Ahmed and Hingeley Spoils at Oulton Park

The build up to the opening round of the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship continued at Oulton Park, with Carlin’s Enaam Ahmed laying down a marker for the rest of the field by topping both practice session on Thursday morning in Cheshire.

In cool and overcast conditions, 19 cars took to the picturesque and undulating circuit for the second of three days of testing ahead of the race weekend’s action, which begins on Saturday. The first hour-long session proved extremely successful for the Carlin team with all three of its cars featuring in the top-four.

With Ahmed leading the way with a lap-time of 1m30.693s, reigning US Formula 4 Champion Cameron Das was third quickest whilst British  Formula 4 graduate James Pull claimed fourth; only the retuning Lanan Racing machine of Toby Sowery could split them as he was 0.389s back from Ahmed in second.

The fifth quickest time of the opening hour’s running belonged to South African Callan O’Keeffe, driving for Douglas Motorsport with Hillspeed with Cliff Dempsey Racing’s Chase Owen sixth quickest. Seventh and eighth went to the Fortec Motorsports pairing of Ben Hingeley and Nicolai Kjaergaard with the top-10 being rounded out by Aaron di Comberti and Petru Florescu.

Similar conditions prevailed in the second practice session which led up to lunch, and it was Hillspeed’s Owen that led the way early on before his team-mate Jordan Cane suffered an off to bring the red flags out.

Once the session resumed, Ahmed moved to the top of the timing screens ahead of Sowery and Owen, before the red flag was thrown once more for the third Hillspeed with Cliff Dempsey Racing car of German teenager Nick Worm coming to grief.

Once his car had been recovered, the session did restart for three minutes but the times remained as they were and Ahmed led the way from Sowery, Owen, Das and O’Keeffe. Hingeley ended sixth quickest ahead of Pull and newly announced Double R Racing driver, Brazilian Guilherme Samaia. Despite his off at the midway point of the session, Jordan Cane claimed ninth ahead of former British GT GT4 Champion, Jamie Chadwick.

It looked as if Ahmed would top every session of the day at Oulton Park on Thursday, but a last-gasp flying lap from Fortec Motorsports’ Ben Hingeley ensured that the afternoon spoils in Cheshire were shared.

The third session of the day got underway in slightly improved conditions from the morning, but the running would soon be brought to a halt as Lanan Racing’s Aaron di Comberti came to grief at Druids. The teenager was unharmed but the tyre barrier was less well off, and 15 minutes of the session were lost to rebuilding work.

Once it resumed, it was reigning US Formula 4 Champion Cameron Das on top from Toby Sowery and Double R Racing’s Harry Hayek. The order would soon change again though with morning pace-setter Ahmed jumping back to the top of the timing screens. Sowery improved his time again to slot into second, but remained 0.348s in arrears to Ahmed. American Chase Owen took third ahead of Carlin duo Das and James Pull, as the session came to a close.

The fourth and final hour of running on Thursday would prove to be just as eventful. Cameron Das once again led the way in the opening 15 minutes from team-mate James Pull and Hillspeed with Cliff Dempsey Racing’s Chase Owen.

Chris Dittmann Racing’s Omar Ismail then went off and caused a red flag stoppage before the session resumed. Ahmed moved into first position with a 1m30.526s lap before James Pull came to grief and the red flags appeared once more.

A frantic five minutes of track action remained in the day once Pull’s car had been recovered and Ben Hingeley took full advantage. Lowering his deficit to Ahmed, he lapped within just 0.082s of the  pace-setter on his penultimate lap before on his final tour of the day, he posted a 1m30.494s to  move just 0.032s clear of Ahmed to take top spot.

Behind the leading duo, Das settled for third ahead of Sowery and Pull. Double R Racing’s Harry Hayek was sixth quickest with Douglas Motorsport’s Petru Florescu seventh. The top-10 was completed by Jamie Chadwick, Callan O’Keeffe and Jordan Cane.

More practice awaits the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 grid tomorrow, with the first half-hour session of the day getting underway at 09:40.

 

Test Session 1 – Classification

1^st – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.693

2^nd – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:31.082

3^rd – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:31.310

4^th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:31.371

5^th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:31.464

6^th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:31.484

7^th – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.594

8^th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.752

9^th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:31.756

10^th – No. 10, Petru Florescu, ROM, Douglas Motorsport, 1:31.762

11^th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:31.165

12^th – No. 86, Jordan Cane, GBR, Hillspeed, 1:32.210

13^th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:32.220

14^th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:32.903

15^th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:32.922

16^th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:33.189

17^th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:34.867

18^th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:35.669

 

Test Session 2 – Classification

1^st – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.362

2^nd – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:30.585

3^rd – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:30.824

4^th – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:30.841

5^th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:30.914

6^th – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.945

7^th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:31.123

8^th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:31.229

9^th – No. 86, Jordan Cane, GBR, Hillspeed, 1:31.282

10^th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:31.287

11^th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.607

12^th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:31.782

13^th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.837

14^th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.928

15^th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:32.878

16^th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:33.749

17^th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:41.171

18^th – No. 6, Tristan Charpentier, FRA, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:42.863

 

Test Session 3 – Classification

1^st – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.340

2^nd – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:30.688

3^rd – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:30.689

4^th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:30.716

5^th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.749

6^th – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.795

7^th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:30.871

8^th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.967

9^th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:31.256

10^th – No. 86, Jordan Cane, GBR, Hillspeed, 1:31.367

11^th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.424

12^th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.578

13^th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.728

14^th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:31.883

15^th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:32.054

16^th – No. 6, Tristan Charpentier, FRA, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:32.682

17^th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:32.688

18^th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:33.868

 

Test Session 4 – Classification

1^st – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.494

2^nd – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.526

3^rd – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:30.821

4^th – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:31.049

5^th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:31.085

6^th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:31.132

7^th – No. 10, Petru Florescu, ROM, Douglas Motorsport, 1:31.144

8^th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:31.154

9^th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:31.156

10^th – No. 86, Jordan Cane, GBR, Hillspeed, 1:31.203

11^th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:31.233

12^th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.241

13^th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:31.417

14^th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.589

15^th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.726

16^th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.787

17^th – No. 6, Tristan Charpentier, FRA, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:32.364

18^th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:33.823

 

Test Sessions 1-4 – Combined

1^st – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.340

2^nd – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.440

3^rd – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:31.494

4^th – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:30.585

5^th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:30.689

6^th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:30.716

7^th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:30.871

8^th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:30.914

9^th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.967

10^th – No. 10, Petru Florescu, ROM, Douglas Motorsport, 1:31.144

11^th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:31.154

12^th – No. 86, Jordan Cane, GBR, Hillspeed, 1:31.203

13^th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:31.229

14^th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:31.424

15^th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.578

16^th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:31.726

17^th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:31.756

18^th – No. 6, Tristan Charpentier, FRA, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:32.364

19^th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:33.749