Monday, December 29, 2008

Sims confident ahead of F3 debut

Sims confident ahead of F3 debut

McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Alexander Sims is confident that he can make a strong debut in Formula 3 next season after successful winter tests in Spain and Portugal.

The 19-year-old, who finished runner-up in Formula Renault UK this year, has signed with Mucke Motorsport for a Euro Series campaign next year and was boosted by three promising outings with the team in testing during the last two weeks.

"It's gone really well over the last couple of weeks and we made a lot of progress each time in the car," he said. "We had two days at Estoril and Valencia - tracks I'd never visited before – and Barcelona, where I have been before in Formula Renault.

"We took time to learn Estoril and Valencia on the opening day, then I started to get my times down and find the limits. It's been a fantastic few days and I'm very pleased."

Sims is looking forward to the challenge of making his debut in the category with one of the front running teams in the fiercely competitive European championship.

"We're well aware of just how competitive the Euro Series is, but that's the challenge – we need to compete with, and beat, the best drivers.

"It's going to be very difficult, but our initial preparations have gone as well as we could have hoped. I'm really looking forward to getting back in the car in the new year and continuing our preparations."



  • Music video highlights: WS Game 2
  • Music video highlights: WS Preview
  • Music video highlights: NLCS Game 4
  • Sims to graduate to Euro Series
  • Saturday, December 27, 2008

    JTR target Boyd for second seat

    JTR target Boyd for second seat

    British Formula 3 team JTR are hoping to sign Formula Ford champion Wayne Boyd for next season after a successful pre-Christmas test.

    The Northern Irishman has previously tested for Dallara teams Carlin and T-Sport and sampled JTR's Mygale at Guadix in Spain, and team boss Joe Tandy hopes to sign Boyd alongside his brother Nick - who finished on the podium three times this year - for 2009.

    "Wayne was like a guy with a year's experience, not a rookie. That's impressive," said Tandy. "We've already got Nick (Tandy) signed for next year and we want to run at least two cars.

    "Nick and Wayne would be the dream team and the Mygale could be the car to have."



  • Music video highlights: WS Preview
  • Alguersuari controls first race
  • Wednesday, December 24, 2008

    Q and A with Edoardo Mortara

    He may have had to give second best to race winner Keisuke Kunimoto in the Macau Grand Prix, but one of the most impressive performances over the whole weekend came from Edoardo Mortara.

    The runner up in the F3 Euro Series was the quickest man throughout practice, and he won the qualification race - but saw his hopes of overall victory in the big event dashed after a brush with the wall late in the race.

    Although deeply disappointed with losing out on the win, Mortara was philosophical about what happened when autosport.com caught up with him for a chat.

    Q. Do you think without the incident where you brushed the wall after the final safety car period, that you had the car to win?

    Q and A with Edoardo Mortara

    Edoardo Mortara: I don't know. Honestly, I am disappointed today because the qualification race was different. I felt we had a strong chance to do something, and I don't know why today it was different. We were crazy fast in the mountains considering we put low downforce on to be fast on the straight, and we were faster than Keisuke by five or six tenths every lap.

    It was just on the straight it was impossible to close on him. He was coming out of the last corner really well, but then incredibly for the first time this weekend he was the first guy I saw where the gap grew on the straight – even when I was in his slipstream. I think I did all I could to win this race, and I think there was no more I could do. I am just really disappointed.

    Q. Do you feel that the race was decided on pure horsepower?

    EM: No. At the end of the day, you see TOM'S won with a Toyota and Brendon (Hartley) is third with a Mercedes-Benz, and I am second with a Volkswagen. So you can see it is a big battle between manufacturers, and it is normal that you have some of them who have different use of power and these sorts of things. Today you have to say that they (TOM'S) had a good car and a good engine, but this is not new. We knew it before coming here, and we tried all we could to do well. Anyway it is like this. I don't think it is because I had a Volkswagen that I lost.

    Q. You said after the qualification race that you were not warming the tyres up as quickly as the TOM'S, which is why it took you a few laps to get up to speed. Was it a similar characteristic today?

    EM: Yes. I had to say today I also had some problems with the temperatures of the engine, because at the restart my engine had big, big problems to get speed on the straight. It was really strange. I was not feeling really great with the car like the other days. I had some problems, so I was trying to close the gap in the mountains. And I pushed really hard in the first lap to have the gap quite close – but I crashed the car. So to give you an idea of how hard I was pushing – it was 120 percent.

    Q. You are obviously disappointed not to have won, but with the speed you showed in practice and the way you raced here, do you feel you have shown the world a bit more of your potential?

    EM: I don't know. It is the others that have to judge my performance. I cannot judge that. I am pretty satisfied with what I did this weekend. I did a lot of best times and in qualifying we could easily do the pole position, but because of bad luck it was not possible. We won the qualification race, in the warm up we just prepared for the race and didn't take any risks and we were sixth. And during the race, I think we were faster than Keisuke in the mountains, and probably faster also in times, but we did not win. Racing is like this.

    Q. What is the next step for you? What will you do next year?

    EM: I was trying to win Macau, although finishing second is not so bad. So let's see now. We will see what my manager and my sponsors can do. I don't really know for the moment.



