Silverstone qualifying: Essex men rule!

Hornchurch charger Spence, who hasn't raced for 18 months, completed a fairytale for the brand new Duma Racing squad by placing its Dallara Mugen Honda on pole position for the team's debut race. Then Billericay man Davies, who didn't even have a drive 10 days ago, topped the times in qualifying for the second race in his Team Avanti Dallara-Opel.

Conditions were wet in the first session and dry in the second, in which Spence was relegated down the order to 18th spot.

Davies was a scarcely more impressive 13th in the opening run: the Avanti squad's gamble that the track was going to dry out failed, Davies and last-minute recruit Martin O'Connell running with a set-up which didn't suit the conditions.

"Awesome!" said Spence - who made his F3 debut way back in 1993 - after his pole lap. "I suppose a bit of experience pays. I know that in the wet you can drive around any problems you might have and get stuck in." Those problems included a non-functioning radio and a misfire which eventually cleared.

Davies was almost as ecstatic after his pole: "The car was good from the word go, although I was quite surprised that the times I did were good enough to be fastest. I certainly wouldn't have put any money on myself, but I do try bloody hard and it shows what you can do."

Lining up alongside Spence for the first race will be impressive Australian rookie James Courtney (Jaguar Racing). He and title favourite Takuma Sato (Carlin Motorsport) leapt up the order to second and third respectively on the final lap of the session.

Alan Docking Racing twins Paul Edwards and Andy Priaulx, who was quickest for most of the session, were dumped to fourth and fifth in controversial circumstances. Courtney and Sato, among others, improved their times under a stationary yellow flag, but with conditions varying, officials decided it was impossible to prove or disprove whether drivers had backed off or not at the scene of the incident.

Gianmaria Bruni gave the new Renault engine an impressive debut to qualify second to Davies in the dry with his Fortec Motorsport machine. Derek Hayes was a strong third for Manor Motorsport, ahead of Sato - who struggled for grip - and Courtney.

Nicolas Kiesa, tipped as Sato's main title rival, was disappointed with his balance in both sessions and placed 12th on the grid for race one and sixth for the second.


Jamie Spence (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m26.530s
James Courtney (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m26.926s
Takuma Sato (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m26.932s
Paul Edwards (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.027s
Andy Priaulx (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.044s
Jeffrey Jones (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.113s
Anthony Davidson (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.197s
Mark Taylor (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.287s
Derek Hayes (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.525s
Andre Lotterer (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m27.664s
Robbie Kerr (Fred Goddard Racing Dallara-Renault) 1m28.520s


Matt Davies (Team Avanti Dallara-Opel) 1m15.860s
Gianmaria Bruni (Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Renault) 1m15.991s
Derek Hayes (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m16.020s
Takuma Sato (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m16.066s
James Courtney (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m16.082s
Nicolas Kiesa (RC Motorsport Dallara-Opel) 1m16.284s
Andy Priaulx (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) 1m16.404s
Mark Taylor (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 1m16.446s
Bruce Jouanny (Promatecme UK Dallara-Mugen) 1m16.668s
Ryan Dalziel (RC Motorsport Dallara-Opel) 1m16.764s
Matthew Gilmore (Performance Racing Dallara-Opel) 1m17.514s