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Category: F3
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Jehan Daruvala manages 2nd for fourth podium
Abu Dhabi, 6 Feb 2021: Mumbai Falcons’ Jehan Daruvala continued to sparkle in the Formula 3 Asian Championship, grabbing the second position in Race 1 of Round 3 here at the Yas Marina International Circuit late on Saturday evening.
After winning two out of the three races in Round 2 over the last two days, India’s top racer underlined his form by grabbing a Double Pole in the two qualifying sessions in the morning.
This is his fourth consecutive podium finish over three nerve-wracking days. On Sunday, the last two races of the round will take place.
The Mumbai Falcons duo of Jehan Daruvala and Kush Maini seemed to be in their elements as the action began. Jehan straightaway went to the top of the time sheet, on his first flying lap itself. His laptime of 1:53.399 earned him his third pole position of the Championship.
Chovet, 0.190 slower, came in second while Alpine F1 Junior Guanyu Zhou from China took the third position.
Jehan did well in the second qualifying session too, immediately going to the top of the time sheets to earn his second consecutive Pole position. Zhou and Chovet were second and third respectively.
Jehan did not have the best of starts from Pole in Race 1 though. Chovet made the best of the opportunity to reach the first corner even before Jehan. Zhou also had a sluggish start but managed to retain third.
Chovet steadily began to openup a small lead and Jehan could not catch him. But Zhou who was close on his tail made sure that he remained alert.
Mumbai Falcons’ Kush Maini, meanwhile, had a good race even though he started from eleventh. He overtook 2 cars on the run down to the first corner moving into ninth. A few corners later Kush managed to overtake yet another car, to move into eighth. A few laps later Kush was up into seventh and drove an excellent defensive race. Eventually he dropped back down to eighth.
The starting grid for Race 2 is based on the fastest lap from Race 1, which means Chovet will start on Pole while Jehan will from sixth position and Kush from tenth. Race 3, though, will see Jehan start from pole.
“After the bad luck I have had with engine issues and a brake pump failure and multiple incidents on track which were out of my control, I just wanted to have a clean race and get some points for the team. I am now much happier and confident of doing better tomorrow.” Kush Maini said.
“After being on pole in both qualifying sessions, it is disappointing to fall to second. I did not have the pace to challenge for the lead. But we will work hard, and I am looking forward to the races tomorrow,” Jehan, who relinquished his championship lead to Chovet, said.
Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said: “The championship is very competitive at the top. We have had 3 separate championship leaders before the halfway mark in the championship. Tomorrow’s races are going to be exciting to watch.”
Race 2 and Race 3 will be streamed live from Abu Dhabi, on the Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel.
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Jehan Daruvala wins a thrilling battle for 2nd Asia F3 win for Mumbai Falcons
Abu Dhabi, 5 Feb 2021: Mumbai Falcons and Jehan Daruvala continued their winning spree with a 2nd consecutive victory in the Asian Formula 3 Championship. A thrilling battle kept fans on their toes as Jehan had to fight tooth and nail to win Race 2 and also completed a hat trick of podiums to finish second in Race 3 and move into the championship lead.
The Mumbai resident and the Red Bull Junior driver, had a near perfect launch from pole position and held his position into the first corner. Behind him, Isack Hadjar of France also held onto second, while championship leader Guanyu Zhou dropped a position to allow Dino Beganovic into third. The first few laps were uneventful and once the top few settled into a rhythm, Hadjar seemed to have more pace than Jehan. He soon started piling on the pressure, with numerous attempts which did not stick. Hadjar then had a good run out of the corkscrew section and came alongside Jehan. The two entered the corner side by side, but Jehan held on.
A few laps later a similar situation repeated, this time however, the duo went side by side for more than one corner. This allowed Beganovic in third, to also pull alongside Jehan. In the run down to the braking zone, it was three cars wide with barely centimetres between the cars. The Mumbai Falcons’ racer in the middle of the sandwich, momentarily fell behind the duo. He was the bravest though, and braked last, allowing him to surge ahead. Jehan somehow managed to stay on track and held the lead.
Proceedings settled for a bit, before Hadjar made another attempt, but Jehan was able to fend that off in spite of Hadjar pulling ahead slightly. Jehan held off a final attempt on the last lap as well, and crossed the finish line to take his second consecutive victory. Hadjar and Beganovic were second and third respectively.