  • Phils advance to first NLCS since ‘93
  • Phillies’ win honors Manuel, mother
  • Mortara says damage ended hopes
  • Tuesday, December 23, 2008

    Series bosses agree cost cut plan

    Series bosses agree cost cut plan

    The world's three major Formula 3 championships have joined forces in an attempt to control costs in the category and balance the technical regulations across the three series.

    Bosses of the British, European and Japanese championships met in Macau in November and again in Frankfurt in December to discuss plans to introduce constraints on the use of parts such as brakes and transmission in the category to prevent costs from increasing unnecessarily.

    Peter Briggs, who represents British F3 teams' association FOTA, believes that unity between the three series is vital to the strength of the category.

    "The aim is to ensure that Formula 3 stays as it is. We're not taking anything away, we don't want to stop the teams from modifying, changing and adapting their cars - it's a hugely important part of F3 that drivers and engineers can learn to do that at a junior level," he told autosport.com.

    "We're just trying to stop the things that won't affect the overall package, except to increase the costs. We would far rather decide on this ourselves now, than wait for the FIA to have to do it for us.

    "For example, if one team introduces new brakes with a major performance increase, but much more expensive, everyone else has to get them to keep up. But if everyone has them, the only difference in the package is the cost. The first step will be transmission controls but there are a number of areas to look at."

    Briggs says that the controls will also help the three championships to be more equal for the international F3 events.

    "There is a very good chance that we will have the three series agree on things," he said. "It's good that the three main championships are all talking together with the same aims, and it will be good for events like Macau and the Masters to have everyone on common technical ground."



  • Communication key to Dynamo success
  • Real won’t sit back with chance to advance
  • Tuesday, December 16, 2008

    Euro Series drops Pau round

    The Formula 3 Euro Series has dropped its round at Pau, following yesterday's announced changes to the DTM calendar.

    The re-shuffled DTM calendar removed the round at Mugello and also swapped the French round from Le Mans to Dijon, but the decision to push the season-opening round at Hockenheim back by three weeks has forced the supporting F3 championship to change its regular calendar.

    Last season, the Euro Series skipped the DTM round at Lausitz and joined the World Touring Car event at Pau two weeks later, but the revised DTM calendar means the season opener at Hockenheim now clashes with the WTCC Pau date.

    The changes mean that next season the Euro Series will hold all ten rounds in support of DTM events.

    2009 F3 Euro Series calendar May 16-17 Hockenheimring (D) May 30-31 Lausitz (D) June 27-28 Norisring (D) July 18-19 Zandvoort (NL) August 1-2 Oschersleben (D) August 15-16 Nürburgring (D) September 5-6 Brands Hatch (GB) September 19-20 Barcelona (E) October 10-11 Dijon (F) October 24-25 Hockenheimring (D)

  • Sims to graduate to Euro Series
  • Big goal for Chivas? Second round
  • Real won’t sit back with chance to advance
  • Fire eye home-field edge against Revs
  • Friday, December 12, 2008

    Bird eyeing Euro Series title

    Bird eyeing Euro Series title

    Sam Bird is confident that he will be able to challenge for the Formula 3 Euro Series title next season after signing for front running German team Mucke Motorsport.

    The Briton finished 11th in this year's standings with Manor Motorsport, but believes he can develop the front-running pace he showed in the second half of the season, and at Macau - where he was in contention for victory before being taken out at the start of the final – into a title charge in 2009.

    "I didn't have the best of years last year," he told autosport.com "The speed was there to be seen quite clearly, but the results just didn't come my way.

    "There's unfinished business for me in the Euro Series, I want to prove to some people that I can challenge for wins and championships at this level.

    "The pressure is on. This is the first time since Formula BMW that I've stayed in a championship for a second year and I'm looking forward to the challenge. It will be tough but I think there's a possibility of challenging for the title."

    Bird considered joining a number of teams for 2009, but believes that Mucke will give him the best opportunity for success.

    "Mucke are one of the best teams in the Euro Series," he added. "I was fortunate to be able to speak to a lot of teams for next season, but I'm confident that Mucke is the right decision."

    Team boss Peter Mucke added: "I am very pleased to sign Sam. We were interested in him already last year, so we are very happy to have reached an agreement to run him in 2009.

    "I think Sam is a very talented driver, who certainly has the ability to fight with us for the title. We look forward to working with him."



  • Early goal too much for Wizards to overcome
  • Role reversal for Chivas vs. RSL
  • Sims to graduate to Euro Series
  • FCD’s ‘Bird Man’ starts to take flight
  • Wednesday, December 10, 2008

    Chilton joins Carlin for 2009

    Chilton joins Carlin for 2009

    Max Chilton will join Carlin Motorsport's British Formula 3 team next season for his third year in the series.

    The 17-year-old became British F3's youngest ever polesitter at Monza last season for Hitech Racing, and hopes to become the series' youngest champion next year - a record set by Carlin's Jaime Alguersuari this season.

    "In 2008, my aim was to be among the top runners but next year I'm in it to win," said Chilton. "I'm still young but I think I have enough experience to be a serious contender for the title.

    "It's all down to me now, I know Carlin have the experience and resources to help me succeed in 2009."

    Team boss Trevor Carlin added: "We’ve been watching Max's progress for some time and we've seen him develop from a young driver still very much in the learning process, to a very talented and quick driver capable of challenging for race wins.

