Driver Database News

British F3 champions Carlin join F3 teams from across the world this week, as the British squad make preparations ahead of the 56th Macau Grand Prix this weekend. Racing with Carlin in the most prestigious and challenging F3 race in the world, will be current British F3 champion Daniel Ricciardo, Max Chilton, Brendon Hartley and Henry Arundel.

The four drivers follow in the footsteps of F1 racers Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastien Buemi, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg who have all competed with Carlin in the Chinese enclave in recent years.

After an eventful race in Macau in 2008, Hartley took a podium finish for Carlin, despite having started from 20th position after an incident in the Qualification race. Chilton also benefits from knowledge of the Guia circuit, having raced here last year. This year’s Macau Grand Prix will be a new experience for reigning British F3 champion Ricciardo and also his first taste of a street circuit, while Arundel also make his Macau debut this year.

2008 third place man Brendon Hartley said, “I’m happy to be back in Macau after a podium last year. We had really good pace then, so I’m expecting that to continue this year. There’s always a bit of luck involved in getting a good result in Macau, its easy to get caught up in other people’s accidents, but then you have to create your own luck as well. I started at the back of the grid last year and finished on the podium but I think if you want to have a chance of winning, you need to qualify well here.”

British racer Max Chilton makes his second visit to Macau after a successful debut last year. “Macau is a fantastic circuit; it’s just so tight there isn’t any room for error. It’s great to come back here already knowing what to expect and knowing the circuit. I’m feeling confident after a strong finish to the British F3 season and I feel as though I’ve developed a lot as a driver since I was here last year. I’m aiming to finish my F3 career on a high with a strong result here this weekend.”

Having had his first look at the Guia circuit, British F3 champion Daniel Ricciardo commented, “The circuit looks incredible. It looks really challenging so I think it will be important to build up to it. Everyone says you need as much track time as possible to get the most out of the circuit and have the confidence to push to the limit. It’s tempting to just go all out and see what I can do, but I’ll have to just take it easy and build up to the ultimate pace. I can tell already that I’m going to love the circuit. ”

Also making his first trip to Macau, Henry Arundel added, “The circuit looks really fun but also a big challenge. We’ve seen in the past that anything can happen here, but I think the important thing will be to improve with every session. It looks like it could be the best circuit I’ve ever driven and certainly the most challenging. I can’t wait for the first session to get underway so I can see what it’s really like.”

The first practice session for the F3 drivers will take place at 10.30 local time on Thursday, followed by first qualifying at 14.00. Second practice and second qualifying will take place on Friday, with the qualification race on Saturday culminating in the 56th Macau Grand Prix on Sunday.

After a difficult outing last weekend in Portugal, Henry Arundel was back on the pace and back in the points this weekend, at the 2009 British F3 Series finale at Brands Hatch. The British driver took a sixth and a fourth place finish in the final races of the season yesterday, to add to his overall points tally.

A ninth place qualifying spot for the first race of the weekend left Arundel eager to improve further in the second qualifying session, which he dully did on Saturday afternoon to set the fifth fastest times of the British F3 drivers.

Sunday morning saw the penultimate race of the season and Arundel wasted no time in making his way up the order, to lie eighth at the end of lap one. Arundel made another place up a lap later and had sixth placed man Carlos Huertas in his sights. In a relatviely uneventful race, the order throughout the field remained unchanged and depsite pushing hard to pass Huertas, Arundel struggled to find a way past on the nortriously difficult to overtake Brands Hatch circuit. Crossing the line seventh, Arundel was actually sixth of the British F3 drivers, as visiting Invitation Class driver Marcus Ericsson was not included in the championship points.

As the lights went out for race two, Arundel made a quick start and passed Raikkonen Robertson driver Daisuke Nakajima into the first corner. With Ericsson lying third, Arundel was fifth on the road but fighting for the points for fourth place. As the race got underway, Arundel closed in on team mate and 2009 British F3 champion Daniel Ricciardo, but a safety car period on lap five put on hold any possible overtaking moves. As the race restarted a few laps later, Ricciardo managed a better restart as Arundel had to fend off the attentions of Walter Grubmuller behind him. From then on the race continued without incident, as Arundel held on to his fifth place and crossed the line as the fourth placed British F3 driver.

