Thruxton race 1: Davidson exacts revenge

Davidson fended off an attack from Sato at the complex on the first lap, then got the jump at the restart after an early safety car period (caused by three Scholarship Class cars going off) to drive into the distance.

The Briton was over three seconds ahead of the Japanese champion-elect at mid-distance, but Sato then fought back and closed the gap to within two seconds by the end.

"I got the jump at the restart, just as you should do when you're at the front," said Davidson. "Then I pulled away. But about two laps from the end I put my left rear wheel off at Goodwood. You're committed to take it flat every lap but as the tyres go off it makes it harder and harder. If I hadn't lifted off when I hit the grass it would have gone round."

Sato said: "I had a lot of understeer at the start and had a couple of huge lock-ups. Then I moved the brake bias to the rear, but the understeer really slowed me down. That's why there was such a huge gap. But towards the end the car was well balanced."

Sato briefly came under pressure from Gianmaria Bruni, who overtook Fortec team mate Alex Gurney and Jaguar's Andre Lotterer into the complex at the start - on the grass! The Italian inadvertently whacked Lotterer sideways, the German then being finished off by Gurney. As Lotterer rejoined at the back, Gurney pitted for a new front wing under the safety car.

Bruni then passed the other Jaguar Dallara of James Courtney into the chicane on the first lap after the restart and chased Sato to the finish.

Courtney was in dire straits with what appeared to be far too short a top gear ratio for the long fast sections of Thruxton. Derek Hayes put him under pressure, but the Northern Irishman's thunder was stolen by Manor Motorsport team mate Mark Taylor who brilliantly passed both Hayes and Courtney around the outside in one move to take fourth at the chicane.

Hayes tried everything to pass Courtney, but the Australian held on for fifth.

Matt Davies repeated his race one slide down the order, allowing Duma Racing teamsters Jamie Spence and Ryan Dalziel up to seventh and eighth, with the hard battling Andy Priaulx and Davies completing the top 10.

The Scholarship Class was led all the way by Mark Mayall, who notched up his second win of the season. Robbie Kerr held off an attack from surprise package Kazuki Hoshino to take second, with Matt Gilmore fourth.

Sato will likely clinch the title later this afternoon. Only Hayes can stop him, but the Northern Irishman needs to finish in the top two - an unlikely prospect from eighth on the grid.

Good news about the injured spectator from Saturday's race, who is now in stable condition in hospital. Bruce Jouanny, the driver whose car somersaulted out of the circuit, is present today with no injury but is not racing.

Anthony Davidson (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) 21 laps in 27m39.683s
Takuma Sato (Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +1.797s
Gianmaria Bruni (Fortec Dallara-Renault) +8.852s
Mark Taylor (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +12.270s
James Courtney (Jaguar Racing Dallara-Mugen) +14.978s
Derek Hayes (Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen) +15.445s
Jamie Spence (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen) +17.702s
Ryan Dalziel (Duma Racing Dallara-Mugen) +18.151s
Andy Priaulx (Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen) +19.517s
Matt Davies (Team Avanti Dallara-Opel) +20.147s
Fastest lap Davidson 1m07.308s

Scholarship Class Mark Mayall (Diamond Racing Dallara-Mugen); Robbie Kerr; Kazuki Hoshino; Matt Gilmore; Michael Keohane; Ernani Judice.