The grid for Race 3 of Round 2 was based on the second qualifying session yesterday. Pierre-Louis Chovet from France started on pole and straightaway went into the lead. Championship leader Guanyu Zhou was unable to get going initially and Jehan from third moved into second, with Hadjar third. The championship format allows only 2 sets of tyres per round, to be used and Chovet was on a fresher set of tyres, while Jehan and Hadjar were on an older set, and therefore unable to challenge Chovet, who comfortably won the race. The Mumbai Falcons’ racer was second, ahead of Hadjar.
“I was under a lot of pressure from behind, and was fighting hard to hold my position. Hadjar drove well and I really enjoyed the moment when we were three wide. It was an enjoyable battle and it is good that we were all able to race close and clean.” said Jehan, the new championship leader.
“We were all on edge, watching the really close battle for the lead in race 2. Jehan drove superbly. We must continue working hard and hope we can build on this momentum we have now. We are really proud to have an Indian from an Indian team, lead the championship.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
Racing action will resume tomorrow with Round 3 also in Abu Dhabi, on the same corkscrew layout of the Yas Marina Circuit. Fans can watch the races live on Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel.
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Jehan Daruvala, Kush Maini to spearhead Mumbai Falcons chellenge: Asian F3
Dubai, 28 Jan 2021: India’s F1 hope and top international racer Jehan Daruvala of Mumbai, and talented youngster Kush Maini of Bengaluru, who excelled in British F3 last year, will spearhead the Mumbai Falcons challenge in their maiden campaign as the Formula 3 Asian Championship begins here on Friday with a 23-car entry list at the Dubai Autodrome here.
After unveiling the team’s livery on Thursday, which proudly incorporates the colours of the Indian Tricolour, the two young racers expressed their delight at being pitted against a world-class field in the continent’s premier International Single-Seater Championship.
“We have prepared very well for this and are thrilled about the way the cars have turned out. We are particularly excited about racing for an Indian team and are looking forward to the challenge.” Jehan Daruvala, an F2 and F3 race winner, said.
“We raced against each other as kids in karting and now, after 12 years, we are racing as teammates. It’s amazing. We are going to make India proud,” Kush Maini, runner-up in the BRDC F3 Championship, declared. Like his Indian F3 champion father Akbar, Team Principal Armaan Ebrahim had a successful formula career, contesting three seasons of the FIA F2 championship.
Red Bull Junior Daruvala and Maini will have their task cut, though, with a number of talented young racers, most of whom have links with F1 teams, in fray. They include big names like Dino Beganovic (Swedish-born) of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Guanyu Zhou (China) and Williams Junior Roy Nissany (French-born) of Renault F1’s Junior drivers and Ayumu Iwasa (Japan) and Daruvala himself of Red Bull’s Juniors.
Round 1 will take place at the Dubai Autodrome and will see 23 racers from 17 different nationalities competing for honours. Mumbai Falcons, incidentally, will become the first full fledged 2-car all-Indian Team to compete in it.
Indian racing fans can watch the Championship races live on Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel at 5pm on Friday, and 12pm and 5pm on Saturday.
Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said, “We are looking at raising the profile of motorsport in India. Our racers can be at the very top and we are sure that Jehan and Kush will inspire many more to take up the sport.”
Seventeen nationalities spanning four continents represent the grid for opening triple-header. Eight teams join championship for compact five-round fourth season, a unique proving ground which gives fledgling talent sound international benchmark.
Among the entries are some of the sport’s most promising up-and-coming talents, while their more experienced rivals will provide a credible and useful international benchmark.
Reigning team champions BlackArts Racing, who won the 2020 championship with Dutchman Joey Alders, defend their title with a four-car entry comprised of 16-year-olds Lorenzo Fluxa of Spain – 2020 F4 UAE series runner-up – and Venezuelan-born Czech Zdenek Chovanec, and Mexican Rafael Villagomez and Turkish driver Cem Bolukbasi.
The Zhuhai-based outfit has also bolstered its management team, enlisting former F1 driver Alex Yoong and F1 and IndyCar engineer Greg Wheeler in the roles of Team Manager and Technical Director respectively.