Speaking about his weekend, Arundel said, “Brands Hatch is a great place to end the season; it’s a great circuit to drive, although overtaking there is tricky. I made a good start in race one but after that it was difficult to make any further progress. Race two was great fun, I managed to get quite close to Dan [Ricciardo] after the start but after the safety car period I had to concentrate on holding my position and fending off Grubmuller. We had two very solid results however, and it was a pity I just missed out on the podium in race two.”

Arundel’s engineer Mark Owen added, “Henry has improved dramatically since his first race with us earlier this year. His attitude and confidence both in and out of the car has improved after a difficult season for him last year. His skills in the car are far better than they were when he came to us earlier this year and he has developed into a real racer, with just the right level of aggression when in the car which was most apparent in Portimao and at Brands this weekend.”

Henry Arundel endured a tough weekend at the new Portimao circuit in Portugal this weekend, as he took part in rounds 17 and 18 of the 2009 British F3 Interntional Series. The young British racer fought back from a difficult qualifying session on Saturday to claim fourth place in race two on Sunday.

While a number of the British F3 drivers already had race or test experience of the new Algarve track, Arundel had his first taste of the Portimao circuit in Friday’s practice session. The Links of London backed driver adapted well to the undulating 2.9 mile circuit, finishing the first practice session sixth of the British F3 runners. However, a car problem in the second session meant that Arundel lost some momentum ahead of the first qualifying session on Saturday morning.

Conditions remained hot and sunny for the first qualifying session of the weekend on Saturday morning and with only a short window to get the most from the Cooper Tires, Arundel struggled to put together the ideal lap after being caught up in traffic. At the end of the session, Arundel found himself the 12th fastest British F3 runner with plenty to do in the first race on Sunday. The second qualifying session was a similarly hectic affair, with a red flag period with just five minutes to go disrupting proceedings, as Arundel set the 11th fastest time of the British F3 drivers.

As the lights went out for the first ever British F3 race at Portimao on Sunday, Arundel made a good start and was clearly on a mission, having moved up several places by the end of lap two. A safety car period on lap three bunch up the field again, and as the cars circulated at a reduced pace Arundel was hit from behind by Ardiano Buzaid. With the back of his car severly damaged from the impact, Arundel was forced to limp back to the pits and retire.

With only one more opportunity remaining to score points in Portimao, Arundel was on the pace as the second race of the day got underway. At the end of lap one, the British racer was the sixth British F3 runner and made up one further position just before an early safety car period. At the restart, Arundel lost out to Buzaid, but the Brazilian driver was later handed a 10 second penalty for passing Arundel before the finish line and therefore under safety car conditions. Arundel maintained strong pace for the remaineder of the pace and with Buzaid pushed down the finishing order, Arundel was classified as the fourth British F3 driver, collecting 10 points to add to his championship tally.

Speaking about his weekend, Arundel said, “It was a really tough weekend; the track was pretty challenging, but despite that I was looking forward to a good weekend after a promising start in first practice. Unfortuantely qualifying didn’t quite go our way with traffic and red flags which left a lot to do in the races. I was really disappointed to be taken out of the first race as the car felt good and I was really making progress. In the second race we had good pace again, and after such a difficult qualifying session, I think fourth place was a satisfatory result for us.”

Arundel will be track on track for the final round of the season at Brands Hatch later this week.

After a four week break, Carlin’s British F3 team head overseas to Portugal this week, for the penultimate round of the 2009 Cooper Tires British F3 Series. The championship winning squad are aiming for the top again at the new Portimao circuit, where current championship leader Daniel Ricciardo could take the 2009 title. Racing alongside Ricciardo will be regular front runner Max Chilton, Henry Arundel and Philip Major. Joining Carlin’s British F3 team for the final two races of the season will be Lebanese driver Joe Ghanem who will compete in the National Class.

Ghanem returns to Carlin having made his European racing debut with the team in 2007 in the competitive Formula Renault Eurocup championship. Ghanem also raced for the team in the Formula Renault UK Winter Cup alongside Henry Surtees in October 2007. The 19 year-old racer will make his debut in British F3 in Alvaro Parente’s 2005 championship winning car when he joins the National Class grid in Portugal.

Last time out at Silverstone, Australian racer Ricciardo extended his lead in the championship standings to 45 points, with only four races remaining. If Ricciardo scores more or equal points to his championship rivals, the 20 year-old racer could wrap up the championship in Portugal.

