It’s been a long time coming but with tight restrictions for media and behind closed doors, the British F3 season finally got underway at Oulton Park.
It’s been a tough year, Coronavirus has delayed the start to, well pretty much everything, but it was finally a bit of good news as the 2020 British F3 season got underway (August 1st/2nd) amid tight media restrictions and behind closed doors. I’m sure all of us share the thought that it is far from ideal but it’s great to see the cars out of the track and for these young drivers a chance to develop their careers.
Qualifying
The first qualifying victory went to Double R Racing’s Louis Foster whose overall fastest time of 1m 31.483 seconds secured him pole for race one and his second best time secured him pole position for race three.
Foster’s best lap was 0.159 seconds clear of nearest driver, Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick with the entire 17 car field covered by just 0.856 seconds. Frederick dominated the session, but Foster managed to string some cracking laps together late on to grab both poles.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Oulton Park Qualifying result:
- Louis Foster, Double R Racing, 1m31.483s
2. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.159s
3. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.181s
4. Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, +0.245s
5. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.285s
6. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +0.334s
7. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +0.359s
8. Guilherme Peixoto, Carlin, +0.386s
9. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +0.415s
10. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.421s
11. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.421s
12. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +0.438s
13. Nico Varrone, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.480s
14. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +0.529s
15. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +0.646s
16. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +0.778s
17. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +0.856s
Race Three Grid
The grid for race three is based on each driver’s second fastest times in qualifying. Foster, Frederick and Carlin’s Nazim Azman were the top-three drivers in qualifying so line up that way for race three.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Oulton Park race three grid:
- Louis Foster, Double R Racing, 1m31.672s
2. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.082s
3. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.099s
4. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.189s
5. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +0.210s
6. Guilherme Peixoto, Carlin, +0.243s
7. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +0.247s
8. Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, +0.334s
9. Nico Varrone, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.424s
10. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.453s
11. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +0.492s
12. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +0.547s
13. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.553s
14. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +0.567s
15. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +0.825s
16. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +0.841s
17. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +0.878s
On his double pole, Foster said; “a really good way to start the season. In testing we knew we were quick, yesterday I think we were third overall and were sitting there or thereabouts. I’m mega happy with it, it’s a bit unexpected but I think we knew we were going to be in the ballpark for pole. So, I’m really happy, Double R have done a great job with the car, my mechanic and engineer have done an amazing job, so I’m really pleased.
We start race one and three from the front, and then hopefully we can win those two. It’s quite difficult to overtake around here so just full focus on the start and the first lap, and as long as we’re in the lead we’re good to go as long as we don’t make a mistake. I did a race run yesterday in session four to test out the car during the race, that was in hot conditions and the car was pretty mint, and we were banging in consecutive quick laps on old tyres, so we’re confident in our race pace and the races should be good.”
Race One
It was Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick who claimed the first race victory of the delayed 2020 season.
Frederick made a good start from second on the grid and benefited from a false start from pole man Foster and made a move for P1 around the outside of the Double R driver at Old Hall corner. It was plain sailing from then on as the American wasn’t challenged out front, or so he thought…
Foster finished second, but was handed a 10 second penalty for his false start and dropped to 14th, promoting the Douglas Motorsport duo of Kiern Jewiss and Ulysse De Pauw into podium places.
Nazim Azman claimed fourth ahead of Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton, with Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol sixth ahead of Carlin’s Brazilian driver Guilherme Peixoto.
Hillspeed’s Oliver Clarke was eighth, with Manaf Hijjawi taking ninth for Douglas Motorsport ahead of Chris Dittmann Racing’s and the British F3 iRacing champion, Nico Varrone.
However, there was drama after the checkered flag with 10 second false start penalties being applied to winner Kaylen Frederick, and Douglas Motorsport’s Manaf Hijjawi, who originally finished in 10th.
The penalties drop Frederick to eighth and Hijjawi to 16th, with Kiern Jewiss gladly being promoted to winner, with teammate Ulysse De Pauw now in second, and Azman taking third.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Oulton Park race one (amended) result:
- Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, 11 laps
2. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +1.247s
3. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +2.020s
4. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +2.932ss
5. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +4.470s
6. Guilherme Peixoto, Carlin, +4.798s
7. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +5.416s
8. Kaylen Frederick Carlin, +6.040s
9. Nico Varrone, Chris Dittmann Racing, +7.694s
10. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +8.324s
11. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +8.929s
12. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +9.202s
13. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +9.404s
14. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +11.257s
15. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +11.936s
16. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +16.782s
DNF. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, 3 laps completed
The amended result does not affect the reverse grid race.
On his race win, Jewiss said; “it’s good, obviously the two front boys jumped the start and I got Nazim off the line, going from fourth to third and then obviously just remained within striking distance really. It’s tough to follow around here as we all know and just brought the car round to finish third.
I was quite close [to Louis Foster] early on, but after that the tyres are hot and I was struggling with the aero. Obviously now for the fourth race this weekend you have to be fast as well, you can’t just finish wherever so I backed off a bit to try and do a lap and we were second fastest so really happy.”
Race Two
Race two and a reverse grid affair and it was Lanan Racing’s Piers Prior who took a solid win in his debut British F3 weekend. The Brit lead all the way despite pressure from Hitech GP’s Kush Maini, who claimed British F3’s newest team a podium on their first weekend. F4 graduate Bart Horsten came in third to complete a 1-3 for the Lanan team.
