Jean-Eric Vergne claimed the British F3 title at Silverstone on Sunday courtesy of his 12th victory of the season. James Calado had maintained his slim championship chances the previous day by winning while race two’s reverse grid saw a first triumph of the season for Adriano Buzaid.
Race 1:
Calado’s wet weather prowess was on show in the weekend’s opening rain-affected race.
The Racing Steps Foundation driver started fourth but was soon past Carlin team mates Rupert Svendsen-Cook and Lucas Foresti, who briefly held the lead on lap one.
Vergne managed to pull clear in the opening laps but was steadily reeled in by Calado as the conditions worsened. The pair were nose-to-tail by at the half-way stage when the Frenchman made a slight mistake, handing his pursuer the lead.
Once through, Calado was never troubled, pulling out a 7.1 second advantage by the end of the 16-lap race.
Foresti scored his maiden podium with third, albeit over 14secs adrift of Vergne, while Buzaid completed the Carlin 1-2-3-4.
Former Formula BMW Europe sparring partners Felipe Nasr and Svendsen-Cook rounded out the top six, with Carlos Huertas seventh, ahead of Fortec duo Daniel McKenzie and Oli Webb whose championship chances were rendered all-but over with ninth.
Daisuke Nakajima was the leading wet-tyre runner in tenth.
Juan Carlos Sistos took the National Class honours on debut for Team West-Tec after T-Sport pair Menasheh Idafar and James Cole both took wrongly gambled on wet tyres.
Cooper Tires British F3 International Series
Round 22 Silverstone 14/8/2010 16 laps = 51.11 miles
Provisional results International class
1 James CALADO / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 30m 48.609s / 99.53mph
2 Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +7.193s
3 Lucas FORESTI / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +21.568s
4 Adriano BUZAID / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +22.750s
5 Felipe NASR / BRA, RR Dallara-Mercedes +23.525s
6 Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +32.643s
7 Carlos HUERTAS / COL, RR Dallara-Mercedes +33.675s
8 Daniel McKENZIE / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +34.528s
9 Oli WEBB / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +41.877s
10 Daisuke NAKAJIMA / JPN, RR Dallara-Mercedes +1m 11.873s
Race 2:
Buzaid became the ninth different winner of the season in race two courtesy of a storming pit stop strategy.
Huertas made the perfect start from pole position and duly pulled out a two second gap in the early stages before making his mandatory pit stop on lap seven. Buzaid stayed out for a couple longer though, setting some blistering times in the process, before smart work in the pit lane helped him emerge just ahead of the Raikkonen Robertson machine.
Vergne charged through the field to snatch third from Nasr at Vale on his out-lap with Calado fifth, Svendsen-Cook, Webb, Jazeman Jaafar, Hywel Lloyd and McKenzie rounding out the tope ten.
Cole this time took the National Class spoils after pitting on lap eight and emerging just ahead of team mate Idafar who had stopped as early as lap two.
Cooper Tires British F3 International Series
Round 23 Silverstone 15/8/2010 11 laps = 35.14 miles
Provisional results International class
1 Adriano BUZAID / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 19m 08.094s / 110.16mph
2 Carlos HUERTAS / COL, RR Dallara-Mercedes +2.690s
3 Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +3.453s
4 Felipe NASR / BRA, RR Dallara-Mercedes +4.541s
5 James CALADO / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +6.205s
6 Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +14.767s
7 Oli WEBB / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +15.272s
8 Jazeman JAAFAR / MAS, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +15.786s
9 Hywel LLOYD / GBR, CF/Manor Dallara-Mercedes +17.512s
10 Daniel McKENZIE / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +19.210s etc
Race 3:
Vergne had to wait until the final race of the weekend to secure the title which he did in style, leading from lights-to-flag to win a Safety Car interrupted encounter by 1.2secs from Buzaid, despite suffering from a minor technical glitch.
The Frenchman made an impeccable start to lead Buzaid, Webb and Calado before a Safety Car was needed following Max Snegirev and Huertas’ accident.
Vergne was equally alert at the re-start, affording Buzaid little opportunity to pass before remaining out of reach until the chequered flag.
Webb held off Calado to score his only podium of a difficult weekend, the Fortec man slipping to third in the standings.
Foresti and Svendsen-Cook made it five Carlin entries inside the top six, ahead of Gabriel Dias and Alex Brundle. Will Buller and Daniel McKenzie completed the top 10.
Idafar meanwhile ensured that the National Class witnessed three different winners across the weekend. Cole finished though second to maintain his slim championship lead.
Catch British F3 coverage from Silverstone on Motors TV next Sunday at 11.25pm (UK).
Round 24 Silverstone 15/8/2010 23 laps = 73.47 miles
Provisional results International class
1 Jean-Eric VERGNE / FRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 41m 01.289s / 107.44mph
2 Adriano BUZAID / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +1.212s
3 Oli WEBB / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +6.234s
4 James CALADO / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +7.280s
5 Lucas FORESTI / BRA, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +20.222s
6 Rupert SVENDSEN-COOK / GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen +24.772s
7 Gabriel DIAS / BRA, Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen +25.895s
8 Alex BRUNDLE / GBR, T-Sport Dallara-Volkswagen +29.188s
9 William BULLER / GBR, Hitech Dallara-Volkswagen +29.981s
10 Daniel McKENZIE / GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +30.678s etc
Tom Hornsby
International