Two-time F3 Asian team champions Hitech Grand Prix return for a fourth season, their four-car entry combining both experience and fledgling talent. With two seasons in the FIA F2 Championship, Israel’s Roy Nissany is one of the most experienced drivers in the field this year, while Red Bull Junior Team driver and reigning F4 French champion Ayumu Iwasa is without doubt one to watch. Joining them are Reece Ushijima of Japan and Czech driver Roman Stanek.
Also with a four-driver entry are Pinnacle Motorsport, second in the team and driver classification last season with Red Bull Junior Team driver Jack Doohan. Returning to the series with Pinnacle having made his debut last season with Hitech Grand Prix is Italian Alessio Deledda, the 26-year-old recently confirmed for the 2021 FIA F2 Championship with HWA Racelab.
Pinnacle’s championship newcomers are Frenchmen Pierre-Louis Chovet and Alexandre Bardinon, both 18 years of age, who are joined by Matthias Luethen of Germany.
Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema marks the championship debut of Prema Powerteam, one of the most successful outfits in all junior formulae below F1. Amna Al Qubaisi continues to develop her pioneering motorsport career with Prema, having made her racing debut in the 2018 Italian F4 Championship and a front runner in this year’s F4 UAE series.
Race Timings (Indian Standard Time)
Race 1 – 5 pm on Friday
Race 2 – 12 pm on SaturdayRace 3 – 5 pm on Saturday -
BRDC British F3 to run 2021 calendar from May to October
London, 19 Jan 2020: The BRDC British Formula 3 Championship’s 2021 calendar has been amended, and will now run from May to October, to help ensure that a full, 24-race schedule can run across eight meetings.
Britain’s leading single-seater series will continue to run in tandem with the British GT Championship at seven of the eight meetings, despite the changes to the calendar.
Oulton Park’s triple-header, originally scheduled for Easter, will now take place on 11/12 September, with Donington Park’s second round moving to 16/17 October to accommodate the Cheshire circuit’s switch.
Snetterton’s round is the other to move, shifting to 7/8 August. No other dates have changed on the updated calendar, with the season set to launch on 22/23 May on the full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.
The championship’s two visits to Silverstone, the overseas fixture at Spa-Francorchamps, and the earlier summer round at Donington Park will all remain on the original dates as previously announced.
In the meantime, many of the championship’s competitors will take to the virtual track in this year’s recently announced British F3 iRacing Championship, which will run throughout February.
Revised 2021 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship Calendar*22/23 May – Brands Hatch GP
26/27 June – Silverstone GP
10//11 July – Donington Park GP
24/25 July – Spa
7/8 August – Snetterton 300**
14/15 August – Silverstone GP (standalone MSVR round)
11/12 September – Oulton Park**
16/17 October – Donington Park***please note, the 2021 BRDC British F3 Championship calendar remains provisional and subject to change
** date changed from original announcementFor more information about BRDC British F3, please visit www.britishf3.com. -
Jehan, Kush Maini for Asian F3 as an all-Indian team
Mumbai, 13 Jan 2021: Mumbai Falcons is all set to create history by becoming the first full-fledged team from India to compete in the prestigious F3 Asian Championship, commencing in Dubai on January 29.
The team that swept almost all the titles in the inaugural X1 League last year will be led by F2 stalwart Jehan Daruvala and British F3 Runner-Up Kush Maini, according to a press release here on Wednesday.
With former F2 and GT1 racer Armaan Ebrahim as the Team Principal and 8-time National Champion Rayomand Banajee as strategy and communications head, Mumbai Falcons is confident of winning the Championship.
“Our goal is to take Indian Motorsport to new heights. Asian F3 is just the beginning,” Navjeet Gadhoke, owner of Mumbai Falcons, which came into existence just last year, said. “With Jehan and Kush, we have the best driver line-up on the grid. We are confident of going all the way and winning the Championship,” he added.
File photo of Kush Maini by Mumbai Falcons “We have quietly been working on this and we are ready to enter the international stage in a big way,” Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, declared.
The Asian F3 Championship is the continent’s most competitive racing event, with nine strong teams boasting of multiple F2 and F3 drivers, competing. Last year, two racers from this Championship had even made it to Formula 1.
