ZAK ATTACK EXPLOITS SIMMONS SLIP
Carlin’s Zak O’Sullivan leads the BRDC British Formula 3 standings after showing both strong pace and a clean nose during a madcap Brands Hatch triple-header season-opener.
The 16-year-old British Formula 4 graduate took a win plus two solid scores from Kent’s curtain-raiser to sit four points clear of an unlikely foe in Oliver Bearman of Fortec Motorsport.
German and Italian Formula 4 racewinner Bearman was a late Brands entrant, and is set to do five British F3 rounds this year alongside German and Italian F4 commitments. He had never driven on the Brands Grand Prix loop before first practice and had never driven on it in the dry before qualifying. Yet he immediately qualified second then took two competitive secondplace finishes. Like O’Sullivan, he combined speed with the avoidance of trouble at Brands.
In race one Ayrton Simmons of Chris
Dittmann Racing did what many anticipated. The championship returnee – and for many this year’s title favourite – took a win from pole that was untroubled even with Bearman and O’Sullivan close throughout.
“I put in a quick lap at the start and from then on it was just trying to keep within a tenth or two,” Simmons said. “It was very controlled, just minding my own business. There was no point of concern, it’s very hard to overtake here.”
Bearman meanwhile was thrilled at his fast adaptation. “Steep learning curve but I was learning every lap,” he said. “Racing in Europe we go to a lot of different tracks and sometimes we don’t always have a lot of time to get up to speed. It’s a skill I have and a skill I want to bring forward.”
Simmons was minded for a repeat performance in race two, again from pole, but with Bart Horsten of Hitech GP trying to pass on the outside at Druids first time through the pair tangled with Simmons’ machine landing on top of Horsten’s for a few fearful seconds. Both drivers were cautious about attributing blame but the stewards gave Simmons a five-place grid penalty that he’ll serve at Silverstone next month as in the fully reversedgrid Brands finale he was starting last anyway.
O’Sullivan was the chief direct beneficiary in race two, as he won edging away from second-placed Bearman. “We showed the speed we potentially had [in race one] if I was in clean air,” O’Sullivan said. “I settled down from turn one and saw Ayrton on top of Bart’s car! From there we were able to control the pace.”
In the reversed-grid race, now the finale and based on qualifying not race times, CDR’s Max Marzorati took the lead from second on the grid but fell back before the first turn with an overheated clutch. And amid the mess Carlin’s Christian Mansell, all the way from seventh, swept into first around the outside of Paddock.
“That was something out of a fairy tale, I’ve got no words to describe that start!,” said the charismatic Australian, who like O’Sullivan has graduated from British F4 with Carlin. “Either
I was exceptionally good or everyone was just caught lacking!”
And Mansell remained in command for the rest of the way to win ahead of Elite Motorsport’s Javier Sagrera.
“The car was a dream to drive,” Mansell added. “I’m buzzing, so happy. It was just maintain the gap, I didn’t really have to push.”
O’Sullivan finished seventh in the reversed-grid counter and therefore leads the standings as noted from Bearman. O’Sullivan’s nearest full-time challenger is Hitech’s Reece Ushijima 17 points off the top after a consistent weekend with three top-six finishes. Simmons is sixth, 34 off the summit.