Race 1: Bruni wins thriller

The Italian started his Fortec Dallara-Renault from fifth on the grid, but picked his way through the field one by one in a pulsating race which was the best British F3 thrash for many years.

Carlin Motorsport team mates Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson converted their front row grid positions into first and second places at the start, but Davidson saw a half chance into the Goddards hairpin and went for it. Unfortunately Sato didn't realise that Davidson was making a move - the Japanese turned in to take the normal line, but there was no way the Briton could avoid his team mate and they collided.

They continued in the same order, Sato now with a slow puncture in his left rear tyre which didn't bother him too much at first. Instead, they gradually pulled away from Derek Hayes and Bruni, who had got ahead of fourth qualifier Jeffrey Jones at the start.

Before long Davidson was trying moves on Sato, and from lap four onwards the leader fought bravely to keep ahead. Then, on lap eight, Davidson's brake fluid suddenly leaked out - his pedal went to the floor at the Fogarty's Esses and he eventually parked at Goddards on the grass.

Hayes now closed in on Sato, Bruni going with him and Andre Lotterer, who had qualified only seventh, chasing hard.

Lotterer was the next to make a move, brilliantly scything ahead of both Hayes and Bruni, preoccupied with their own wheelbanging, into Redgate at the start of lap 12. Bruni then pounced on Hayes at the Old Hairpin, and was suddenly gifted second when Lotterer fluffed his gearshift into fourth on the run down to the Melbourne hairpin.

Half a lap later he was in front, passing Sato - whose tyre was now flat as a pancake - into the Old Hairpin. Still Sato fought on in Villeneuve style, but there was nothing he could do to stop himself plummeting to 12th by the finish.

Lotterer took second from Hayes, Jones, Mark Taylor, Jamie Spence and Ryan Dalziel, who were all involved in the leading train while the stricken Sato was in the lead.

"I am very 'appy," beamed Bruni, the first Italian to win a British F3 round since Andrea de Cesaris in 1979. "I passed Hayes into the Old Hairpin and that was the crucial move. Very difficult - two wheels on the grass and two on the tarmac! This is a brilliant day."

The hopes of Matt Davies and James Courtney ended in the gravel at McLeans on the first lap when they collided.

There was excitement in the Scholarship Class too, as Michael Keohane superbly fought off Robbie Kerr and Matt Gilmore to win a close fight.

Gianmaria Bruni (Fortec Dallara-Renault) 15 laps in 22:43.500
Andre Lotterer (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) +1.443
Derek Hayes (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +2.323
Jeffrey Jones (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +3.848
Mark Taylor (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +5.874
Jamie Spence (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen) +7.649
Ryan Dalziel (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen) +8.632
Andy Priaulx (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) +9.182
Paul Edwards (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) +9.719
Atsushi Katsumata (Promatecme Dallara-Mugen) +10.632


Michael Keohane (Meritus Racing Dallara-Toyota)
Fastest lap Anthony Davidson (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1:29.661