Incidentally, MSport had fielded a team last year but had only one Indian driver in the lineup.
The five-round 15-race long season will kick off in Dubai on January 29 and conclude on February 20 in Abu Dhabi.
Jehan Daruvala, who is being hailed as the next big thing in Indian racing, is just one step away from Formula 1. The multiple International Karting Champion is the only Indian to have made it to the podium of an FIA World Championship (third in the 2014 FIA CIK World Karting Championship).
He also remains the only Indian to win an official Grand Prix (New Zealand Grand Prix). His 26 Rookie Podiums in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is a record. He had multiple wins and was second runner up in the 2019 FIA F3 Championship, after remaining in title contention till the last round. A few weeks ago, he became the first Indian to win an F2 Race in its current iteration too.
Kush Maini is the youngest Indian to ever win an Asian Karting race and is a multiple Karting Champion and race winner across Formula categories. He made waves last year when he was in title contention for the BRDC Formula 3 Championship. With 3 victories to his name, the young Indian proved himself, across some of the most iconic British circuits. Kush was the most prominent driver in the inaugural X1 Racing League, en route to winning the Indian International Driver’s title with Mumbai Falcons.
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With 12 podiums Kush Maini puts in a creditable show to finish 2nd in British F3
Bengaluru, 11 Nov 2020: Talented Indian racer Kush Maini scored 12 podiums in 24 races and put in a commanding performance till midway through the season but could only achieve a second in the BRDC British F3 Championship. No Indian so far has won a Single Seater Feeder Series Championship in Europe. Kush was leading the Championship till the end of the Round 5 and was in strong contention but the title was not to be.
Kush finished the 2020 season which had a delayed start due to COVID 19 with 12 Podiums out of 24 races which is a high ratio of 50%. On average, there were 17 cars participating in every race from drivers all over the world. This was Hitech GP’s first year in the British F3 championship.
Maini continued his run in the 2020 BRDC British F3 Championship with Hitech GP as the Indian started the seventh and final weekend at Silverstone in a good space dominating the four practice sessions held on Thursday and Friday, to gain much-needed confidence.
Maini was quickest in every session but by just in the last one from title rival Kaylen Fredrick. It was similar in qualifying, but roles reversed as he ended up 0.041s behind the American after slight floor damage. “I made a mistake on my first push lap which compromised the floor of the car, so we were two or three tenths off in the first sector and we lost pole by half a tenth, so the pace is there,” he said.
“The car is really quick and we are on the front row so it’s all to play for. I think I have the pace on him so I’m going to be pushing. You guys are in for a good one this weekend, the reverse grid will obviously change things up as well. I’m looking forward to it, I think that I’m really excited and pumped. For sure we’re going to have some battles, and I’m looking to come out on top.”
The Race 1 saw a slow start for Frederick which Maini wanted to pounce upon but the American squeezed him which resulted in the Indian backing off. That allowed Ayrton Simmons to sneak through and with all off the three on similar pace, it was difficult to regain the lost place.
Maini ended up third eventually, losing more points to Frederick. “I was alongside him [Frederick at the start] and he closed the gap and I was almost in the wall,” he said. “That’s it. The dirty air made it difficult to pass, when two cars are on similar pace you can’t really catch or overtake so, it is what it is.
The Race 2 was a gamble in foggy conditions as both the championship leaders opted for wet tyres on a damp track. They had some gritty fight, even getting a black and white flag for a tussle. Maini made a great start initially from 15th on the grid to be up to seventh carving his way up the field in the opening laps.
However, Maini lost momentum due to damage and fell back to 17th by the end of the race as the wet tyres started to fade. Frederick finished 12th which took the title fight to the final race. The American, though, was in firm control unless he was to retire.
The final race on Sunday saw a similar start from Frederick but it was Maini, who lost out again, to not only drop to fourth but he eventually finished sixth due to earlier damage to end a surprising 2020 British F3 campaign, which he started on just three-days’ notice from Hitech GP.
He claimed second overall, one better than third in 2018, as he finished with 448 points to Frederick’s 499, while Ulysse De Pauw was third with 398. The points gap was not as much as seen here, because in just one reverse grid race where Frederick started 19th he had taken 77 points as Maini took 6th place. Till the previous race, Maini was breathing down the American neck and the last three races, actually let down the Indian’s chances on winning the Championship.