However, championship contender Ricciardo is staying calm ahead of the Portimao race saying, “I’m not changing anything about my approach this weekend. I feel confident, but mainly I’m just looking forward to racing on a great track, with the added challenge of racing against some of the F3 Euro Series drivers. I think I respond well to pressure and a challenge, so I’m looking forward to racing against new drivers this weekend. It’s the kind of track that should suit my driving style and our car well.”

Speaking about his F3 debut, Ghanem said, “I’m really excited to be back with Carlin and racing again in the UK. The F3 car is such a nice car and I think the British F3 Series can prepare a driver for anything. These two races will be a learning ground for me and training for my 2010 season. Hopefully I can be fighting at the front of the National Class, but it is most important get race miles and learn a lot.”

Carlin team boss Trevor Carlin added, “Portimao will be a new experience for most of the British F3 teams, so it’s going to be important to get to grips with the circuit as soon as possible. In theory it is possible for Daniel to win the championship in Portugal, but we will approach the weekend the same as any other, with the aim to provide all the drivers with a car capable of winning. Joe makes a welcome return to the team, racing our National Class F3 car for the remaining two events. It will be a steep learning curve for him, but we believe he’ll do a good job for us.”

Henry Arundel showed his determined attitude behind the wheel this weekend, with a strong race performance at the challenging Spa- Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.  The British F3 racer recovered from a difficult start in race one to take a seventh place finish in the International Class, with a fifth place finish in race two to improve his position in the 2009 British F3 International Series standings.

Arundel started off the weekend well with a strong performance in free practice, but a small peak in tyre performance in the first qualifying session saw Arundel miss out on the most competitive times to qualify in a disappointing 17^th place.  The Links of London backed driver bounced back in second qualifying, putting in a time to line up seventh on the grid for race two.

Warm conditions at the start of race one saw grip levels rise, catching out a number of drivers at the start and causing Arundel and his team mate Chilton to stall on the grid. Both drivers managed to restart but lost several places in the process.  Arundel’s drive back through the field was strong however, and by the end of the race the British racer had recovered to take seventh place in the International Class.

Race two of the weekend was one of the most chaotic of the season so far, as the weather did it’s best to make conditions as difficult as possible for the drivers.  Despite the race start being delayed by ten minutes and declared a wet race due to a sudden rain shower, the majority of the drivers including Arundel took to the track on slick tyres. Arundel made a good start second time around, but was caught out on the challenging Pouhon corner on lap two as he ran wide and lost several positions.  Arundel’s comeback was masterful however, as the Carlin racer coped well with the intermittent rain showers to make up several positions.  As the race entered its final stages, Arundel was closing in on fourth but was held off by a slowing Renger van der Zande which also backed Arundel into team mate Chilton.  Despite a spirited battle right up to the final corner on the last lap, Arundel maintained fifth place as he crossed the line to take the chequered flag.

Reflecting on the weekend, Arundel said, “I was really disappointed with first qualifying; I just didn’t get the best out of the tyres, but I came back and put in a good lap to take ninth for race two.   I lost out in race one after I stalled on the grid, as the grip level was just completely different to what we expected and I think a few drivers were caught out by it.  Having said that I really enjoyed racing back the field; there were some good overtaking manoeuvres.

“Race two was really hard, the track clearly wasn’t ready for wets, but it was really slippery and I just pushed it a bit too far at one point.   Again, I had a good drive back to make up places and had a good fight with Max [Chilton] which was fun.  I was really held up by Zande, I think we could have challenged for third or fourth place, but there seemed to be some over-defensive driving going on.”

Raikkonen Robertson Racing endured a tough outing at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, as the team took part in rounds 13 and 14 of the 2009 Cooper Tires British F3 International Series.  A strong qualifying performance by Daisuke Nakajima and Carlos Huertas in first qualifying ended in disappointment in race one, following a penalty for Huertas and a first lap crash for Nakajima.  Despite numerous incidents in a chaotic race two Huertas and Nakajima brought home a seventh and eighth place finish respectively, while Kevin Chen finished 15^th in both races on his maiden F3 weekend.

Nakajima and Huertas delivered two top ten qualifying positions for round 13 on Thursday;   Nakajima put his Mercedes powered Dallara eighth on the grid, with Huertas just behind in ninth place.