Benjamin Pedersen and British F3’s iRacing Champion Nico Varrone were the best of the rest and lead a stream of cars behind them, but they were a long way off the front, and it was a competent victory for Prior.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Oulton Park race two result:
- Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, 13 laps
2. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +0.639s
3. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.934s
4. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +9.441s
5. Nico Varrone, Chris Dittmann Racing, +10.019s
6. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +10.592s
7. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +10.899s
8. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +11.219s
9. Guilherme Peixoto, Carlin, +12.413s
10. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +13.240s
11. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +14.308s
12. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +15.116s
13. Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, +16.569s
14. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +16.979s
15. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +20.005s
DNF. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, 6 laps completed
DNF. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, 6 laps completed
On his race two win Prior had this to say; “I’m absolutely buzzing! My first weekend in the BRDC British F3 Championship and I was not expecting a win. It’s a reverse grid race so it’s obviously not completely on merit but I’m absolutely going to take it. It’s given me and the team a boost, we were pretty disappointed after qualifying and race one, the whole team were disappointed with our results because we’d been quick and failed to put it together. But that race, I said to myself and the guys that if I’m leading at turn one, I’m not giving that up! Kush pushed me all the way, it was really close, and he didn’t let me make one mistake and Bart was right behind him as well. It’s really good for the team as well, a 1-3 for Lanan so I’m absolutely ecstatic and lets hope for more podiums and wins throughout the year, maybe in race one or race three at some point. We need to chip away at the pace to get that but I’m sure that we can get there eventually.”
Race Three
Making up for his race one digression, it was Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick who took the race three win with perfect performance. The American driver made a good start from P2 to quickly dispatch Louis Foster, and then it was plain sailing as Fredrick took the chequered flag over eight seconds clear of teammate Nazim Azman, the third largest margin of victory in BRDC British F3 history.
Azman saw off a late effort from Douglas Motorsport’s Ulysse De Pauw, who claimed his second podium of the weekend with a solid third place.
Foster finished five seconds back from De Pauw, just in front of the Belgian’s teammate Kiern Jewiss. Lanan Racing’s Bart Horsten took sixth, just three tenths clear of Hillspeed’s Oliver Clarke, with Josh Skelton taking P8 for Chris Dittmann Racing. Carlin’s Guilherme Peixoto battled hard with Nico Varrone to take ninth ahead of Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol.
Or so we all thought, as once again penalties turned the grid upside down…
The race result for the third race of the weekend was amended after the driver of car 55 (Ulysse De Pauw) was disqualified from the results after failing to comply with yellow flags.
Following investigation and having heard evidence from the competitor, the Clerk of the Course found that the driver of car 55 was guilty of contravening Motorsport UK Regulation Q 15.1.
A waved yellow flag was displayed at Knickerbrook Out as there was a car in the gravel on track left. Timekeeping data, on board video and car data all show that Car 55 set the fastest race lap and the fastest Sector 2 time while a Waved Yellow flag was displayed. The driver admitted that he had not seen the Yellow Flag. The Motorsport UK Datum Penalty is disqualification.
The revised result is shown below, with Double R’s Louis Foster promoted to the podium.
- Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 13 laps
2. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +8.650s
3. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +14.707s
4. Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, +15.158s
5. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +16.841s
6. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +17.166s
7. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +21.748s
8. Guilherme Peixoto, Carlin, +22.121s
9. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +24.074s
10. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +24.563s
11. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +26.950s
12. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +29.092s
13. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +29.375s
14. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +29.909s
15. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +30.210s
DNF. Nico Varrone, Chris Dittmann Racing, 7 laps completed
DQ. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport
Race Four
It was another dominate win for Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick who led from start to finish to take his second victory of the weekend in the final race of the weekend at Oulton Park and taking the championship lead for the first time in doing so.
The American driver finished two seconds clear of Hitech GP’s Kush Maini, while Lanan’s Piers Prior had a good start and made the most of some misfortune for teammate Bart Horsten to take his second podium of the weekend in third.
Nazim Azman missed out on a third podium of the weekend with fourth place, and was well clear of Douglas Motorsport’s Kiern Jewiss, with Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton just three tenths behind in sixth place.
Sasakorn Chaimongkol completed a strong weekend for Hillspeed with seventh, 1.3 seconds clear of Louis Foster, with Guilherme Peixoto and Reece Ushijima completing the top-10.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Oulton Park race four result:
- Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 13 laps
2. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +2.280s
3. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +11.063s
4. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +13.557s
5. Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, +18.454s
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +18.808s
7. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +19.626s
8. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +21.021s
9. Guilherme Peixoto, Carlin, +21.317s
10. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +21.741s
11. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +23.048s
12. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +23.483s
13. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +27.086s
14. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +27.204s
15. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +27.309s
DNF. Nico Varrone, Chris Dittmann Racing, 7 laps
DNF. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, 6 laps
On his second race win of the weekend, Frederick said; “another really great race. Not as dominant as the one before today, but a win is a win and a decent margin behind me so I’m really happy. Again the team gave me a great car and we showed some really strong pace.
In the first couple of laps I was keeping it fairly chilled because I knew a fastest lap in this race didn’t really mean anything whereas in the last race it meant pole in this race. So I was able to have a bit more of a breather but I put in some push laps towards the end to get fastest lap.
I’m not exactly sure where I stand [in the championship] but for sure the race one penalty hurt me quite a bit, but all we can do is finish with strong consistent results from now on and see where we end up.”
British F3 returns on the 15th/16th August for rounds five, six and seven at Donington Park, you can follow all the action both on here with Overtake, on the British F3 website and the British F3 social media channels.