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Title slips away from Kush Maini as Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick wins British F3
Silverstone, 8 Nov 2020: Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick led from lights to flag to claim his ninth win of the year in the final race of the weekend at Silverstone, and secured the BRDC British F3 Championship title in the process. Frederick entered the race needing only to finish to wrap up the title, but did it in style with another dominant victory.
Frederick becomes the first American driver to win the British F3 title, and he finished over four seconds clear of Fortec Motorsports’ Roberto Faria who secured his first ever podium with second place ahead of JHR Developments’ Ayrton Simmons. Kush Maini needed to win the race with Frederick failing to finish, but the Indian could only manage sixth place after being overtaken late on by Hillspeed duo Oliver Clarke and Sasakorn Chaimongkol, who finished fourth and fifth, with Maini settling for sixth.
Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton completed his season with seventh place ahead of Hitech’s Reece Ushijima, with Fortec debutant Jonny Wilkinson claiming a top-10 finish on his first weekend, with JHR’s Carter Williams the final driver inside the top-10.
As has been the case for most of the season, a good start from pole position meant that Frederick led the field almost untroubled around the opening lap. Faria and Simmons found their way past Maini, who dropped from second to fourth by the end of the opening tour.
Frederick then pulled away, again as he’s done so often in 2020, enjoying a lead of over three seconds by the mid race point, a gap he extended to 4.121 seconds at the flag as he clinched his ninth victory from the 24 races, and secure a clear title success.
Maini down in fourth again found himself staring at the back of the JHR car of Ayrton Simmons, but rather than challenge the British driver, he found himself looking in his mirrors as the Hillspeed pair closed on him. Clarke, having been eighth on lap one, was up to fifth by lap seven, and blasted past Maini on lap eight with Chaimongkol following suit, and adding salt into Maini’s wounds.
That pretty much guaranteed Frederick the title, with the American finishing over 50 points clear in the provisional championship standings. Maini nevertheless claimed second overall, one better than in 2018 when he was third.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone race three provisional result:
1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 10 laps
2. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +4.121s
3. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments, +8.660s
4. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +9.932s
5. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +11.435s
6. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +14.600s
7. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +15.562s
8. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +20.135s
9. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +22.404s
10. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +23.129s
11. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +23.687s
12. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +24.851s
13. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +27.091s
14. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +27.617s
15. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +28.117s
16. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +39.192s
17. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +1m33.117s
DNF. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1 lap completed
DNF. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, 1 lap completedEarlier, 33 points separated the leaders with Kush Maini in second as he could finish only 17th but the title race alive till the last race.
Double R’s Benjamin Pedersen won a spectacular reverse grid race at Silverstone this morning, with the championship battle going down to the final race. Pedersen started third but fought his way to the front to finish clear of Lanan Racing’s Bart Horsten, who put in an overtaking masterclass to soar from 10th on the grid to second, which included a last lap overtake on Carlin’s Nazim Azman, who finished third.
Behind them there was all sorts of drama, mainly between championship contenders Kaylen Frederick and Kush Maini, with the pair banging wheels on a couple of occasions on the same lap. The pair raced with wet weather tyres on a cold and damp but drying track, with half the field opting for slick tyres in the assembly area just before the start of the race. The slick tyre gamble paid off with the podium drivers all racing with dry tyres, while Frederick and Maini slipped down the order after strong starts.
Frederick ultimately finished 12th with Maini 17th, a result which sees the pair separated by 33 points going into the final race with 35 still on offer.
A five car scrap for the lead developed by the final lap, with Fortec’s Roberto Faria finishing just a couple of tenths away from a maiden podium, and less than seven tenths clear of Hillspeed’s Oliver Clarke.
Double R’s Louis Foster finished in a remarkable sixth place. The British driver was spun down the order after spinning on the Hangar Straight after getting involved in one of the Frederick/Maini incidents, falling as far back as 15th, but using his dry tyres and some astute overtaking to climb to sixth.
JHR Developments’ Carter Williams secured seventh, less than a second ahead of Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol, with Piers Prior (Lanan) and Josh Skelton (Chris Dittmann Racing) completing the top-10.
