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Kunimoto admits win was unexpected

Macau Grand Prix winner Keisuke Kunimoto admitted that he never expected to triumph in F3's blue riband event after an unconvincing season in Japan this year

The TOM'S driver edged home pole position man Edoardo Mortara, having led away from the start, and he controlled the race comfortably despite two safety car periods.

Delighted at the result, which comes at the end of a season when he was put in the shadow of teammate Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam, Kunimoto confessed to having performed better than expected.

"I'm very, very happy," said Kunimoto. "This is the first time for me in Macau and I can't believe this result. I think my team is the best in all of the world and that's why I can get the centre of the podium."

Kunimoto had led the early stages of the qualification race on Saturday too, but that time Mortara closed him down to snatch the lead in the closing stages. Although mindful of a repeat of the threat posed by his Italian rival, he said he simply focused on extracting as much performance from himself and his car, rather than worry about getting beaten.

"Today, at the beginning of the race the track was so dusty and oily that I was very careful," he said. "After that for every lap I was pushing, pushing, pushing.

"There were two safety cars, which was quite a hard situation for me, but I didn't look behind me. I just kept going and going.

"On Saturday it was just a qualifying race so I didn't push hard, but today I really, really pushed and that's why he could not pass me."

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