    "He showed great potential this year and I think, with our help and support, he will be a very strong contender in the 2009 championship. We've been very pleased with his performance in winter testing so far and I'm delighted he will be racing with us next year."



  • Big goal for Chivas? Second round
  • Early goal too much for Wizards to overcome
  • Monday, December 8, 2008

    Sims to graduate to Euro Series

    Sims to graduate to Euro Series

    Alexander Sims will graduate to the Formula 3 Euro Series next season with front-running outfit Mucke Motorsport, after being crowned the 20th winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award last night.

    The 20-year-old, who finished runner-up in Formula Renault UK this season, announced the move on the stage at the Autosport Awards ceremony in London last night after receiving his award from 1996 world champion Damon Hill.

    "After the Formula Renault season finished, Mucke offered me a test at Lausitz and it went really, really well, and they said they'd be interested in running me next season," he said.

    "Mucke are a great team, and the only one consistently challenging ART during the last few seasons. I'm not saying we're going to go in there and beat everyone straight away, but I think we should be in a position to win races."

    Winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award marks a watershed moment in his rapid rise through junior motorsport after just two seasons of car racing.

    "Winning this award is a massive boost," he said. "I'm completely taken aback by it - it's such a massive honour and just looking at the list of past winners shows everything about what it means for a driver."



  • Big goal for Chivas? Second round
  • Thursday, December 4, 2008

    Ericsson switches to Japanese F3

    Ericsson switches to Japanese F3

    Formula 3 racer Marcus Ericsson has signed to race for multiple Japanese title winning team TOM'S next year.

    Ericsson, who finished fifth in the British championship this season, will live and race full-time in Japan and believes the move will allow him to challenge for victory in next year's Macau Grand Prix, as well as the Japanese championship.

    "I'm delighted to join TOM'S," he said. "It's one of the absolute best F3 teams on the planet.

    "It's going to be exciting to live outside Europe for the first time and it will provide a great opportunity for success in both the Japanese F3 championship and Macau."

    TOM'S team boss Susumi Koumi added: "We're very pleased to have Marcus on board and look forward to a successful season with him.

    "We would like him to enjoy driving our F3 car, and also the completely different culture here to broaden his experience in various aspects."

    Ericsson's season in Japan will kick off with the first round at Fuji on April 4-5.



  • Hulkenberg to miss Macau GP
  • J.League delegation visits MLS clubs
  • Ericsson stripped of pole at Brands
  • Tuesday, December 2, 2008

    Ombra target British F3 campaign

    Ombra target British F3 campaign

    Italian-based Formula 3 team Ombra Racing have announced their intention to join the British championship full-time next season.

    Ombra contested the full German F3 Cup season this year and also entered the British series round at Monza, which is close to their base, with Matteo Chinosi taking a pole position.

    They have teamed up with Neil Brown Engineering with the aim of running at least one Dallara Mugen-Honda in Britain next year, based at NBE's headquarters in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

    A team statement read: "British F3 is one of the most prestigious championships in Formula 3 for its history and value of drivers, and for us will be a great challenge.

    "The Neil Brown partnership has been fundamental to start this new adventure, now as usual we let the results speak."



  • Magnussen Jr eyes F3 campaign
  • Fire expect Revs to target revenge
  • Monday, November 24, 2008

    Huertas steps up to F3 with Double R

    Huertas steps up to F3 with Double R

    Raikkonen Robertson Racing will promote 17-year-old Carlos Huertas into their Formula 3 team for next year's British Championship.

    The Colombian teenager has spent the last two years in the Double R squad's Formula BMW operation in the UK and Europe. He took his first pole position and podium finish in the season finale at Monza.

    "Carlos is a well liked member of the team, and we're delighted that he's chosen to stay on with us as he makes the step up to Formula 3," said team boss Anthony Hieatt.

    "Carlos has already completed quite a bit of testing with us in the F3 car, and has adapted very well. Judging on the progress he's made already, I think he will have a strong first year in F3 in 2009."

    Huertas said he was very pleased to continue his relationship with former F3 champions Raikkonen Robertson for another year.

    "I'm very excited about next season and to be making the move up to Formula 3", he said.

    "I'm very happy in the Double R team and I'm pleased that I can make this next step up in my career with them. British F3 is a great championship that has produced many of today's top drivers, so I'm looking forward to competing in the championship in 2009 with one of the best teams."



  • Jaqua’s double fuels Dynamo victory
  • Red Bulls confident entering Game 2
  • Arundel joins Carlin for 2009
  • Friday, November 21, 2008

    Van Dam grabs last-gasp Macau pole

    Van Dam grabs last-gasp Macau pole

    Japanese Formula 3 champion Carlo van Dam claimed a last-gasp pole position for the Macau Grand Prix on Friday after a thrilling qualifying session.

    The Dutchman grabbed the top spot from Briton Sam Bird in the final seconds of an incident-packed session where the result was in doubt until the end.

    The shoot out for pole position came down to the final lap, after a late red flag period caused when Kei Cozzolino crashed heavily at Fishermen's Bend.

    Bird had moved to the top of the timesheets just seconds before that incident, and there were less than four minutes left on the clock when qualifying resumed.