Despite the strong showing in qualifying, hopes of a strong finish in the first race of the weekend were dashed early on in Friday afternoon, after Huertas stalled on the grid as the cars began their parade lap.  Managing to get away after a few seconds, Huertas made his way through the field to take his original starting position as the cars filed onto the grid for the race start.  All three Raikkonen Robertson cars made it down to the first corner, but on the exit Nakajima tangled with Riki Christodoulou and Walter Grubmuller, putting him into instant retirement.

Meanwhile team mate Huertas was running a strong race; taking fifth place early on the young driver had somewhat of a lonely race.  Finishing fifth on the road, Huertas was later handed a one minute penalty for taking his original grid position, as the rules stipulated that once all cars have left the grid, stranded cars must line up at the back of the grid for the start.  That penalty put Huertas 17^th overall, making Chen the top Raikkonen Robertson car in 15^th place.

Race two was much more of a chaotic affair; rain just minutes before the start forced race officials to postpone the start by 10 minutes and declare the event a wet race. As the cars waited on the grid, it looked certain that wet tyres would be the only option, until the rain eased and track quickly dried.  As the race start drew closer it became clear that slick tyres were the sensible choice, despite the tricky conditions on track.

This time round all three Raikkonen Robertson drivers made it round the first lap safely, with Huertas making up one place to move up to fourth, while Nakajima was caught out by the partially wet track; running wide at Pouhon.  The Japanese racer stayed clear of the barriers however to rejoin in 16^th place.  A clash with Henry Arundel on lap two saw Huertas drop to 13^th place, leaving the young Colombian with plenty to do in the remaining laps.

As the rain started to fall again on lap five, both Nakajima and Huertas excelled in the tricky conditions, overtaking numerous drivers as they made their way through the field.  Huertas made his way past his team mate to cross the line in seventh place.

Carlin’s British F3 squad enjoyed a strong outing at Spa-Francorchamps this afternoon, as Daniel Ricciardo took another podium finish while Henry Arundel and Max Chilton took competitive fifth and sixth places respectively. In a race which saw rain showers throughout, the Carlin drivers did well to stay on track in the slippery conditions. Philip Major dealt well with tricky conditions and made his first pit stop when he stopped for wet tyres late on the race. Jake Rosenzweig unfortunately saw his strong weekend end early; when he tangled with several cars on lap one which put him out of the race.

Just as the cars headed to the grid for round 14 of the season, light rain began to fall making conditions on track treacherous. As the weather deteriorated, officials made the decision to postpone the start by ten minutes and declared it a wet race. 10 minutes is a long time in the Ardennes Mountains however and the rain eased as the start drew closer, prompting the majority of teams to switch back to slick tyres. Rosenzweig was an exception to the rule; the young American took a chance on wet tyres, in what was a nonchampionship race for him.

At the start, all Carlin cars made a good getaway. Ricciardo and race leader Buzaid made a good start, breaking away from the rest of the field, while Arundel also did well, moving up to sixth place on lap one from his ninth place grid slot. Chilton was also making a lot of progress having moved up three place on the first lap. Rosenzweig saw his race end early on; the young American was collected by a spinning car that promptly ended his afternoon.

Arundel was still on a charge; the Links of London backed driver was pushing hard, but went off on lap two. The British racer recovered his car and rejoined the field to slot in just behind team mate Chilton, who had moved up to eighth place. With the track drying, Ricciardo was catching Buzaid but as the rain started to fall again on lap five, the conditions deteriorated and Ricciardo backed off.

By lap six, Arundel, Chilton and Boyd found themselves in a three way battle, with Arundel coming out on top to pass both Boyd and Chilton to take fifth place as Chilton dropped to eighth. Arundel and Chilton both made up places on lap seven when Christodoulou crashed off track and Boyd pitted for wets. Major meanwhile was in 16th place and made his first F3 pit stop for wet tyres on lap seven. The order remained unchanged, until the final lap when Arundel and Chilton suddenly caught a slowing Renger van der Zande. Both drivers tried to find a way past but couldn’t despite a close battle at the Bus Stop on the final lap.

Ricciardo said, “I’m pleased with the result today, Buzaid drove well, but I was happy to come away with the points for second. It was actually a good thing to have someone in front – as I could judge the conditions and which parts of the track were very wet. It’s all good for the championship.”

