First of all: congratulations to Jaap Wagenvoort on becoming 2018's formula trout F3 champion! Oscar got close and we took it to the wire even though it was a long shot. but even Oscar's excellent driving wasn't enough to overcome the slim shot he had after all the bad luck of Donnington. Jack had his own turn of bad luck this weekend unable to make the race due to a GFX card problem and Slava sadly had a penalty before the race started but showed good pace and racing. Sadly we also could not get enough points to take 2nd in the team championship, just losing out to Toto Rosso. However I am extremely proud of my team and what we have acheived and we will come back next season even stronger! Well done guys, enjoy the short rest! Here is a report of the exciting finale, and it was one heck of a weekend!. Thank you to Formula Trout for organising an excellent league and Vermin is already looking forward to more racing in the league. OKAYAMA REPORT It was the land of the rising sun that would see the sun set on the F3 championship. The Okayama track in Japan would be a fast and exciting venue to end an exciting championship. Qualifying The atmosphere was so electric,Oscar Williams needing somewhat of a miracle to take the championship from Jaap Wagenvoort. Qualifying pace was absolutely stunning throughout the entire field, with the top 7 covered by less than a second by the end of the session. Williams looking strong favourite for pole with a 1:19.861 as the clock ran out, Wagenvoort and Williams both had one more chance to improve. Wagenvoort snatched the pole by just 0.076, with Williams unable to improve on his time. Martijn Van T Land managed to secure a top 3 start just pipping Nieminen at the flag. With Wagenvoort only needing to finish 2nd in race 1 for the title to be his, he looked very well poised to lift the trophy. Top 3 Wagenvoort Williams Van T Land Race 1 As tyre smoke shrouds the track as the race gets underway, Wagenvoort gets a good start, Williams bogging down slightly and Van T Land has a look at him into turn 1, but Williams brakes much later and sets off catching his rival ahead. The field are all cleanly through turn 1, Vyacheslav Potapenko having to start from the pit lane due to accumulating 5 penalty points, joins the track in last place. Van T Land has a lock up and avoids collecting the rear end of Williams after going in a bit hot, dropping him down to last place. Potapenko had made it past DJB and was now on the rear end of Syntax. With Williams all over the gearbox of Wagenvoort, The vermin driver determined to maximize his chances of closing the gap to Wagenvoort in the championship and going all out for the win. Nieminen was starting to fall back in 3rd as the lead pair set about a scorching race pace. Colonel Blimp had some technical issues which would drop him all the way to the rear end and eventually end up in retirement. Niko Anders tries move down at the Hairpin on Clive Melbourne, for 5th place. Anders out brakes himself and Melbourne snatches a front brake for a dramatic looking lock up but is able to easily switch back past and retain the position. Williams with an excellent drive off of the 3rd corner is able to attack Wagenvoort, but Wagenvoort holds a defensive position, squeezing Williams slightly under braking there is a brush of contact but nothing more than rubber scuffs against paintwork as Wagenvoort just runs a little deep. Melbourne is sticking all over the back of Anders as they constantly are swapping places. Van T Land is recovering slowly and slips a beautiful move on Syntax. Whilst again Williams tries to pass down at the hairpin and Wagenvoort just defends again maintaining the status quo for another lap, battling nose to tail. Again for a third lap in a row Williams tries to make his move down at the hairpin, Wagenvoort goes very defensive on the inside, but locks up with a mistake, Williams takes the tighter line and performs a brilliant pass, switching back down the inside and into the Lead. It's not long before he has pulled a very nice gap to Wagenvoort. With that battle over, Wagenvoort's mirrors are full of Nieminen's car who has closed right up in 3rd place, however Nieminen's car suddenly snaps away in the final corner sending him into the gravel trap. Sammy Salem takes over his team mates position. Melbourne has an off and hits the wall, dropping down to 9th, behind Potapenko. Great racing from Potapenko and Melbourne as Melbourne applies pressure, forcing a mistake, he is able to take 7th from Potapenko around the outside of turn 2. Williams takes the victory for a brilliant race. Wagenvoort however is crowned champion as the pair show each other mutual respect and either one would have been a deserving champion. Top 3 Williams Wagenvoort Salem Race 2 Now with the pressure off for the drivers championship it would be all out racing in race 2. DJB would start on pole with Syntax 2nd and Potapenko 3rd. DJB would lead into turn 1 with Melbourne and Syntax, who had a lightning start up to 3rd, Potapenko dropping to 4th. Melbourne makes a daring move around the outside for the lead, but unfortunately slides off the track dropping to 4th. Potapenko finds himself sandwiched between several cars, Van T Land catches Potapenko's rear wheels sending them both off track and benefiting Williams who is now in 6th, with the newly crowned champion Wagenvoort 7th. Melbourne takes took much kerb on the exit of a corner and ends up over steering into a wall and down to last spot. Nieminen manages to slither past Syntax and up into 2nd and focuses on DJB up ahead, overtaking him for the lead of the race down the straight. DJB finds himself travelling backwards fast as a stream of cars come through, Syntax, Salem and Williams all passing the Octan within a couple of corners. Anders has a similar mistake to Melbourne's earlier crash but ends up hitting the opposite side of the track off of the same corner, freeing up Wagenvoort, now running 6th. As Salem and Syntax battle for position, Williams sneaks a move around the outside of Salem for 3rd place at the slow "S" bend, and with a better drive off the final corner, breezes past Syntax on the straight taking 2nd. Wagenvoort eyeing up the action in front between Salem and Syntax takes a similar advantage of that battle to pull off a double overtake on the pair, catapulting him into 3rd place. Van T Land who had been having a bit of a nightmare weekend was now trying to find a way past DJB for 7th, eventually passing him. Anders again had another off hitting the wall, as he chases down Potapenko to retake the place Anders catches a huge sideways moment, as he closes in on Potapenko again Anders slides off track and into retirement. Potapenko and DJB begin to battle for the 8th place honour, Potapenko slowly applying pressure on DJB, as both begin to struggle with tyre wear, sliding and losing grip, DJB has a moment, letting Potapenko through. Williams now closing down the gap to Nieminen lap after lap, gets his car within 3 seconds with a minute left in the race, but he takes too much kerb on the exit of the final corner and spins his car, allowing Wagenvoort to steal away 2nd place. But it's Nieminen who wins the final race of the season with a superb drive and also stealing 2nd place in the team championship from Vermin Racing with that result. Wagenvoort 2nd and Williams 3rd. Top 3 Nieminen Wagenvoort Williams |
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AuthorR.T. Driver for Vermin Racing Archives
January 2019
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