    Stefano Coletti spun and blocked the track at Police, so only the cars ahead of him on the road got to complete their last-gasp efforts. Van Dam got his timing perfect to edge out Bird by 0.142 seconds and his TOM'S teammate Keisuke Kunimoto moved up to third.

    Edoardo Mortara, who had been on provisional pole position from yesterday's session, ended up fourth, ahead of Roberto Streit and Roberto Merhi.

    The session had been red flagged for the first time with 12 minutes to go when Jules Blianchi ran wide at Curva R. The Frenchman swiped the end of the tyre barrier, ripping off his left wheel rear - which flew into the middle of the track before coming to rest in a dangerous position.

    Sam Bird lost out on his second place at the conclusion of the session when he had to take a three-place grid penalty for missing a call to weigh bridge during practice this morning. That promotes Kunimoto to second, alongside his TOM'S teammate van Dam, Mortara to third, Streit to fourth, and Bird will start tomorrow's qualification race fifth.

    Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap 1. Carlo van Dam TOM'S D/T 2:11.846 2. Sam Bird Manor D/M 2:11.988 +0.142 3. Keisuke Kunimoto TOM'S D/T 2:12.039 +0.193 4. Edoardo Mortara Signature D/V 2:12.044 +0.198 5. Roberto Streit Double R D/M 2:12.061 +0.215 6. Roberto Merhi Hitech D/M 2:12.369 +0.523 7. Renger van der Zande Prema D/M 2:12.402 +0.556 8. Oliver Turvey Carlin D/M 2:12.404 +0.558 9. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin D/M 2:12.412 +0.566 10. James Jakes ART D/M 2:12.423 +0.577 11. Brendon Hartley Carlin D/M 2:12.573 +0.727 12. Stefano Coletti Prema D/M 2:12.835 +0.989 13. Max Chilton Hitech D/M 2:12.869 +1.023 14. Mika Maki Signature D/V 2:12.942 +1.096 15. Marcus Ericsson Carlin D/M 2:12.988 +1.142 16. Kazuya Oshima Manor D/M 2:13.110 +1.264 17. Jules Bianchi ART D/M 2:13.124 +1.278 18. Kei Cozzolino Now D/T 2:13.504 +1.658 19. Walter Grubmuller Hitech D/M 2:13.710 +1.864 20. Franky Cheng Signature D/V 2:13.777 +1.931 21. Daniel Campos-Hull HBR D/M 2:14.325 +2.479 22. James Winslow Ombra D/H 2:14.399 +2.553 23. Jon Lancaster Manor D/M 2:14.620 +2.774 24. Basil Shaaban HBR D/M 2:15.412 +3.566 25. Koki Saga Le Beausset D/T 2:15.969 +4.123 26. Atte Mustonen Double R D/M 2:16.029 +4.183 27. Michael Ho Double R D/M 2:18.606 +6.760 28. Massaki Matsushita PTRS/Ombra D/H 2:18.667 +6.821 29. Laurens Vanthoor RC D/V no time

  • Last-gasp Masters pole for Hulkenberg
  • FCD’s ‘Bird Man’ starts to take flight
  • Bird gutted after early Macau exit
  • Kunimoto admits win was unexpected

    Kunimoto admits win was unexpected

    Macau Grand Prix winner Keisuke Kunimoto admitted that he never expected to triumph in F3's blue riband event after an unconvincing season in Japan this year.

    The TOM'S driver edged home pole position man Edoardo Mortara, having led away from the start, and he controlled the race comfortably despite two safety car periods.

    Delighted at the result, which comes at the end of a season when he was put in the shadow of teammate Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam, Kunimoto confessed to having performed better than expected.

    "I'm very, very happy," said Kunimoto. "This is the first time for me in Macau and I can't believe this result. I think my team is the best in all of the world and that's why I can get the centre of the podium."

    Kunimoto had led the early stages of the qualification race on Saturday too, but that time Mortara closed him down to snatch the lead in the closing stages. Although mindful of a repeat of the threat posed by his Italian rival, he said he simply focused on extracting as much performance from himself and his car, rather than worry about getting beaten.

    "Today, at the beginning of the race the track was so dusty and oily that I was very careful," he said. "After that for every lap I was pushing, pushing, pushing.

    "There were two safety cars, which was quite a hard situation for me, but I didn't look behind me. I just kept going and going.

    "On Saturday it was just a qualifying race so I didn't push hard, but today I really, really pushed and that's why he could not pass me."



  • Kunimoto takes surprise Macau win
  • Q and A with Keisuke Kunimoto
  • Watson impresses against former team
  • Thursday, November 20, 2008

    Hartley happy to salvage podium

    Hartley happy to salvage podium

    Brendon Hartley says he never gave up hope of delivering the podium finish he achieved in the Macau Grand Prix - despite starting the race down in 20th on the grid.

    He collided with James Jakes off the line in the qualification race, but knew he had a quick car underneath him by setting the fastest lap later on following hasty repairs by his Carlin Motorsport team in the pits.

    Although starting on the tenth row, Hartley benefited from a series of collisions ahead of him to steadily move up the order - realising early on that he could achieve a podium spot.

    "To be honest, I started the race pretty positive," said the New Zealander. "I had very high expectations this weekend, but we just couldn't put it all together.

    "In yesterday's race we were able to do some really fast laps and again in the warm-up this morning I was able to do a really good lap.

