Round 4 of tje SRO F3 Championship took place on Tuesday with mixed results for our drivers. Although we scored an excellent double podium across the two races, there were issues which caused us problems. As I am currently working on the Highlights video for SRO I have to limit the race reports due to time... so apologies that this one is a shorter one. Quick Reports: Qualifying Arttu Nieminen continued his fine form on this track, showing at the top of the tables in all the practice sessions and was able to place his car on a strong looking pole position, just ahead of Martijn Van T Land and Jack Smith. The top 5 drivers all managed to sneak times into the 1:21's with Oscar Williams lining up 4th and Sammy Salem 5th. A tough battle for 6th between Tommi Tanttu and Richard Tippet trading close times. Tippet looked set to break into the 1:21's but had to abort that lap due to traffic. Roel Postma and Patrik Trefny were roughly a second behind Tanttu and TIppet for 8h and 9th on the grid. An excellent last minute debut by Christopher Holman managed a solid performance and qualified 10th ahead of Rob MIlliken. Race 1 The squeal of 11 cars lighting up their tyres as the cars thundered toward turn 1. Nieminen held his lead, despite running wide on the exit of the corner. As the field streamed through, Van T Land and Williams were tail to nose trying for that 2nd place. Smith was tagged into turn1 by Tanttu, which allowed Tippet to go around the outside of Smith who dropped to 8th, and Postma up the inside of Tanttu into 5th. Tippet eased off the throttle slightly to let Smith repass and set about catching the cars ahead. The rest of the pack were all clean away from the grid. Going into the final corner of Lap 1, Smith look a wide line to brilliantly sweep up the inside of Tanttu. Tippet had to avoid the rear end of Smith but managed to by the slimest of mardgins, tucking up behind his team mate and using the slipstream to pass Tanttu down into the first corner. Smith now directly on the gearbox of Postma, he used the hole punched in the air by Postma to place his car around the outside and made his way into 5th. Postma would lose another place less than a lap later when Tippet breezed dpast his car down the straight, the pair were wheel to wheel for the next 2 corners with Tippet winning the inside line. A mistake from Tanttu made him tag the rear of Postma which sent his car off the track Holman who had been recovering from an earlier incident off track tried a move down the inside of Milliken, however he outbreaked himself, locked up and went into the side pod of Millilen, both continued onwards with Holman accepting full responsibility for the accident. The ever fast trio at the front remained the same for a number of laps, with Williams slowly gaining on Van T Land until he filled his mirrors. The presure must have gotten to Van T Land who took a little too much kurb at one corner which sent him off wide allowing Williams and Salem, who had been running a good 4th place, into 2nd and 3rd respecively. With a few minor mistakes from some of the drivers the positions mainly remained the same. Tanttu had been closing to gap to Tippet for 6th place and on the final lap of the race, Tippet was pressured into running a bit wide off the exit, Tanttu moved up to 6th as Tippet tucked in tight behind him, challenging him around the oursde then switching back to the inside, he took a bit too much kerb and bounced off the trakc but still within striking distance of Tanttu, who had defended the inside line, then nearly dropped the car on the corners exit with a huge wobble. However Tanttu would remain in front as they crossed the line to finish the race. Nieminem took a good victory with a solid drive. Williams 2nd after a great performance and Salem a very good 3rd. Race 2 A reverse grid is a great opportunity not only for drivers who have had a poor result in race 1, but also an opportunity to mix up the action. Race 2 certainly mixed it up. With Milliken on pole, he led the way into the first corner, Tippet put a challenge on the inside for 3rd place. Trefny was put into a spin from a nudge by Smith. Tippet and Tanttu almost brushing paintwork for 3rd going into the chichane with Tanttu getting the advantage. Mieminen took a lunge down the inside of Van T Land who was sandwiched between the two Speed Fox cars, with Salem being on the outside. Nieminen had a spin, but continued onward, now in second to last place. Williams who had been abscent at the start due to a connection issue, joined the race immediately from the pitlane and would have to work hard to catch up. Tanttu had Tippet all over his rear wing in the final sector of the lap as they came into the last corner, Tippet clipped the rear wheel of Tanttu as the top 4 bunched up. Tippet lost speed down the straight and lost out to Trefny and Van T Land, with Salem slipping down the inside in turn 1. Postma had now taken the lead from Milliken, who then had an unfortunate spin out of the second corner after Tanttu hit his right rear wheel. Salem tried a move on Trefny, but was coming into the corner way too fast and slammed into his car, taking Trefny off the track. Salem then took a strange line out of the chicane with Tippet going around the outside of him on the exit of the corner, Trefny turned into the rear of Tippet clipping both of them nto a spin in front of Smith. all of which promoted Nieminen up another 4 places as he continued to recover from his earlier spin. Holman who had some issues with his car had an off infront of Trefny who had just rejoined the track. Holman decided to retire his car. Tippet who was nursing a large amount of damage was imab;e tp fend off Salem, He then had two spins and dropped towards the back behind Milliken and with Williams behind, who was setting the timing sheets on fire. A poor exit off of the chicane meant that Trefny was able to take 6th position from Postma, who had dropped off in pace a little. Up front and now challenging for 3rd, Neiminen was now breathing hard down the neck of Van T Land and Tanttu. It was Van T Land who managed to pass for the Lead before the trio begin to trade places lap after lap. The top 3's battle allows Smith and Salem to catch up. As Van T Land made a move on the inside of Tanttu at the high speed turn 7, the pair collect each other and slide off the track in tandem. Smith is unfortunately an innocent victim and is hit by Tanttu and put into a spin as well. Amongst the carnage Salem picks his way through and into 2nd place behind his team mate. Smith keeps his head down and is able to recover into 4th behind Tanttu and starts to close the gap. Williams has been working hard at the back to catch the rest and manages to overtake Milliken for position with Postma being the next car in front in 8th. Tippet still struggling with his car was now up in P7 and homing in on Trefny. Smith eventually breezes past Tanttu for 3rd place around the outisde of turn 7, but it is Nieminen who takes the chequerd flag after a hard fought race,. Salem in 2nd earns the Speed Fox team a 1-2 fnish. A track I don't think anyone is really going to be that sorry to leave. Paul Ricard has thrown up some surprising racing action and now we move on to Round 5. Tippet I also want to say congratulations to all my team members for this one. Jack and Oscar did amazing, and it was a great amount of effort put in by Chris to make the race... the only way is up! Also with Slava being away but supporting us whilst he is on his holiday we really came together as a team and I am proud of you all! Tippet! |
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AuthorR.T. Driver for Vermin Racing Archives
January 2019
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