Pole sitter Max Marzorati fell to 11th for Chris Dittmann Racing, but still a long way clear of Frederick, who just missed out on claiming the title a round early, but now only needs to finish race three to claim the title. Frederick starts race three from pole, with Maini starting second.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP, race two provisional result:
1. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, 10 laps
2. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +0.737s
3. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +1.140s
4. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +1.327s
5. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +2.001s
6. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +13.833s
7. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +19.440s
8. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +20.362s
9. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +1m00.282s
10. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1m16.222s
11. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1m22.715s
12. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +1m36.082s
13. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +1m43.082s
14. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +1m48.091s
15. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +1m48.261s
16. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +1m49.577s
17. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +1m53.081s
18. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments, +1 lap
19. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1 lap -
Kush Maini clocks fastest times in both Test sessions
Silverstone, 6 Nov 2020: Hitech GP’s Kush Maini completed a clean sweep of fastest times in testing, after claiming top spot in the final session of the day on Friday.
Maini’s time of 1m54.016s was the slowest of his session toppers, but still enough to put the Indian championship challenger 0.148s clear of Carlin’s title leader Kaylen Frederick, with Maini’s teammate Reece Ushijima third.
Carter Williams was fourth fastest for JHR Developments, 0.040s ahead of Fortec’s Roberto Faria, with Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton sixth and just 0.005s further back.
Ulysse De Pauw was seventh, 0.006s behind Skelton and 0.013s clear of JHR’s Ayrton Simmons. Carlin’s Nazim Azman and Lanan’s Bart Horsten completed a top-10 covered by just over a second.
Manaf Hijjawi was just outside the top-10 for Douglas Motorsport, less than a tenth clear of Lanan’s Josh Mason, who was a thousandth of a second clear of Fortec newcomer Jonny Wilkinson.
Lanan’s Piers Prior claimed 13th, 0.032s ahead of Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol, with Double R duo Louis Foster and Benjamin Pedersen and Chris Dittmann Racing’s Max Marzorati completing the 18 runners.
On the combined times, Maini’s best effort from this morning was the fastest for the day, with Faria second with his time also from session one.
Frederick’s lap in session three put him third overall with Simmons fourth with his time from session four. The top-10 overall were covered by less than a second, with all 18 cars separated by just over 1.8 seconds.
The 19 cars entered for the weekend will return to the track for qualifying tomorrow, with the 20 minute session due to start at 10.50.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP, Friday test session two result:
1. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 1m54.016s
2. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.148s
3. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.334s
4. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +0.546s
5. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.586s
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.591s
7. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.597s
8. Ayrton Simmons, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.610s
9. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.754s
10. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.024s
11. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +1.254s
12. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1.325s
13. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +1.326s
14. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +1.476s
15. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +1.508s
16. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +1.699s
17. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +1.718s
18. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.737sBRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP, Friday test combined result:
1. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 1m53.951s (session one)
2. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.088s (session one)
3. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.213s (session three)
4. Ayrton Simmons, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.355s (session one)
5. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.399s (session two)
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.513s (session one)
7. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +0.611s (session two)
8. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.635s (session one)
9. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.819s (session two)
10. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +0.996s (session one)
11. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.089s (session two)
12. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +1.287s (session one)
13. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +1.356s (session one)
14. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1.390s (session two)
15. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +1.541s (session two)
16. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +1.764s (session two)
17. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +1.783s (session two)
18. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.802s (session two) -
Can Kush Maini get the first British F3 title for India?
Silverstone, 2 Nov 2020: Five drivers head to the legendary Silverstone Grand Prix circuit this weekend (7/8 November) with a chance of taking home the 2020 BRDC British F3 Championship trophy.
The condensed 2020 season has produced a gripping storyline at the top of the standings, with the two main protagonists, Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick and Hitech GP’s Kush Maini, taking turns at the head of the championship, only to see their advantages quickly wiped out.
American Frederick started the season in style with three wins across the opening two weekends at Oulton Park and Donington Park, to secure a 29-point advantage ahead of the Brands Hatch event at the end of August. However, a disastrous event in Kent meant his lead instead became a 49-point deficit to Maini over the course of just four races, as the Indian driver took his first win of the year.