    "And after the first few corners I knew I could achieve something. The first lap was hectic; I felt pretty good driving and avoiding the crashes. I just stayed out of trouble and kept looking well ahead.

    "After the first lap I was P8 already so I knew I had a pretty good shot and it all came together nicely."

    Hartley admitted it was difficult to make much progress as cars ahead of him had better top line speed – even though he felt he was quicker over the whole lap and set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap.

    "In the race itself I was always following another two cars and the Toyota train was too fast to overtake on the straights, but I knew I was quicker over the lap," he said.

    "I knew I had the speed so I stayed patient, kept my head in there and didn't make mistakes. I knew I was fast enough to do it if I stayed calm.

    "I knew we were strong and we ended with a good place in the end. I'm really happy."

    And Hartley has said that he would be keen to return to Macau and try to win the event outright.

    "I hope to come back again next year," he said. "This is the best track in the world, I love it here."

    Kunimoto takes surprise Macau win

    Kunimoto takes surprise Macau win

    Keisuke Kunimoto upstaged the pre-event favourites to take a surprise victory in the Macau Grand Prix on Sunday.

    The TOM'S driver dominated the race from start-to-finish, withstanding pressure from his rivals, to take a win on his debut in the famous street race.

    Kunimoto made the best start from second place on the grid, with polesitter Edoardo Mortara slotting in right underneath the rear wing of the TOM'S on the run down to Lisboa.

    Right behind them, there was chaos before Mandarin Bend though as Roberto Streit closed the door on Sam Bird and the pair collided - with Streit being tipped into the barriers and suffering a heavy impact on the run through the corner.

    The safety car was called out to help retrieve Streit and Bird's cars and, at the restart on lap three, Kunimoto led from Mortara, followed by Jaime Alguersuari, Daniel Campos-Hull and Roberto Merhi.

    Campos-Hull managed to slipstream past Alguersuari for third under braking into Lisboa, just as Mortara locked up on the bumps. The Italian dropped to fourth behind Campos-Hull and Alguersuari, leaving himself with a lot to do if he was going to win the race.

    Alguersuari got past Campos-Hull to take second into Lisboa on lap five, with Mortara snatching third from the Spaniard at the same place a lap later.

    But as Alguersuari began closing the gap on leader Kunimoto, he was informed he would be given a drive-through penalty for jumping the start - which handed second back to Mortara.

    Kunimoto found his lead being trimmed down until lap eight, when the safety car was called out following a sizeable accident suffered by Merhi at the final corner.

    At the restart Kunimoto got away brilliantly, building up a near two-second advantage as it all went wrong for Mortara.

    In his bid to keep up with Kunimoto, he ran wide at Matsuya and brushed the wall - slightly damaging his car.

    Although still able to chip in to Kunimoto's lead, he could not erode it enough to be able to challenge for victory. Kunimoto eventually finished 1.171 seconds ahead.

    Behind the leading duo, Brendon Hartley secured a surprise podium finish - having picked his way through the field from 20th on the grid, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.

    Hartley benefited from the first lap chaos and later from a collision when Kei Cozzolini ran into the back of Campos-Hull under braking for Lisboa on lap 13, putting them both out of contention.

    Mika Maki finished fourth, ahead of Renger van der Zande and Laurens Vanthoor.

    Pos Driver Team Car Gap 1. Keisuke Kunimoto TOM'S D/T 41:01.864 2. Edoardo Mortara Signature D/V +1.710 3. Brendon Hartley Carlin D/M +4.006 4. Mika Maki Signature D/M +8.442 5. Renger van der Zande Prema D/M +10.276 6. Laurens Vanthoor RC D/V +12.975 7. Oliver Turvey Carlin D/M +13.134 8. Walter Grubmuller Hitech D/M +14.695 9. Jules Bianchi ART D/M +18.725 10. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin D/M +20.801 11. Jon Lancaster Manor D/M +20.898 12. James Jakes ART D/M +21.418 13. Franky Cheng Signature D/V +22.404 14. Max Chilton Hitech D/M +22.604 15. Kei Cozzolino Now D/T +23.270 16. Kazuya Oshima Manor D/M +23.930 17. Daniel Campos-Hull HBR D/M +24.997 18. Atte Mustonen Double R D/M +33.744 19. Nicola de Marco RC D/V +46.527 20. Michael Ho Double R D/M +51.739 Retirements Stefano Coletti Prema D/M 11 laps Basil Shaaban HBR D/M 10 laps Carlo van Dam TOM'S D/T 7 laps Roberto Merhi Hitech D/M 6 laps Massaki Matsushita PTRS/Ombra D/H 6 laps James Winslow Ombra D/H 5 laps Koki Saga Le Beausset D/T 2 laps Marcus Ericsson Carlin D/M 0 laps Roberto Streit Double R D/M 0 laps Sam Bird Manor D/M 0 laps Fastest lap, Hartley 2:12.565 on lap 15

  • Mortara wins qualification race
  • Mortara quickest in first practice
  • Q and A with Keisuke Kunimoto

    Q and A with Keisuke Kunimoto

    Japanese Formula 3 racer Keisuke Kunimoto surprised himself, his TOM'S team and most of the rest of the pitlane when he took a convincing victory in the Macau Grand Prix on Sunday.

