Silverstone British F3: Bryant-Meisner wins, Buller gets points

Invitation Class runner Bryant-Meisner was running with the boost disconnected on his Performance Racing Dallara, but still strode comfortably clear of the main International Class, which ultimately underperformed as a whole.

"The car shouldn't really be that quick [compared to the rest]," said the Swede, whose machine does not run an engine air restrictor, but in the race was only eighth fastest on the Hangar Straight speed trap.

"The others just tangled around a bit. My car is a bit heavier [the German F3 spec VW engine is 15kg heavier]. It felt really good, I made a good start and I was able to get away."

Fellow front-row starter Jordan King stalled at the start, allowing Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen team-mate Nicholas Latifi into the lead of the International Class.

Felix Serralles speared ahead of the Canadian into Farm, but Latifi then lunged the Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes at Loop and they collided, both being forced to pit for repairs.

The clash earned Latifi a five-place grid penalty for race three, where he was due to start seventh.

That allowed Buller's Fortec car into the class lead, chased by Carlin duo Jann Mardenborough and King. A mid-race moment at Becketts proved a worry for Buller, and delayed Mardenborough so that King renewed his attack.

Then, on the 10th lap of 16, King tried a move on Mardenborough at the Loop that spun the Welshman and damaged his own car sufficiently to put him out of the race.

Felipe Guimaraes (Fortec) had shadowed this group, and the incident elevated him to second in class.

He in turn looked to be under pressure from the Double R Racing Dallara-Merc of Antonio Giovinazzi, but the Italian earned a drive-through penalty for persistent disrespect of track limits.

That meant Double R team-mate Sean Gelael completed the podium, the Indonesian schoolboy working his way around the hobbled Mardenborough, who eventually retired, while keeping the third Double R car of Tatiana Calderon comfortably behind.

Giovinazzi finished sixth overall ahead of the National Class battle, which was won by Ed Jones in his Team West-Tec Dallara-Toyota.

The Emirati ran onto the grass exiting Chapel Curve on the opening lap and had to work his way through the pack. Early leaders were West-Tec duo Roberto la Rocca and Cameron Twynham, before Sun Zheng moved in front in his CF Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda..

Jones finally passed the Chinese driver on the penultimate lap, just before it became apparent that Zheng had a five-second track-limits penalty. Nevertheless, even with this applied he still beat Twynham to eighth overall, earning him reversed-grid pole for Sunday morning's race.

Results - 16 laps:

Pos  Cl     Driver               Team/Car                    Time/Gap
 1.  Inv    John Bryant-Meisner  Performance Dallara-VW    31m07.288s
 2.  Int    Will Buller          Fortec Dallara-Merc        + 16.533s
 3.  Int    Felipe Guimaraes     Fortec Dallara-Merc        + 25.163s
 4.  Int    Sean Gelael          Double R Dallara-Merc      + 39.513s
 5.  Int    Tatiana Calderon     Double R Dallara-Merc      + 40.142s
 6.  Int    Antonio Giovinazzi   Double R Dallara-Merc      + 51.888s
 7.  Nat    Ed Jones             West-Tec Dallara-Toyota  + 1m14.231s
 8.  Nat    Zheng Sun            CF Dallara-Mugen         + 1m19.965s
 9.  Nat    Cameron Twynham      West-Tec Dallara-Toyota  + 1m21.589s
10.  Nat    Roberto la Rocca     West-Tec Dallara-Toyota  + 1m30.791s
11.  Nat    Liam Venter          West-Tec Dallara-Toyota  + 1m44.342s
12.  Nat    Huan Zhu             West-Tec Dallara-Toyota  + 1m55.203s
13.  Int    Felix Serralles      Fortec Dallara-Merc          + 1 lap
14.  Int    Nicholas Latifi      Carlin Dallara-VW            + 1 lap
15.  Nat    Sean Walkinshaw      West-Tec Dallara-Toyota     + 2 laps

Retirements:

     Int    Jann Mardenborough   Carlin Dallara-VW            14 laps
     Nat B  Alice Powell         MBR Dallara-Toyota           13 laps
     Int    Jordan King          Carlin Dallara-VW            10 laps
     Nat    Chris Vlok           West-Tec Dallara-Toyota       4 laps