Team principal Trevor Carlin added, “Spa has proved to be a happy hunting ground again for Carlin Motorsport, with yet another win to add to our British F3 tally. Daniel drove very maturely in the second race to bag the necessary points. Henry and Max had a super exciting race, mixing it lap after lap with the Hitech duo. Philip had a taste of his first pit stop, when we made a strategic tyre change and he dealt with this perfectly. A gamble on strategy with Jake unfortunately backfired and to add insult to injury, he was rudely forced off the circuit by another runner. Nevertheless he can be proud of his British F3 debut.”

Carlin driver Daniel Ricciardo stormed to victory in the British F3 International Series today, in round 12 of the season at Spa-Francorchamps. The 20 year-old driver further strengthened his position in the championship, with a dominant victory to extend his lead in the standings to 34 points. Carlin’s regular Euro Series racer Jake Rosenzweig made an impressive race debut in the British Series, finishing fifth overall, which put him third in the Invitation Class. Max Chilton suffered early disappointment when he stalled off the line from his second placed grid slot, but a spirited drive through the field saw him finally finish ninth overall and fifth in the International Class. Philip Major took his best ever British F3 finish of his career, with an 11th place on the road and seventh place in the International Class standings, just in front of team mate Henry Arundel.

Following a strong qualifying session from the team yesterday, Ricciardo lined up on pole for the first race of the weekend, with Chilton alongside him in second. As the lights went out, Ricciardo made a good start to retain the lead in the drag down to the first corner. Team mate Chilton meanwhile stalled off the grid and was hit from behind by fourth place man Hywel Lloyd, sustaining a rear left puncture in the process.

As the cars exited the first corner, a crash involving Ricciardo’s championship rival Walter Grubmuller brought out the safety car. That benefited Chilton, who had limped back to the pits for a quick change of his rear left tyre before rejoining the rest of the field behind the safety car. At the restart, Ricciardo managed the field well to maintain the lead, while Chilton had already started his charge through the field and was up to 14th place by lap seven.

Behind Ricciardo, Rosenzweig was making up places to lie eighth after the restart and passed Diaz and Buzaid to take sixth on lap six. Major meanwhile was dicing in the mid field, lying in 15th place on lap eight, and moving up to 12th on lap 10. Having stalled on the grid Henry Arundel was also making his way through the field, overtaking to the final lap to come home in 13th place. Having taken the chequered flag, Rosenzweig, Major and Arundel all made up a place following the demotion of Carlos Huertas for a grid infringement.

With several additional entries into the British F3 event at Spa this weekend, the number of cars racing under ‘Invitation Class’ stood at five. With Invitation Class cars not counted in the championship standings, Ricciardo’s lead over the next British car on track stood at a full 10 seconds, while Chilton’s ferocious drive through the field was rewarded with a fifth place, with Major seventh and Arundel eighth.

Speaking about his fourth British F3 victory, Ricciardo said, “I had a good start but there was a safety car almost straight away and thankfully I got a good restart once it went green again. The first lap after the restart was what helped me I think, I pushed hard, I had a lot of grip on the new tyres which helped me break the elastic band so the drivers behind me couldn’t get a tow. Then it was about being consistent. I could see Renger [van der Zande] and Jules [Bianchi] fighting behind me; Bianchi finally got through and I saw him close in on me at the end, but it wasn’t enough to catch me so I didn’t take any risks. It’s a good result.”

Following a one minute penalty for sixth placed man Adriano Buzaid for a grid place infringement, Max Chilton, Philip Major and Henry Arundel move up one place in the final standings for round 13 of the 2009 British F3 International Series at Spa- Francorchamps.

Max Chilton consequently finished eighth overall and fourth in the International Class, Major moves up to 10th overall and sixth in the International Class, with Arundel 11th overall and seventh in the International Class standings.

Carlin Motorsport took a front row lock out today, for round 13 of the 2009 Cooper Tires British F3 International Series at Spa-Francorchamps. Current championship leader Daniel Ricciardo took his third pole position of the season, while Max Chilton qualified second to make it an all Carlin front row. Jake Rosenzweig qualified in a solid 10th place on his British F3 debut, while Henry Arundel will line up 17th tomorrow, with Philip Major 20th.

