Double delight for O’sullivan in British F3
DONINGTON PARK
BRSCC
10-11 JULY
A brace of victories at Donington Park launched Zak O’sullivan into a commanding points lead of the BRDC British F3 Championship, despite the Carlin driver and title rival Reece Ushijima colliding.
O’sullivan asserted his dominance on the event from the outset by taking a double pole, but initially lost the lead of race one to Ushijima while heading into Redgate.
The pair battled side-by-side down the Craner Curves with O’sullivan braving it out to hold the inside line into the Old Hairpin and retake the lead, eventually edging out to a comfortable 4.9-second victory in the 12-lap contest.
“I got a pretty bad start but then I got into the lead and was just trying to pull the gap,” said the Carlin driver.
“I think I touched the grass [down the Craner Curves] but you need to risk it at this stage [of the championship]. If you’re behind you’ve got to take the risk and you’re just trying to pick up the best result you can. There was an opportunity which wasn’t too risky, he gave me enough room and I gave him enough room.”
Behind the leading pair, Elite
Motorsport’s Javier Sagrera lost out on an impressive podium having been out of position on the grid ahead of the start and handed a 10s post-race penalty, which promoted Arden Motorsport team-mates Alex Connor and Roman Bilinski into third and fourth, the latter on his British F3 debut (see News).
Race two was an easier affair for O’sullivan, who got a better launch from pole and headed a train of Connor, Ushijima and Bart Horsten. Ushijima, who came into the meeting six points behind O’sullivan in the standings, dived to the inside of Connor on lap four of 12 at the Melbourne Hairpin, with the pair running side-by-side on the exit before Connor held the position on the inside line at Goddards.
Five laps later it was Ushijima’s turn to be attacked, by Hitech GP team-mate Horsten, who lunged up the inside at Goddards, but contact was made as Horsten’s right front tyre collided with Ushjima’s left rear on the exit of the corner which broke the latter’s suspension and sent him into retirement.
Fortec’s Roberto Faria benefited most from the fracas, moving up to third, having started sixth ahead of Sagrera and the recovering Horsten, but the Australian was disqualified from the result for his involvement in the collision, handed a five-place grid penalty for race three and four points on his racing licence.
It proved not to be the only collision Ushijima was involved in. In the full-reversed-grid race three he moved across on O’sullivan on the run down towards the Melbourne Hairpin. The contact pitched Ushijima backwards into the barrier, while O’sullivan was out on the spot with broken left front suspension.
“Going out of Turn 1, a bit of kerb came up and hit the right-hand wing mirror, so I couldn’t see on my right,” said Ushijima.
“I didn’t think he was there but it was my fault. I have a lot of respect for Zak and I want to be competing for this championship fair and square. I’ve already apologised.”
With the title protagonists out it offered pre-season favourite Ayrton Simmons the chance to take some much-needed points after another lacklustre weekend.
After recording a best result of eighth from the opening two races, Simmons was battling over second in race three when he was forced wide at Mcleans by Chris Dittmann Racing team-mate Max Marzorati, eventually finishing eighth.
Marzorati meanwhile recorded his maiden British F3 podium in second, having been passed for the win by Fortec’s Mikkel Grundtvig, while Tom Lebbon took third.
Angus Whiteside finally put a stop to Toby Trice’s dominance in the Ginetta GT Academy. Trice, who had already won all three races at the championship’s maiden Brands Hatch meeting, continued his impressive form by taking a lights-to-flag victory in the opening two races, having been shadowed by Whiteside in both.
A superb getaway from third on the grid in race three gave Wes Pearce the lead from poleman Trice, but any chance of another hat-trick disappeared when Trice and Gilbert Yates collided at the Melbourne Hairpin with the former sent into a spin. Whiteside, running third, then disposed of Yates and eventually Pearce on the final lap at Mcleans to win.
Nic Grindrod continued his domination of the Citycar Cup, taking another two wins at Donington Park in lights-to-flag affairs having started on pole.