Maini then looked to have stamped his authority on the championship battle during the second visit to Donington in September, where he went wheel-to-wheel with his rival in a thrilling opening lap on his way to a second win to pull out a margin of 54 points.
But as autumn arrived, Frederick’s championship challenge took on a golden hue too, as the American marched to three wins from the next seven races (at Snetterton and a third visit to Donington), to launch 13 points clear at the top with just the three races this weekend to go.
Frederick’s relentless pace has seen him claim seven wins so far, with his most recent triumph being the second largest ever in terms of overall victory margin. Maini has three victories to his name in addition to eight podium finishes.
While much of the focus has been on the top two drivers, Douglas Motorsport’s rapid and extremely consistent Belgian charge Ulysse De Pauw has been the top scoring driver in two of the last three weekends, and is now just 29 points behind Maini. He’d be even closer had it not been for a bit of misfortune in the opening two weekends of the season, but it’s impossible to ignore the form that has seen him take seven podiums from the last 11 races, more than any other driver on the grid.
A title win for either Frederick, Maini or De Pauw would also create a bit of British F3 history, as they would be the first driver from their country to secure the British F3 title, one of the most coveted in single-seater racing anywhere in the world.
The UK has a long list of success in British F3, and that may just be added to this weekend courtesy of Double R’s Louis Foster. Unlike the lead trio, the 17 year old is contesting his first season of British F3, but for the most part has looked a veteran, taking three victories to date. He’s a bit further adrift in the championship battle, but remains a contender despite a couple of opening lap tangles last time out at Donington, which dented his aspirations.
Malaysia’s Nazim Azman is the final driver still in with a chance, with two wins so far in 2020. Like the top-three, Azman would be the first driver from his country to claim the British F3 crown, and although 89 points behind Frederick, remains in mathematical contention after a much improved sophomore campaign.
The championship cannot be decided during race one on Saturday, meaning it will all be settled on Sunday, with the final two races of the year streamed live on the British F3 website, YouTube and Facebook channels.
The field of 19 drivers entered this weekend is the joint biggest entry of the year. JHR Developments returns with Carter Williams while also adding multiple race winner Ayrton Simmons. Fortec Motorsports will also bolster its line-up with a teammate for Roberto Faria, with that announcement due later this week.
All the action this weekend can be followed on the official championship website www.britishf3.com, where all the latest championship permutations will be published throughout the event.
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has confirmed that elite sport will be able to continue behind closed doors during the forthcoming lockdown period in England. The British GT event at Silverstone, at which BRDC British F3 is a co-headline series, has been confirmed as ‘elite’, meaning the event will continue as planned.
BRDC British F3 Championship, top-six standings after race 21 of 24:
1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 420pts
2. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 407pts
3. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, 378pts
4. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, 353pts
5. Nazim Azman, Carlin, 331pts
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, 283ptsClick here for full standings
BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP entry list
#5. Carter Williams, JHR Developments
#7. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports
#8. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin
#13. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP
#14. Kush Maini, Hitech GP
#17. Nazim Azman, Carlin
#21. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing
#22. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing
#24. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing
#26. Louis Foster, Double R Racing
#43. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing
#50. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing
#55. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport
#62. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed
#71. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport
#79. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed
#81. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing
TBC. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments
TBC. Fortec MotorsportsFor more championship information visit www.britishf3.com.
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Kush Maini manages 3rd place but slips to second in Championship table: British F3
Donington, 25 October 2020: Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick took full advantage of the BRDC British Formula 3 triple-header on the Donington National circuit today (Sunday), claiming two wins and a seventh place to thrust him into the championship lead, with just three races remaining at Silverstone on 7/8 November.
Frederick started the day nine points behind Hitech GP’s Kush Maini, but won race one from pole, followed that up with seventh in the reversed grid second encounter, and then delivered one of the most dominant BRDC British F3 wins in race three, again from pole.
Race one
The opening race of the weekend was due to take place on Saturday but poor weather meant it was carried over to this morning, with the encounter held in much more favourable conditions. Frederick converted pole into a comfortable lead at the first corner but had to wait to build a gap as the safety car was deployed after five cars retired on the opening lap after several incidents.Frederick built up a margin after the restart to fellow championship contender Ulysse De Pauw (Douglas Motorsport) and then kept it clean to grab his sixth win of the year, reclaiming the championship lead he relinquished at Brands Hatch.