    As well as upstaging Edoardo Mortara, one of the pre-event favourites, Kunimoto delivered the best performance of his short career after admitting that he changed his mindset for the blue riband event.

    Autosport.com spoke to the Japanese driver after his victory to find out how surprised he was, whether he felt the pressure from Mortara and why he does not know what his rookie win means for his future.

    Q. When you arrived here before the race, were you expecting to be standing here on Sunday on the top step of the podium?

    Keisuke Kunimoto: "I didn't expect that I would be in the middle of the podium. Everything went very well and that is it.

    Q. What was the secret to your weekend turning around? In practice you did not do much, and then suddenly in second qualifying you were right on the pace.

    KK: "Yes, I was quite slow in practice. I was just learning the circuit because it was my first time here. That was my plan to try and get on the podium here."

    Q. Where did you find the speed in qualifying then?

    KK: "Qualifying was quite lucky, because Carlo (van Dam, TOM'S teammate) was in front of me, so I got a quite good slipstream. That is why I got a good lap time."

    Q. Did Carlo help you a lot this weekend in terms of setup and advice for how to deal with the Macau Grand Prix?

    KK: "Yes. I think the driving of the track was the main thing, because we didn't change the setup that much - just a little. So, it was just a question of driving."

    Q. In the qualification race yesterday Edoardo Mortara overtook you, but you said at the time you didn't care as it was only qualifying. Were you confident yesterday you could be as quick as you were today?

    KK: "Yes, of course. Edoardo is a very fast driver and I think he was stronger than me yesterday – but today we were the same. So it was just a question of changing my mindset – to push harder and it just went my way."

    Q. So you were much more aggressive today then?

    KK: "Of course, I was pushing harder – and also having fun. That was the most important thing for the race I think."

    Q. Were you aware that you needed to build up a big gap at the restarts, because of the way Mortara used his tyres?

    KK: "I think what was important was that after the safety car, I was pretty fast. So I could get a good gap from him – which meant pushing after that was easy."

    Q. Were you mindful that he was closing in?

    KK: "I didn't care. I didn't look for him."

    Q. What does this result mean for next year? Does it change your plans?

    KK: "I don't know yet. I am a member of TDP (Toyota Young Drivers Programme), so they decide where I go next year."

    Q. So do you think you will stay in F3, or can you see yourself moving up now?

    KK: "I don't want to say!"



  • Toyota: Kunimoto can be major star
  • Wednesday, November 19, 2008

    Turvey pleased with day's progress

    Turvey pleased with days progress

    Oliver Turvey says he was pleased with the progress he made today after climbing from eighth on the grid to fourth place in the Macau Grand Prix qualification race.

    The Briton was disappointed with his fourth row grid slot in qualifying yesterday, but met his target of picking up a few places ahead of tomorrow's main event.

    "I didn't get a good start because (Roberto) Merhi stalled right in front of me and I had to lift to get round him," said Turvey. "But I got a really good slipstream and I passed four cars on the way to Turn 1 - I think a lot of them lifted at Mandarin and I stayed flat."

    Turvey was up to fourth by the first corner and maintained that position for the rest of the race, soaking up pressure from Sam Bird behind while trying to pressure Roberto Streit in third.

    "I think I was quicker than the two cars ahead (Streit and Keisuke Kunimoto) but it would have been a bit risky to try to overtake them," Turvey said. "I had a look but I wasn't close enough at the end of the straight, so I decided it was better just to take fourth today.

    "I've got a good chance to win from the second row - I could even be in the lead by the first corner if I have another run to Lisboa like today. If I can finish on the podium it would be great, but the win would be even better."



  • Barcelona tops Guadalajara in friendly
  • Turvey laments qualifying error
  • Mortara wins qualification race
  • Mortara says damage ended hopes

    Mortara says damage ended hopes

    Edoardo Mortara believes his hopes of victory in the Macau Grand Prix were wrecked by a brush with the wall after the final safety car restart.

    The Italian had recovered from an early slip down the order to emerge as race leader Keisuke Kunimoto's main threat for victory - but he could do little after swiping the wall in the hill section.

    That brush bent Mortara's right front suspension and, although able to continue and chip away at Kunimoto's lead, the damage scuppered his chances of a full-scale assault on victory.

    "The key moment of the race was when I hit the wall at the restart," said Mortara. "Like on Saturday I had some problems with warming the tyres.

    "I don't know why, but the gap was growing on the first lap after the restart and I was trying to keep the gap quite close. I knew I was faster, but he could make the gap on that first lap.

    "After hitting the wall I was not able to close the gap and my car was completely broken. But I was really taking all the risks because I really wanted this victory. I was pushing like crazy in the mountains.

    "Every time at the last corner I was quite close, but then I noticed his car going away on the straight and I was pretty sad because I could not do anything. It was impossible, as I was pushing to close the gap in the mountains and, from the first corner to Lisboa, he was just pulling away. I just tried all I could and I did my best.

    "But I still want to thank my team and Volkswagen. They did an incredible job. We cannot forget it is their first participation here for a long time, so thank you to them because they deserved this result."

    Although Mortara's stunning pace in practice, first qualifying and the qualification race earned him plaudits from observers, the Italian said he took little consolation from what he showed this weekend.

    "I am not happy with it, because we didn't win," he said.



