Mixed Fortunes for Double R

Double R Racing underlined its title challenging credentials in this year’s BRDC British Formula 3 Championship over the weekend at the team’s home track, Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit, with a sensational lights-to-flag victory for Brazilian driver Matheus Leist in round four of the season.

Qualifying on pole position, securing his maiden pole start in BRDC British F3, Leist was never headed and soaked up immense pressure throughout the opening race of the weekend on Saturday, 16th April, before pulling away in the closing stages to a winning margin of 1.7 seconds – and all despite a late shower of rain. He is also the first driver to win more than once in BRDC F3 this year.

More silverware at Brands Hatch came courtesy of Leist’s compatriot, Enzo Bortoleto, who secured his maiden podium in BRDC British F3 – after starting round five from pole position – with third place following a strong and determined drive under huge pressure. Finland’s Aleksanteri Huovinen, meanwhile, ended a challenging weekend with a best of fifth position in the final contest

At Donington Park in Leicestershire, Double R’s Ford MSA Formula team was also in action for the second event of its season but a luckless weekend was had by rapid Australian Zane Goddard – a double retirement followed by mechanical problems on the formation lap of race three.

“Obviously, it’s fantastic to win again in BRDC F3 with Matheus – two wins from the first two race weekends isn’t bad going at all and he did an unbelievable job, fantastic drive”, said team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, “We’re really happy for Enzo to see him take his first podium and Aleksanteri should really have been up there on the podium too, but it didn’t work out for him this weekend. Donington, on the other hand, was really disappointing, and we’re gutted for Zane. Qualifying wasn’t as strong as we’d hoped but then he was just really unlucky in the races. Hopefully that’s all the bad luck out of the way now and he can go to Thruxton, where Carrie [Schreiner] will be back too, and really shine.”

In BRDC British F3, Leist starred in qualifying with a sensational lap of 1m20.416 seconds, out-pacing his closest rivals by 0.2 seconds after a tremendous see-saw battle. Making a good start to round four, the Brazilian kept Ricky Collard at bay throughout and set fastest lap pace around mid-distance.

With just a few tenths of a second splitting the lead pair, the pressure was relentless but Leist remained calm and set the fastest lap of all on the 11th tour. Then, over the final three laps, he extended his advantage to almost two seconds at the chequered flag on lap 16.

Huovinen, who on the strength of a top two performance in pre-event testing and his podium finishing exploits during the opening event of the season last month, should have been fighting it out with Leist for pole in qualifying but an unfortunate excursion early-on meant 20th on the grid.

More misfortune was to follow for the Finnish driver in race one, though, when a spin at Stirlings just prior to the midway point of the race resulted in retirement. After gaining several places early on, Huovinen had broken into the top 15 before his all-too-early departure from the action.

For Bortoleto, round four started in 17th place on the grid and he produced an outstanding first lap to slice through into 11th position. Breaking into the coveted top 10 on lap three, the Brazilian was edged back a spot soon after but made excellent progress again during the second half of the race to climb into the top eight – importantly securing the ‘reverse grid’ pole position for race two.

In the second contest, Bortoleto made a good launch to lead the field but was edged back to second on the first tour and then shuffled back to third on lap three. Thereafter, though, the Double R man served up a stout defence of his podium position and soaked up incredible pressure for the rest of the 14 lap duration to secure his maiden BRDC British F3 rostrum finish in fine style.

Sadly for race one victor Leist, the second contest was in complete contrast when an opening lap spin at Druids led to contact and retirement to the pits. Huovinen, meanwhile, carved through from 20th on the grid into 13th position on lap one alone with some tremendous driving and despite piling on the pressure to the cars ahead, that was as high up the order as the Finn could progress.

In the third and final contest, which was red flagged part way through and then re-started over a final five lap sprint, Huovinen brought some cheer to an otherwise tough weekend with an excellent fifth place finish, as well as pace a match for the race winner. Bortoleto ended the contest in 15th while Leist was forced to retire from the re-started encounter with less than two laps to go.

Further north at Donington Park National Circuit in the East Midlands, young Ford MSA Formula driver Zane Goddard encountered more than his share of misfortune in the latest instalment of the junior single-seater series.

Round four on Saturday took place in tricky wet conditions and, from 13th place on the grid, Goddard made a superb start. After a fantastically committed opening lap he climbed into the top eight but an excursion on lap two resulted in a drop down the order and eventual retirement.

On Sunday morning the weather was a big improvement and, despite being very cold, bright sunshine bathed the 1.98-mile National Circuit. Goddard faced a tough challenge in round five from 17th on the grid, a result of his race one non-finish, but did gain two places on the first lap.

Moving into 14th on lap two, the Australian then profited from a two car tangle ahead to leap into the top 12 – an incident which triggered the deployment of the Safety Car. Racing resumed on lap nine and Goddard gained a couple of places to break into the top 10 before running three abreast over the line into lap 10, taking ninth.

Maintaining ninth, Goddard closed on the top eight and set the fastest first sector in the process but on lap 14 the Double R driver’s excellent run came to an untimely end when his car was launched over the Mygale of Nicolai Kjaergaard, as the pair ran in close company, at the Old Hairpin.

After two very frustrating contests, Goddard aimed to end the weekend with a positive conclusion in round six but again faced a big test from 16th on the grid. Incredibly, his terrible Donington Park misfortune struck again when his Ford-powered Mygale ground to a halt on the formation lap.

Next on the motor racing schedule for Double R Racing will be the third event of the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship season a fortnight from now, over the weekend 30th April/1st May, at Rockingham in Northamptonshire. The next three rounds of the Ford MSA Formula season, meanwhile, will follow one week later on 7th/8th May at Thruxton in Hampshire.

 

2016 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship Driver Standings (after Rd6):

4th Matheus Leist, 92pts; 6th Aleksanteri Huovinen, 91pts; 9th Enzo Bortoleto, 75pts

 

2016 Ford MSA Formula Driver Standings (after Rd6):

9th Zane Goddard, 18pts