 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
MST World:Full time sheets in PDF Format
| 1st Jamie Spence,
2nd James Courtney, 3rd Takuma Sato, 4th Paul Edwards, 5th Andy Priaulx. |
 |
| Nic Keisa set the early pace on a damp track in the first qualifying session of the 2001 Green Flag Formula Three Championship. The threatening rain held off and allowed the line to get progressively quicker as the session went on. The Carlin pairing of Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson were also immediately on the pace. Andy Priaulx was leading the charge at Alan Docking Racing. |
| As the track dried Priaulx made a bid for the front of the grid, closely followed by Manor's Mark Taylor. Taylor making an impact on the front of the grid for the first time. However, it was Jamie Spence who tore up the form book, crossing the line on his final lap to take pole position, going 0.396s clear of James Courtney who crossed the line taking second from pre-season favorite Takuma Sato. The Australian making the most of his experience of Silverstone in the wet. |  |
| American racer Paul Edwards edged out his team mate, Andy Priaulx, by .017s to take fourth on the grid for the start of his first Formula Three race. Manor's Jeffery Jones, another talented American racing in F3 this year crossed the line in sixth with Anthony Davidson in seventh with Mark Taylor, Derek Hayes and Jaguar's Andre Lotterer rounding out the top ten. |
| In the Scholarship Class; Adam Blair took the pole position after Robbie Kerr had his times disallowed for improving under yellow flags. Northern Ireland's Matthew Gilmore ended the wet session a mere 0.002s behind Blair with Brazillian Ernarni Judice coming in third. |
 |
1st, Matt Davies
2nd, Gimi Bruni 3rd, Derek Hayes 4th, Takuma Sato 5th,James Courtney |
| The bark of two litre engines and the smell of tension filled the air as the pit lane waited for the first dry qualifying session of the 2001 season. If the first session produced an upset when series returnee Jamie Spence topped the times, then the second session turned the form books upside down as well. |
| Matt Davies in only his third outing in the car hit the top of the time sheets straight away, and was never headed. 'I surprised myself really, I knew I had it in me, I feel like I've picked up where I left off last in 99, says Matt 'I finished 1999 in great shape and then all went wrong last season. You don't turn into a bad driver over night, and you don't turn into a good driver overnight either, the problems I had last year were nothing to do with me or Promatecme'. |
| Fortec's Gimi Bruni delivered the performance he has been threatening all off-season. The Roman driver sporting blue 'go - faster' highlights that obviously worked, the Renault powered racer coming across the line a tenth behind Davies in second place. Manor Motorsport's Derek Hayes made a dramatic improvement in his morning position of thirteenth by moving up to third on the grid. |
| Carlin's Takuma Sato finished the session in fifth followed by Keisa in sixth and a frustrated Andy Priaulx in seventh who missed out on improving his time due to yellow flags on the track during the final run. His team mate Paul Edwards suffered the same problem ending the session a disappointed twelfth. |
| The clock was ticking down to zero and all eyes where on the Carlin garage. Anthony Davidson was suffering gear box troubles, the team working flat out to get him back out. In the end though know one was able to beat the time set by Matt Davies. |
| In the Scholarship Class; Matthew Gilmore edged out Robbie Kerr by 0.013s. The Ulsterman said. 'I wasn't happy with the morning session I should have been fastest then as well, but we had electrical problems. But we got it all together in the second session and pole is the result'. Carlin's Kazuki Hoshino finished the session in an impressive third place. |
| 1st, James Courtney
2nd, Andy Priaulx 3rd, Derek Hayes 4th, Paul Edwards 5th, Gimi Bruni |
 |
| The horse rasp of F3 cars warming up in the sunshine put the spring in the step of the teams as the went to the grid for the first race of 2001. Warm spring sunshine and a dry track greeted the drivers as they formed up and waited for red light. |
| The red changed to green and the Championship came to life. Poleman Jamie Spence made a slow get away. Jaguar's James Courtney moving up alongside the Duma Racing driver but it was American racer Paul Edwards who made a blinding start passing Courtney and diving into Copse on the outside of Jamie Spence. The pair banged wheels as they went through the high-speed corner, and as they disappeared off toward Beckett's there was no daylight between them, Edwards squeezing into the lead at the complex. 'It was a great start, we practiced starts on Thursday and it paid off,' says Edwards 'Courtney squeezed me to the wall a bit, but he was fair and he gave me room'. |