  • Mortara encouraged by early pace
  • Mortara takes provisional pole
  • Rapids beat Chivas to remain in playoff race
  • Bird gutted after early Macau exit

    Bird gutted after early Macau exit

    A frustrated Sam Bird believes his first lap exit from the Macau Grand Prix was the most disappointing moment of his career so far.

    The Manor Motorsport driver had qualified fifth for Sunday's event, and was challenging Roberto Streit for third on the run down to Mandarin Bend after the start.

    But Streit defended the position and kept moving across on Bird, eventually squeezing him into the wall. Streit's car was tipped in front of Bird's, smashing into the barriers on the right before rebounding to the right of the track.

    The crash put both men out on the spot and cost Bird what he believed was a real chance of victory in the end-of-season event.

    "I'm absolutely gutted," Bird told autosport.com. "I was gutted when I lost the Formula BMW title in 2005, but this meant so much more to me.

    "I've not had a good year and this was my one chance to prove to people that I am the driver I had the potential to be a couple of years ago. I don't think I've ever driven better in my life than I have this weekend."

    Bird had already endured other frustrations over the weekend, having been stripped of a front row start for Saturday's qualifying race when he was penalised three places for missing a weigh bridge check in Saturday's free practice session.

    Having set the second best qualifying time, bettered only by TOM'S driver Carlo van Dam, Bird started fifth - the position he kept throughout Saturday's race.

    "I was quick enough for the front row in qualifying," he said. "I stayed out of trouble yesterday when the car wasn't quite right. I made a great start today and I honestly thought I had a good chance of winning.

    "I really did think I could win this one - or at the very least be on the podium - and to have it taken away by such a silly move is just so frustrating."

    Streit claimed after the race that he was unaware Bird was right behind him when he moved over to the right.

    "I didn't see Bird," said the Brazilian. "The last time I looked in my mirror he was behind, the next thing I felt the hit and it was over. I didn't know he was there. It's a shame and an unfortunate end to the weekend, but races are races."



  • FCD’s ‘Bird Man’ starts to take flight
  • Hulkenberg to miss Macau GP
  • Turvey pleased with day’s progress
  • Bird upbeat despite grid penalty
  • Tuesday, November 18, 2008

    Van Dam: I knew pole was possible

    Van Dam: I knew pole was possible

    Carlo van Dam says he was confident that we would be able to improve his practice pace to snatch pole position from Edoardo Mortara, who had dominated the Macau Grand Prix weekend up until final qualifying today.

    Mortara was quickest in every session until van Dam took pole with his last lap of this afternoon's final qualifying, but the Dutchman always believed he would be able to challenge for the top spot when it mattered.

    "Qualifying is always a different story to practice and I was confident I would improve," said van Dam. "On my second last run I hit the guardrail at Turn 9 so for the last five laps my steering wasn't easy. But I was still confident I would improve and I did.

    "I expected the track to be a bit quicker than it was today, yesterday's times were very good. I think the touring cars put more oil on the track today. ."

    Van Dam just wants to make it through tomorrow's qualifying race unscathed and is hoping to stay out of trouble at the front.

    "Tomorrow is just another qualifying really, the most important thing is just to be in the front somewhere to prepare for Sunday," he added. "But it's looking good so far."



  • Americans confident going forward
  • Mortara takes provisional pole
  • Jakes confident despite shunt
  • Toyota: Kunimoto can be major star

    Toyota: Kunimoto can be major star

    Macau Grand Prix winner Keisuke Kunimoto has the potential to emerge as one of Japan's very best drivers in the wake of his shock victory in the famous Formula 3 street race.

    That is the view of Masanori Sekiya, the former Le Mans winner who is now in charge of Toyota's young driver programme (TDP) which oversees Kunimoto's career.

    Although Kunimoto was not highly rated prior to Macau, Sekiya claims that the TOM'S driver lifted his game immensely over the weekend - and now has enough promise to follow in the footsteps of other TDP members Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi.

    "Until we came here, my evaluation of him was that he was below Kazuki or Kamui," Sekiya told autosport.com. "But after we have seen his win here, and what he could do when given the opportunity, now he should be able to compete against them also. We have seen something here this weekend."

    Despite his Macau success, Sekiya believes that Kunimoto is still lacking experience - having competed in just three seasons of car racing so far. He thinks that was a key factor in why he was beaten to the Japanese F3 crown by TOM'S teammate Carlo van Dam.

    "I believe talking about speed, he is equal to Carlo," he said. "But because of experience he was not able to beat Carlo. He just needs a bit more experience.

    "He brought out some hidden talent here this weekend though. That was a big factor. Considering what he has done back in Japan, my expectations coming here were that he could get in the top six and if lucky he could get on the podium."

    The belief that Kunimoto still needs more experience has been backed by his TOM'S race engineer Kenji Yamada.

    "Considering his performance, actually compared to Carlo, still Carlo is way up there - and Keisuke needs a lot of study still," said Yamada. "Here we taught him a lot with the experience of TOM'S, and that made him quite successful."

    Kunimoto's plans for next year are still to be decided, and Sekiya says there will be no push from his side to hand the 19-year-old a Formula One test with Toyota.

    "We have to leave that decision to Toyota itself. It is not for me to decide whether they will evaluate him or give him a chance."



