Friday 18th May 2007

F3 preview

British F3 goes to Romania for rounds five and six

---

Marko Asmer on the streets of Bucharest

This weekend (19^th/20^th May) will see the first overseas races of the season for the teams and drivers competing in the 2007 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series. 

Rounds five and six will take place on the streets of Bucharest - nearly 2,000 miles away – making the Vodafone Bucharest Challenge event in the Romanian Capital the furthest that the British F3 grid has travelled in the 43-year history of the championship.

With three wins from four races Marko Asmer holds a healthy 34-point advantage over Stephen Jelley and Maro Engel. It had looked as though the young Estonian would not be racing due to his racing commitments in the Japanese F3 Championship the same weekend, but he will now race in Bucharest to defend his British F3 series lead.

Maro Engel and Stephen Jelley are tied on 42 points each after the first four races.  Engel is the only race winner from the 2006 season to challenge for the 2007 title.  His win at Spa Francorchamps last July was matched in the opening round of the 2007 season at Oulton Park in England in a lights-to-flag victory.  Stephen Jelley has three podium finishes in four starts but has yet to step onto the top step of a British F3 podium, a situation he’s hoping to correct in Romania.

Stephen Jelley is after his first win this year

Jelley’s Raikkonen Robertson Racing teammate Jonathan Kennard is currently 4^th in the championship and five points behind Jelley and Engel.  The 2004 Formula Palmer Audi champion has scored in every race but, like Jelley, needs to take his first British F3 win to close the gap on the leading trio.

With 32 championship points, reigning UK Formula Renault Champion Sebastian Hohethal is the leading rookie, with the Fortec driver smashing the lap record at Oulton Park in April on his debut British F3 race.  A podium finish in Cheshire and another fastest lap at Donington Park in round four has marked the young Swede as a driver to watch in the coming months.

Venezuelan Rodolfo Gonzalez is the highest placed driver using the Mugen Honda engine and the current British F3 National Class Champion is eager to show the type of pace that secured him last season’s title in Romania.

In the National Class Chinese driver Cong Fu ‘Frankie’ Cheng is the current championship leader following two wins and two fastest laps at Oulton Park at Easter.  Britain’s Michael Meadows and Mexico’s Sergio Perez are his nearest rivals and a first and second place finishes for both drivers at Donington Park last month has closed the gap to Cheng. 

The field will have to get used to the walls up close

Round five of the 2007 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series is due to start at 11:55 on Saturday 19^th May, with Round six getting underway on Sunday 20^th May at 10:45.

The Vodaphone Bucharest Challenge features Round 3 of the 2007 FIA GT Championship, with the FIA GT3 Championship and the Dacia Logan Cup also racing in Bucharest.

[Heebeegeetee]

That picture shows Ceicieuscesecccssseieiecccieoos palace. I've been in there!

[fozzi]

I'll have my fingers crossed for Jono (Kennard)... good bloke and he loves racing round Pau, so hopefully he'll do ok on the streets this weekend.

[macsport]

Results and lots of audio interviews from Bucharest weekend at www.britishf3international.com

Also live timing at www.mstworld.com/live/livetimingGT

Jeff

[fozzi]

fozzi said:

I'll have my fingers crossed for Jono (Kennard)... good bloke and he loves racing round Pau, so hopefully he'll do ok on the streets this weekend.

He's not doing too well this weekend

[macsport]

Heebeegeetee said:

That picture shows Ceicieuscesecccssseieiecccieoos palace. I've been in there!

It is impressive isn't it? The media centre was located in the main hall inside the parliament building.

Here is the link to a picture od said media facility -
www.britishf3international.com/gallery.php?action=showImage&params%5Bid%5D=817

Snetterton is going to be a bit of a culture shock after this.

Jeff

Edited by macsport on Monday 21st May 09:52

Edited by macsport on Monday 21st May 09:52

Edited by macsport on Monday 21st May 09:53