Buzaid quickest in British F3 testing

The Formula Renault graduate lapped the International circuit in 1m14.289s during three hours of running this morning, pipping Carlin's Oliver Oakes by just 0.019s.

The test marked the first time front running T-Sport team, which ran GP2 Asia race-winner Sergio Perez to four wins and fourth place in British F3 last season, has run the new 2009-spec Volkswagen engine in it's two new Dallaras.

Buzaid reported a significant improvement in performance with the engine, which is some 15kg lighter than the previous spec VW motor.

Buzaid's team-mate, reigning British Formula Ford champion Wayne Boyd, lapped seventh fastest but only 0.153s slower than the Brazilian, while the fastest nine drivers were covered by just 0.329s.

Formula BMW Europe graduate Carlos Huertas continued his recent strong form by going third quickest for Raikkonen Robertson Racing. The Colombian was quickest of all in the final sector of the lap, while team-mate Daisuke Nakajima (younger brother of Williams F1 racer Kazuki) was fastest in the first two sectors, but eighth overall.

Former McLaren Autosport BRDC Award finalist Nick Tandy, who has been second fastest at each of the previous two official tests, struggled to match that form in the new Mygale-Mercedes today and could only manage the ninth fastest time - albeit only just over three tenths of a second shy of the pacesetter.

Pos Driver                Team              Car           Time
 1. Adriano Buzaid        T-Sport           D/V      1m14.289s
 2. Oliver Oakes          Carlin            D/V      1m14.308s
 3. Carlos Huertas        Double R          D/M      1m14.329s
 4. Max Chilton           Carlin            D/V      1m14.330s
 5. Daniel Ricciardo      Carlin            D/V      1m14.346s
 6. Henry Arundel         Carlin            D/V      1m14.381s
 7. Wayne Boyd            T-Sport           D/V      1m14.442s
 8. Daisuke Nakajima      Double R          D/M      1m14.542s
 9. Nick Tandy            JTR               M/M      1m14.618s
10. Walter Grubmuller     Hitech            D/M      1m15.089s
11. Victor Garcia         Fortec            D/M      1m15.248s
12. Daniel McKenzie       Fortec (N)        D/M      1m15.386s
13. Hywel Lloyd           CF Racing         D/H      1m15.457s
14. Stephane Richelmi     Barazi Epsilon    D/M      1m15.604s
15. Gabriel Dias          T-Sport (N)       D/M      1m15.641s
16. Victor Correa         Litespeed (N)     S/H      1m16.041s
17. Max Snegirev          West-Tec (N)      D/H      1m16.479s
18. Jay Bridger           West-Tec          M/H      1m16.761s