Conditions for today’s two free practice sessions took place in weather conditions typical of the Spa circuit, with a wet track in both sessions. Euro Series driver Rosenzweig was the surprise of the morning, setting the second fastest time in free practice. Ricciardo was also among the front runners throughout practice, while Arundel experimented with his set up to be within the top ten in both sessions.

With the rain finally easing enough to allow the circuit to dry, the drivers took to the track to qualify for round 13 on slick tyres. Ricciardo and Chilton were immediately on the pace, and were P1 and P2 respectively when a red flag halted proceedings with 22 minutes to go. In a relatively uneventful session, Ricciardo and Chilton looked unchallenged for the remainder of the 30 minute session. Rosenzweig meanwhile made an impressive debut to qualify 10th, with Arundel 17th and Major 20th.

Pole sitter Daniel Ricciardo said, “I was pushing really hard straightaway as we thought it was going to rain, so I just thought I had to get my best possible lap in as soon as possible. We had a good lap, its great fun around here in an F3 car, its really rewarding when you get a good lap hooked up. Hopefully we can do the same again tomorrow.”

Speaking about his second place on the grid, Chilton said, “I’m really pleased to be back on the front row, we’ve had a couple of really tough races, so it’s nice to be back at the front again this weekend. There weren’t really many changes we could make as qualifying was our first dry session of the day, but I knew there would only be a short window of opportunity on the tyres and I really went for it. I got a small tow off Jake which helped me, but I’m confident we’ve got good pace in the dry here.”

Team principal Trevor Carlin added, “The team did a good job today. Daniel once again showed the quality of his driving, having been among the front runners all day. Max did a fantastic job to recover from two disappointing practice sessions and he should be very proud to have put together two very good laps when it mattered in qualifying. I’m very pleased with the way Jake has adapted to British F3, he was extremely quick in the wet this morning and did a brilliant job in qualifying on what was his first ever set of new slick Cooper tyres and I’m sure he’ll be even better tomorrow.”

Qualifying for round 14 will take place at 0900am local time tomorrow, while racing action will kick off with round 13 at 1410 tomorrow afternoon.

Jake Rosenzweig joins Carlin’s British F3 racers for this weekend’s round of the 2009 Cooper Tires British F3 International Series in Spa. The American racer comes fresh from his first F3 Euro Series podium in Zandvoort last weekend and will be hoping for a repeat performance on his British F3 debut. Rosenzweig will be racing alongside championship leader Daniel Ricciardo, Max Chilton, Henry Arundel and Philip Major.

Last time out at Donington, Daniel Ricciardo took a podium in race one to boost his championship standing, but lost out in race two having been the innocent victim of an over ambitions overtaking manoeuvre by Renger van der Zande. Chilton meanwhile came home in a strong sixth place in race one, adding a seventh place to that in race two. Having struggled in qualifying and suffering a clutch problem on the grid for race one, Henry Arundel fought back with a 13th place and a solid sixth place finish in race two. The newest member of Carlin’s British F3 squad, Philip Major, finished 15th in race one but was unable to finish the second race of the day following an incident on lap three.

Meanwhile team mate Jake Rosenzweig made it three podiums in three different countries for Carlin last weekend, with a well fought third place in race two at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. The American racer finished seventh in the first race of the weekend; earning him a second place grid slot for the reverse grid race on Sunday. From there, Rosenzweig raced hard to hold off fourth place man Christian Vietoris and take his first ever podium in Formula 3. Rosenzweig’s podium in Zandvoort followed podiums for Oliver Turvey and Jaime Alguersuari in the Formula Renault 3.5 race in Le Mans and of course Ricciardo’s third place at Donington.

Speaking about joining his Carlin team mates in the British series, Rosenzweig said, “I’m really excited to racing in Spa this weekend, it’s always good to get as much race experience as possible and it will be a new challenge to compete in a new championship on different tyres. It was a good confidence boost to finish on the podium at the last Euro Series round at Zandvoort, so I’m hoping to make the most of this opportunity in the British Series this weekend.”

Team Principal Trevor Carlin added, “Spa is always a highlight on the British F3 calendar and is a particular favourite of the team having been the location for our first ever 1-2-3-4 finish last season. As other teams have become more competitive we’re not expecting the same result this year, but we’ll still be aiming for the top step. Spa is a great challenge for all the British F3 drivers; let’s hope they can just get on with racing, rather than playing the team orders game which may have been the case at previous events this year.”