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Results of season opener

A1GP Team Great Britain rookie driver Oliver Turvey won the opening round of the British Formula Three Championship at Oulton Park.

He used the slippery conditions from second on the grid to take the lead from the pole man; Carlin Motorsport team mate Jaime Alguersuari, another Carlin driver Brendon Hartley moved into third sending an early warning to their rivals.

The team was on for a 1-2-3 finish until, with three laps to go Hartley attempted a passing move on Alguersuari, the two touched, and were out of the race. This promoted Max Chilton to second for Hitech Racing with Atte Mustonen completing the podium in third for Double R despite starting tenth.

Points go down to tenth in British Formula Three; completing the points were; Michael Devaney of Ultimate Motorsport fourth, teammate Esteban Guerrieri fifth, Fortec Motorsport driver Marcus Ericsson sixth. Reigning National Champion Sergio Perez was seventh for T-Sport; Sebastian Hohenthal was eighth for Fortec Motorsport, Henry Arundel ninth for Double R with Sam Abay completing the points in a fourth Carlin.

There is also a point for fastest lap, in the opening round it went to A1GP Team Australia driver John Martin who finished eleventh for Double R. The National Class was won by Andy Meyrick driving for Carlin, second was Jay Bridger of Fluid Racing and Hywel Lloyd was a distant third.

The second race of the day was won by Alguersuari after a dominant performance from starting from pole.

There was confusion as Hartley took the lead during a safety car period, which did not pick up the leader for a whole lap after it was deployed. As a result he was ordered to drop back down to fourth place, the position in which he ended the race. Between the two Carlin cars were Fortec teammates Ericsson and Hohenthal finishing second and third. The rest of the points went to Walter Grubmuller driving for Hitech Racing, Guerrieri, Mustonen, Devaney and Double R team mates Alistair Jackson and Arundell finishing ninth and tenth. Alguersuari got the fastest lap point.

Meyrick was again the National Class winner, this time from Salman Al-Khalifa of T-Sport and Niall Quinn of Team Loctite was third.

In the championship Alguersuari and Ericsson are tied as leaders with 21 points. Turvey is third just a point further back with 20. Meyrick leads the National Class with 41 points from Bridger who has 26.

Written: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:54:38