Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Race 1: Sato claims Rockingham first

Takuma Sato claimed the honour of winning the first contemporary international motor race on the brand new Rockingham Motor Speedway by taking victory in the first of today's British Formula 3 Championship rounds

The Japanese got a rocket start from the outside of the front row on a damp track, while pole man Derek Hayes sat with his car wheelspinning and was swallowed up by the pack on the run to the first hairpin.

Just as impressive as Sato's getaway was that of Andy Priaulx, who stormed from sixth on the grid into second ahead of Mark Taylor, Hayes and Anthony Davidson.

Sato stretched away in the opening laps, only to make an error at the first chicane on the fifth lap and allow Priaulx back within striking distance. But then Sato pulled away again and, although Priaulx held the gap for a while, the Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen star really got his foot down over the closing laps and claimed a new outright lap record on the final tour.

"I think I made quite a good start," said Sato. "I knew everybody would struggle because the line was still wet. I went flat through the banked first turn, but I got quite big oversteer and I was on opposite lock in fourth gear!

"Then I got a good margin but made one mistake. Andy was close behind but there was no chance to catch up. Then I got back on the pace, pushed to the finish and won."

Priaulx was similarly untroubled in second place for Alan Docking Racing, although Hayes was bringing the gap down by the end.

Both Hayes and Davidson moved up when Taylor made a mistake on the infield on the third lap. While still fazed by that, Taylor lost another place half a lap later to Andre Lotterer, who had charged up from 10th on the grid.

Lotterer then attacked Davidson, who had a mighty moment at the chicane, the front of his car leaping into the air. The German went through, but Davidson showed great composure to dive back inside into the hairpin for fourth.

Taylor's sixth place didn't last long, the Briton unluckily punted off by James Courtney, while the rest were well adrift. Jeffrey Jones and Milos Pavlovic should have been up there, but a collision on the opening lap gave the American a broken wing and the Yugoslav a puncture.

Robbie Kerr kept Adam Blair at arm's length to win the Scholarship Class, poleman Ernani Judice being pushed wide on the first lap and down the order.




Takuma Sato (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen), 13 laps in 20m55.935s
Andy Priaulx (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen), +2.991s
Derek Hayes (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen), +3.956s
Anthony Davidson (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen), +4.642s
Andre Lotterer (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen), +5.507s
James Courtney (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen), +11.915s
Bruce Jouanny (Promatecme Dallara-Mugen), +24.958s
Ben Collins (Menu Renaultsport Dallara-Renault), +26.394s
Jamie Spence (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen), +34.463s
Matt Davies (Team Avanti Dallara-Opel), +35.182s
Sato 1m34.147s (establishes record)
Robbie Kerr (Fred Goddard Racing Dallara-Renault)

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Hayes and Davidson take pole apiece
Next article Race 2: Sato does the double

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe