spike GODDARD / AUS, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda 5 laps

Race 3 Results (19 laps)
1 Carlos SAINZ / ESP, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 41m 22.078s / 99.17mph
2 Felix SERRALLES / PUR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +16.711s
3 Alex LYNN / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +27.424s
4 Jazeman JAAFAR / MAS, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +32.083s
5 Hannes VAN ASSELDONK / NED, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +33.891s
6 Harry TINCKNELL / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +38.530s
7 Pipo DERANI / BRA, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +41.236s
8 Jack HARVEY / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +41.749s
9 Nick McBRIDE / AUS, T-Sport Dallara-Nissan +49.826s
10 Fahmi ILYAS / MAS, Double R Dallara-Mercedes +1m 30.064s
R Pietro FANTIN / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 7 laps
R Geoff UHRHANE / AUS, Double R Dallara-Mercedes 6 laps
Fastest lap Sainz 2m 06.638s / 102.34mph

National Class
1 Spike GODDARD / AUS, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda +1m 44.938s
2 Duvashen PADAYACHEE / AUS, Double R Dallara-Mugen Honda +1m 52.702s

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Tom Hornsby