| Edwards began to pull away at the front opening a gap to Spence until the pole sitter went off at Brooklands in an incident with Sato. Edwards opened the gap for five laps until Courtney started to charge. Jaguar's lead driver Courtney, began to wind in the Alan Docking Racing driver passing him for the lead as Edwards began to suffer handling problems. |  |
| Guernsyman Andy Priaulx made a good start and waited for the race to develop. 'I could see the way things were going up front I decided to bide my time, I got past Takuma at Farm and my team mate Paul at Brooklands'. |
| The Jaguar driver looked increasingly in charge of proceedings lapping comfortably up front. Derek Hayes was another demon starter finding seven places on the first lap, the Manor driver was in fourth by lap three and sqeezed past Edwards to take third on lap nine. |
| The race moved into the closing stages with Courtney stretching away up front. The 2000 Formula Ford Zetec Champion setting a new lap record on his way to his first Formula Three win. Andy Priaulx crossed the line in second place, 'it's a good start to the season but there is along way to go'. |
| Manor's Derek Hayes finished in a stunning third place, considering where the Ulsterman started. Hayes, 'I took a couple of places of the start and I got squeezed onto the grass at Copse, but that's racing. I made a few positions going into Priory and now we're in good shape for the next race, a win is definitely on the cards'. Edwards came home in fourth place, an excellent result for the Alan Docking Racing Team that will fill the drivers with confidence for the season ahead. |
| Fortec's Gimi Bruni came home in fifth with Matt Davies hot on his heels in the Team Avanti run Dallara Mugen Honda. Carlin's Anthony Davidson crossed the line in seventh with Prost Jnr team leader Nic Keisa finishing in eighth. Avanti's Martin O'Connell and Promatecme's Atsuhi Katsumata rounded out the top ten. |
| Scholarship Class; Matthew Gilmore won the first round 'I didn't make a really good start, a took Mark Mayall at Copse on the outside and I was able to hold the gap'. Michael Keohane came home in second and Mark Mayall rounded out the top three. |
 |
1st, Matt Davies
2nd, Gimi Bruni 3rd, Derek Hayes 4th, Takuma Sato 5th, Andy Priaulx |
| The lights changed to green and Matt Davies leapt into a lead he was never to lose. Bringing the Team Avanti Dallara home to take the team's and Davies' first win in Formula Three. 'It's been a long time since I've had a clear track in front of me. I tried a new technique on the start which was okay, good enough, and then kept it together not making any mistakes and this is the result'. Davies is back. |
| Charging hard in second place Fortec's Gimi Bruni kept Davies under pressure the whole way. 'I'm really happy about the result for Renault and the Fortec Team, I push really hard to catch him and made fastest lap, but I got a slow puncture in the left front with seven laps to go. I call the box and they tell me to come in, to be careful, but I have to stay out'. In the closing stages of the race the Italian driver was able to keep within a second of Team Avanti's Matt Davies, despite his puncture. |
 |
Manor Motorsport's Derek Hayes netted his second third place finish of the day, holding off Takuma Sato for forth to complete the upset of the form book. Andy Priaulx continued his excellent season opening performance coming home in fifth with Avanti's Martin O'Connell in sixth. Nic Keisa crossed the line in seventh with the Jaguar pairing of Courtney and Lotterer hot on his heels. Manor's Mark Taylor rounded out the top ten. |
| In the Scholarship class Matthew Gilmore took his second win of the day taking an emphatic lead in the Class standings. Mark Mayall came home in second and Adam Blair in third. |
| Matt Davies | 26 pts |
| Derek Hayes | 24 pts |
| James Courtney | 24 pts |
| Gimi Bruni | 24 pts |
| Andy Priaulx | 23 pts |
| Takuma Sato | 10 pts |
| Paul Edwards | 10 pts |
| Martin O'Connell | 8 pts |
| Nic Keisa | 7 pts |
| Anthony Davidson | 4 pts |
| Matthew Gilmore | 42 pts |
| Mark Mayall | 27 pts |
| Robert Doornbos | 18 pts |
| Michael Keohane | 15 pts |
| Adam Blair | 12 pts |
Pre-race round up Silverstone, 27/03/01
Pre-season testing at Oulton Park, 13/03/01
 |
 |
 |