Ahmed on Top in Testing
Lanan Racing’s Toby Sowery and Carlin’s Enaam Ahmed topped the morning practice sessions at Rockingham on Friday, as the BRDC British Formula 3 field geared up for the second round of the season at the unique banked circuit in Northamptonshire this weekend.
A cloudy yet dry morning greeted the drivers as they began the first of four half-hour long practice sessions at Rockingham, ahead of races four, five and six of the 2017 season.
Aiming to make up for a disappointing first weekend of his campaign, Toby Sowery topped the first session with a best lap time of 1m14.396s. That was just 0.092s quicker than Dane Nicolai Kjaergaard’s best effort, with the Fortec Motorsports man going second fastest.
Chris Dittmann Racing’s Jeremy Wahome was third quickest, two tenths of a second slower than Sowery’s ultimate pace, with Kjaergaard’s Fortec team-mate Ben Hingeley fourth and championship leader Enaam Ahmed fifth.
The second session got underway in similar conditions to the first, and at the halfway mark it was Ahmed who topped the timing screens from South African Callan O’Keeffe. Brazilian Double R Racing driver Guilherme Samaia soon moved into third before the majority of the field pitted to put on new slick Pirelli tyres.
That precipitated a plethora of fastest times with Sowery initially going quickest with a 1m13.937s before Ahmed lapped the Rockingham track in a time of 1m13.760s to move fastest once more, ahead of team-mate Cameron Das and Sowery. Ahmed then bettered his own time, lowering the benchmark to a 1m13.407s, with Sowery improving but still falling two tenths shy of Ahmed’s time with a 1m13.672s.
As the session heading into its closing moments, Das posted a personal best time but was still 0.144s slower than Ahmed, leaving the championship leader to top the session as the chequered flag flew.
Carlin’s Cameron Das topped the timing screens on Friday afternoon at Rockingham, as the grid readied itself for the second round of the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship season. In the first practice after lunch, Ben Hingeley posted the fastest time before Das, who claimed pole position at Oulton Park two weeks ago, bested his rivals in the fourth and final half-hour session of the day.
The third session of the day saw conditions slightly improved with the sun breaking through the crowds intermittently. The BRDC British F3 field took to the track and after getting heat into their Pirelli tyres it was two familiar names at the top of the timing screens with Enaam Ahmed leading the way from Toby Sowery.
A flurry of pit stops ensued as many of the drivers came in to work on set-up and put new tyres on, before heading back out on to the track. As they once again got up to speed, the red flags came out with the Double R Racing car of Harry Hayek coming to grief out on circuit.
Once his car had been recovered, the session resumed for the final 10 minutes of running and Douglas Motorsport’s Callan O’Keeffe moved to the top of the order with a lap time of 1m14.018s. As the chequered flag came out, it looked like O’Keeffe would come out on top but a flying lap at the death from Fortec Motorsports Ben Hingeley saw him claim P1, as he toured Rockingham 0.123s quicker than his rival.
After building their speed, it was Ahmed who led the way initially from team-mate Das and third session pace-setter Hingeley. Nearing the halfway mark, most drivers pitted for a set of new slick Pirelli tyres, but they weren’t able to take advantage of them at their peak as Fortec Motorsports Manuel Maldonado stopped out on circuit, thus bringing out the red flags.
The session resumed with just over five minutes remaining in the day’s running and Das wasted little time in moving to the top of the timing screens with what would prove to be the quickest lap of the session.
Ahmed was second quickest at that point, with Callan O’Keeffe taking third. However, as the chequered flag came out and the drivers completed their final laps, many personal best lap times were set. Hingeley went second quickest with a 1m13.623s ahead of Ahmed, Sowery and Pull, but nobody came close to matching or bettering Das’ time and he ended fourth practice as the man to beat.
Test Session 1
1st – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:14.396
2nd – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.488
3rd – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.605
4th – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.633
5th – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:14.657
6th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:14.669
7th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:14.796
8th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:14.835
9th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.847
10th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:14.937
11th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:15.009
12th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:15.234
13th – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:15.249
14th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:15.262
15th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:16.072
16th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:16.529
Test Session 2
1st – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:13.407
2nd – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:13.551
3rd – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:13.672
4th – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:13.768
5th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:13.974
6th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.114
7th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.115
8th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:14.165
9th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:14.238
10th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:14.243
11th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:14.253
12th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:14.438
13th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.718
14th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:14.896
15th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:15.254
16th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:16.443
Test Session 3
1st – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:13.895
2nd – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:14.018
3rd – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:14.063
4th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:14.083
5th – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:14.164
6th – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:14.401
7th – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:14.406
8th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.588
9th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.628
10th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.775
11th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:14.856
12th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:15.048
13th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:15.142
14th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:15.275
15th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:15.289
16th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:16.805
Test Session 4
1st – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:13.500
2nd – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:13.623
3rd – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:13.638
4th – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:13.820
5th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:13.826
6th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:13.850
7th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:13.890
8th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:13.904
9th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:14.059
10th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.089
11th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.359
12th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:14.468
13th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.483
14th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:14.916
15th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:15.899
16th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:16.265
Test Session Combined Times
1st – No. 65, Enaam Ahmed, GBR, Carlin, 1:13.407
2nd – No. 28, Cameron Das, USA, Carlin, 1:13.500
3rd – No. 77, Ben Hingeley, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:13.623
4th – No. 51, Toby Sowery, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:13.672
5th – No. 15, James Pull, GBR, Carlin, 1:13.826
6th – No. 7, Guilherme Samaia, BRA, Double R Racing, 1:13.850
7th – No. 21, Chase Owen, USA, Hillspeed, 1:13.890
8th – No. 27, Callan O’Keefe, RSA, Douglas Motorsport, 1:13.904
9th – No. 55, Jamie Chadwick, GBR, Double R Racing, 1:14.059
10th – No. 4, Omar Ismail, GBR, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.089
11th – No. 63, Nicolai Kjaergaard, DEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.115
12th – No. 26, Harry Hayek, AUS, Double R Racing, 1:14.253
13th – No. 8, Jeremy Wahome, KEN, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1:14.483
14th – No. 33, Manuel Maldonado, VEN, Fortec Motorsports, 1:14.628
15th – No. 13, Aaron di Comberti, GBR, Lanan Racing, 1:14.896
16th – No. 25, Nick Worm, GER, Hillspeed, 1:16.265
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