Signature boss says team 'back in the game' in F3

F3 veteran Will Buller drove Signature's Dallara-Volkswagen to sixth place in the third race, and qualified fifth for races two and three.

Signature withdrew from F3 at the end of 2011, up to which it had enjoyed the status of being VW's works team.

It returned for 2014's pre-season tests with the new Renault engine project, only for an eleventh-hour withdrawal the night before qualifying for the F3 European Championship opener at Silverstone because of the uncompetitiveness of the ORECA-built powerplant.

The F3 team - including project chief Brice Gaillardon, who engineered Antonio Felix da Costa to victory with Carlin in the 2012 Macau Grand Prix - was mothballed and put to work on the Venturi Formula E effort, before a parallel programme started on returning to F3 with VW power.

Team principal Philippe Sinault told AUTOSPORT: "We are enjoying being back very much, because when I created Signature [in the 1990s] it was to help young drivers.

"We were unlucky in first qualifying - Will was two seconds from crossing the line with the fourth-fastest time when the session was red-flagged.

"It is a big satisfaction to see we are in the match. From the outside, it looks like we took a lot of risks to come back for Imola and Macau [which Buller will also contest], but we have to, to show people we have a good package and can perform well."

Sinault was impressed with Buller, who until last week's two Imola test days had never driven an F3 car with the new-for-2014 heavier engine and paddleshift gearbox.

"And thanks to Will for playing this game with us," he said. "It's not easy to come back and he did well."

Buller added: "It hasn't been easy but we're making headway.

"I reckon Signature are a good bunch of guys and I would really recommend them.

"We've shown we're competitive, even though most of the guys have done all season and we've only had two test days."