Petru Florescu regained the lead of the championship after an action packed weekend at Snetterton. Sennan Fielding and Petru Florescu both took wins over the two days at the Norfolk track.
Race one
Sennan Fielding started as he meant to go on at Snetterton. After starting from pole position, the JHR Developments driver controlled the race to take the first win of the weekend.
If Jamie Caroline had a plan for how the race would go, he definitely didn’t follow it. The race began with the Fortec driver hitting the wall before the first corner, the field rest of the field whizzing past his stranded car.
The safety car picked up Fielding as Caroline’s car was cleared, and the JHR Developments driver immediately attempted to break away from the rest of the field.
The amazing restart was all for nought, though, as Carlin’s Max Fewtrell went off and was left stranded on the track, needing the safety car again.
Once the car was cleared and the race began again, Fielding was able to keep ahead of the two Carlin cars chasing him, taking his first victory of the weekend.
“It was a great restart,” said Fielding. “The second one was a little bit more difficult because the guys behind knew what I would likely do so I tried to mix it up a little bit. It was a fun race. It was good to get the first win of the weekend and we need to carry this on.”
Devlin DeFrancesco and James Pull completed the podium, securing Carlin’s 800th podium since the team’s inception.
Race two
Carlin found more success in the second race of the weekend, when Florescu lead a 1-2-3 finish.
It wasn’t a Carlin in pole, though. Rafael Martin’s took that spot, but it wasn’t long before Florescu took the lead with a fantastic start. From there, there was little trouble for the Romanian.
Florescu’s race win took him to the lead of the championship. Behind him, there was chaos.
Rafael Martins and Luis Leeds, both from TRS Arden, were battling for the second spot on the podium. The fight was paused, though, when the safety car was sent out on track to recover their team mate, Jack Martin, who had stopped on track with technical difficulties.
The restart proved costly for Arden, when the Martins-Leeds battle ended with the pair coming together, promoting Nicolai Kjaergaard to second place, but Pull and DeFrancesco had other ideas.
The Carlin duo soon overtook Kjaergaard, but fourth marked the Dane’s best finish in the championship to date.
“Just one more step to go for the race win,” said Pull. “The Arden situation at Riches helped me out a little bit, but I took the opportunity when it came. The same with passing Kjaergaard.
“Up until then it was all about trying to hold off Sennan [Fielding] who was really fast, especially in second one and sector three. I just had to hold him off, but I managed to do that.”
There was more drama for Arden when their remaining driver, Ayrton Simmons, collided with Zane Goddard on the closing lap, dropping him out of the points (read reactions about the incident here).
Race three
Race three saw another lights to flag victory for race one winner, Fielding. The JHR Developments driver wasn’t quite able to build up much of a lead with Carlin’s DeFrancesco not far behind him, trying to benefit from a tow. The Carlin driver couldn’t get close enough to make a move though, and Fielding left Snetterton with two race wins.
“I had a great first lap and I was hoping to build a good lead, but when the gap go under a second the two was a bit big down the straights,” Fielding said. “I worked out where DeFrancesco was quicker and where I was quicker and used to my advantage.
“It was a great race and it’s been a great weekend for us.”
Fewtrell finished the race third, making it another double podium for Carlin.
Results
Race One
1 Sennan FIELDING – JHR
2 Devlin DEFRANCESCO – Carlin
3 James PULL – Carlin
4 Zane GODDARD – Double R
5 Luis LEEDS – TRS Arden
6 Nicolai KJAERGAARD – Fortec
7 Petru FLORESCU – Carlin
8 Rafael MARTINS – TRS Arden
9 Alex QUINN – Fortec
10 Patrik MATTIESSEN – JRT
11 Ayrton SIMMONS – TRS Arden
12 Jack MARTIN – TRS Arden
13 Frank BIRD – Fortec
14 Jack BUTEL – JHR Developments
15 Alexandra MARINESCU – Richardson Racing
16 Alexandra MOHNHAUPT – Falcon Motorsport
17 Billy MONGER – JHR Developments – DNF
19 Max FEWTRELL – Carlin – DNF
19 Jamie CAROLINE – Fortec – DNF
Race Two
1 Petru FLORESCU – Carlin
2 James PULL – Carlin
3 Devlin DEFRANCESCO – Carlin
4 Nicolai KJAERGAARD – Fortec
5 Sennan FIELDING – JHR
6 Alex QUINN – Fortec
7 Jamie CAROLINE – Jamun
8 Patrik MATTIESSEN – JRT
9 Max FEWTRELL – Carlin
10 Frank BIRD – Fortec
11 Billy MONGER – JHR Developments
12 Alexandra MARINESCU – Richardson Racing
13 Jack BUTEL – JHR Developments
14 Zane GODDARD – Double R
15 Alexandra MOHNHAUPT – Falcon Motorsport
16 Ayrton SIMMONS – TRS Arden
17 Luis LEEDS – TRS Arden
18 Rafael MARTINS – TRS Arden – DNF
19 Jack MARTIN – TRS Arden – DNF
Race Three
1 Sennan FIELDING – JHR
2 Devlin DEFRANCESCO – Carlin
3 Max FEWTRELL – Carlin
4 Luis LEEDS – TRS Arden
5 Petru FLORESCU – Carlin
6 Nicolai KJAERGAARD – Fortec
7 Zane GODDARD – Double R
8 Ayrton SIMMONS – TRS Arden
9 Jack MARTIN – TRS Arden
10 Patrik MATTIESSEN – JRT
11 Rafael MARTINS – TRS Arden
12 Billy MONGER – JHR Developments
13 Jack BUTEL – JHR Developments
14 Frank BIRD – Fortec
15 Alex QUINN – Fortec
16 Alexandra MARINESCU – Richardson Racing
17 Alexandra MOHNHAUPT – Falcon Motorsport
18 James PULL – Carlin – DNF
19 Jamie CAROLINE – Jamun – DNF
Image credit: Caroline Rhea
