DRIVING A RALLY CAR: THE WAY TO IMPROVE IN FORMULA 3

There’s an imaginary line for some, that precludes a rally fan from liking circuit racing and vice versa. But one significant European title ‘roundy-roundy’ hopeful is intent on stomping across that line in a bid to improve his craft.

Earlier this month, Enaam Ahmed took two victories in European Formula 3, the series which has launched most of the Formula 1 grid onto the world stage, and he now leads the championship.

But unlike those future stars, Ahmed recently swapped slicks, wings and smooth Tarmac for a battle-scarred Ford Escort Mk2 rally car at the Bill Gwynne International Rallyschool in Northamptonshire, before his circuit racing season started. It was the longest period of time Ahmed has ever spent in a gravel trap...

But clearly it worked after two race wins and the points lead with his Hitech team.

“My coach recommended I do it,” Ahmed says of how the day came together. “He’s wanted me to do rally driving for a while because it’s something I needed for F3 as that’s how the driving style is [the F3 cars drift slightly through corners].

“I wanted to learn, not so much for car control, but getting the flow right while sliding a car. It’s not hard to get car control, but it’s hard to drift well and smoothly.”

Over 100,000 people have taken to the rally school’s gravel proving ground since it opened in 1982. And with Mclaren Autosport BRDC Award finalist Ahmed having scored a record 13 wins on his way to British F3 honours last year, first-rate tuition was called upon in order to maximise the day’s results.

First to sit alongside Ahmed was British Rallycross driver Steve Hill, swapping his Mitsubishi Lancer E10 Supercar for the 125bhp 1600cc Escort. Then school founder and Motoring News Road Rally champion Gwynne joined for the afternoon.

“Some people might say, ‘what’s the point?’ But it’s great for wet weather driving,” says Hill. “It’s great for recovery when you do get off-line. It gives you a lot more insight of where to go and what you can do with a car.”

Limited modifications to the Escort include Bilstein suspension and a limited-slip differential. But Paul Gwynne, son of Bill, reckons it’s the perfect tool for the job.

“They’re the only car that allows you to learn the rear-wheel-drive technique comfortably,” he says. “You don’t have to make it slide, you can steer it on the throttle and it rewards you if you do it well but it doesn’t spit you off [if you get it wrong].”

The Escort is tame by any comparison to the 235bhp, sub-550kg European F3 car. It’s also shod in standard road tyres, a deliberate decision that allows the car to slide at lower speeds.

But Ahmed assures that the transfer of skills is not diminished as a result.

“It is old school because it’s a bit more clunky,” he explains. “It’s actually very easy to drive, much more than some modern cars. Because there’s no electronics it’s very direct.

“The principles are still the same no matter what car you drive. I’m learning something about having a flow, it’s more about the discipline with rallying. There’s no grip so you can’t over-push into the corners. You have to keep the speed high so it’s about getting the apexes right.”

Testament to Ahmed’s competitive nature, during the debrief after his first run he was already asking for the stopwatch to record his progress. And while his focus is now firmly on his European F3 campaign, taking to the stages of a forest is something he’s already sounding out having “loved” his first day rallying. ■