De Pauw finished second, 1.2 seconds behind the American to strengthen his championship aspirations, with Oliver Clarke taking third for Hillspeed, his second podium of the year. Maini was only able to finish ninth, giving Frederick a 14-point lead in the standings.
Race two
The reversed grid second encounter saw Frederick’s teammate Nazim Azman claim his second victory of the year. The Malaysian outdragged pole sitter Max Marzorati down to Redgate on lap one, and then fended off the early attentions of Double R’s Benjamin Pedersen, before stretching his advantage to 2.655 seconds at the chequered flag. Pedersen took his second podium of the year, four-tenths ahead of De Pauw, who secured his second podium of the day.The championship race took another swing though, with Maini finishing fourth from 13th on the grid, while Frederick could only claim seventh from eighth at the start. That meant the pair were separated by just two points heading into the final race of the weekend.
Race three
Despite a few drops of rain falling, Frederick made an immaculate start from pole position to immediately assert his dominance in race three. He pulled away with metronomic pace, over seven seconds clear of Clarke in second place with two laps to go, but the British driver was denied his best result of the season on the penultimate lap, when he was forced into retirement.That handed second to his teammate Sasakorn Chaimongkol, who enjoyed his first podium of the season, over 15 seconds away from Frederick, who took win number seven of 2020. Thai driver Chaimongkol spent much of the race defending, with Maini taking his first top three result of the weekend, finishing just three tenths away from second spot.
Five drivers head to Silverstone in mathematical contention for the title. Just 13 points, the equivalent of an eighth place finish in races one or three, separate the top two in the championship, with De Pauw well within touching distance in third, despite a difficult final race of the weekend. Double R’s Louis Foster and Carlin’s Azman also remain in the battle, with just three races remaining at the home of the British Grand Prix.
Double race winner Frederick said: “We got a double pole position and a double race win, so I’m really pleased with that. We just had an amazing car all weekend, we did the work early in qualifying where we could make it easy for ourselves in the races, so we just had to get good starts. Then we could just hammer away lap times and we’ve brought home two really good results at a really important time of the season, leading into the last three rounds at Silverstone.
“We don’t have a massive margin [in the championship] but it’s something, so it’ll give me a bit of a cushion going into the last three rounds. We’ll still have the same goal as every other weekend; qualify on pole and hopefully get some race wins.”
Maini added: “I’m really a bit disappointed with my qualifying to be honest, but I did two good comebacks to stay only 13 points behind Kaylen, which is nothing in this championship. We’re keeping it alive and I think it’s going to be a fun Silverstone. I think he’s [Frederick] definitely had the pace on us this weekend, but this championship is swinging between me and him over the last four or five rounds so anything could happen in my eyes.
“This is my 11th podium of the season, I’m happy with that. Obviously the last two weekends have not been ideal for me, after having a 55 point lead we kind of threw that away. But if after qualifying you’d told me that I’d leave this weekend only 13 points behind I’d be happy, so I think our worst is gone and obviously he might have a bad weekend next time like this, and anything could happen.”
BRDC British F3 Championship, Donington Park National circuit, race one top-six:
1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 15 laps
2. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +1.266s
3. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +8.659s
4. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +11.285s
5. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +12.850s
6. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +15.182sClick here for full result.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Donington Park National circuit, race two top-six:
1. Nazim Azman, Carlin, 18 laps
2. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +2.655s
3. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +3.099s
4. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +7.702s
5. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +10.632s
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +11.772sClick here for full result.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Donington Park National circuit, race three top-six:
1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 18 laps
2. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +15.103s
3. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +15.412s
4. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +16.549s
5. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +17.304s
6. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +17.994sClick here for full result.
BRDC British F3 Championship, top-six standings after race 21 of 24:
1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 420pts
2. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 407pts
3. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, 378pts
4. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, 353pts
5. Nazim Azman, Carlin, 331pts
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, 283ptsClick here for full standings
For more championship information visit www.britishf3.com.
Indian racer Kush Maini, right, gets back on podium in 3rd , in Race 3 on Sunday. BRDC British F3 image