  • Mortara quickest in first practice
  • Mortara: I learned from last year
  • Mortara wins qualification race
  • Van Dam rues first lap accidents

    Van Dam rues first lap accidents

    Carlo van Dam was left to rue two crashes on the opening lap of today's qualification race that all but ended his hopes of winning the Macau Grand Prix this weekend.

    The Japanese Formula 3 champion started from pole position, but made a poor getaway and was passed off the line by his teammate Keisuke Kunimoto and eventual race winner Edoardo Mortara.

    As the trio went three abreast into Mandarin, van Dam hit the barrier and punctured his left rear tyre. He then tangled with fellow Dutchman Renger van der Zande at the bottom of San Francisco Hill while on his way back to the pits and retired.

    "The two guys who overtook me on the way to Mandarin lifted off the gas, which is normal, but I got stuck a bit," said van Dam. "There was no room, it was already too late to make the corner and I got on the dirt. I hit the wall and got a puncture on the left.

    "Then the only thing I tried to do was bring the car back to the pits, but unfortunately van der Zande came so close to me and because of the puncture the car was weaving everywhere. We hit which was really unfortunate.

    "Even if you come back to the pits and put a new tyre on, you may be able to move up because of other guys not finishing. Maybe then there would still be the chance of a podium tomorrow, now it is very disappointing. I'm very sorry it happened. I tried to keep it cool because the only aim we had for today was to be in the top four, but we didn't succeed."

    But having proved his potential pace with his pole position lap yesterday, van Dam is determined to have a strong race tomorrow - even though he will have to start near the back.

    "On the one hand you hope for some accidents that you can gain from, but on the other hand you want to race as much as possible - so not too many safety cars.

    "We have the speed, but we will just be open minded approaching the race, I will do my best - even though I am not sure what position I start from. If we have the speed and we can race 15 laps, I still hope to get to the top five.

    "I want to show the team tomorrow that I haven't come here for nothing."



  • Mailleux penalised for cutting chicane
  • Revs seek early goal boost at K.C.
  • Van Dam: I knew pole was possible
  • Monday, November 17, 2008

    Guerrero in coma after road crash

    Guerrero in coma after road crash

    British Formula 3 National class championship runner up Steven Guerrero is in coma following a road accident he suffered on Thursday night in Colombia.

    Guerrero sustained head injuries and fractures to his left leg after crashing with a truck while driving a motorcycle in the streets of El Guamo, a city located around 160 kilometres to the southwest of the capital, Bogota.

    The 19-year-old Colombian was taken to a local hospital where he required surgery on Friday night because neurological tests showed structural changes to his brain. Doctors were still determining whether Guerrero had suffered any brain damage from the crash.

    Russell Eacott, boss of Guerrero's T-Sport team in Britain, said: "Having spoken to the Guerrero family I know that Steven is receiving the best possible medical attention and my thoughts and prayers, and those of the entire team at T-Sport, are with him and his family at this difficult time."

    Guerrero was due to compete in a karting event during the weekend before returning to Europe to test in preparation for a second season in the British Formula 3, moving up to the Championship Class.

    This season was Guerrero's third in cars after racing two years in Formula BMW in North America. He finished second in this year in the British F3 National Class standings with T-Sport, claiming victories at Thruxton and Brands Hatch.



  • New additions give United jolt
  • Bird upbeat despite grid penalty

    Bird upbeat despite grid penalty

    Sam Bird says he was gutted to miss out on a front row start for tomorrow's qualification race of the Macau Grand Prix but is still confident that he can challenge for the victory in Sunday's race.

    The Briton was at the top of the timesheet when this afternoon's final qualifying session was stopped with less than four minutes to go, but Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam snatched pole with his last lap of the session.

    Stefano Coletti spun and blocked the road at Police on that final lap so only the cars ahead of him on the road were able to post a time. Van Dam and his TOM'S teammate Keisuke Kunimoto set the first and third quickest times and Roberto Streit moved up to fifth.

    Bird had to abandon his lap when he came across the road block, but still finished the session with the second quickest time. However, he had to take a three-place grid penalty as a punishment for missing a call to the weigh bridge during morning practice.

    "I didn't get a clear lap in the first half of the session so I left it to the wire a bit, but I was able to pull a lap out of the bag," said Bird. "It was a reasonable effort, there were a couple of small mistakes, but it was a good lap. Then I was three tenths up on that on the last lap, but the track was blocked so I got stuck in the queue.

    "I don't feel like things have really gone my way today and I'm gutted that I won't get to start from the front row tomorrow, but fifth is not too bad and if I can make a little progress tomorrow, I'll be looking good."

    But Bird remains positive going into tomorrow's qualification race, encouraged that he has the pace to challenge at the front after a frustrating season in the Euro Series.

    "It's lovely to be quick again after a bit of a disappointing year," he added. "Macau is one of those tracks that you just love to drive round. The middle sector in particular is just something else. It's unreal, you'll never have more fun as a driver."



  • Matsushita gets grid penalty
  • Mortara: I learned from last year

    Mortara: I learned from last year

    Edoardo Mortara says the experience he gained at Macau last year was vital in helping him to control today's qualification race to secure pole position for Sunday's main event.

    The Italian retired from the last season's qualification race when he braked too late for the first corner and wiped himself and Sebastien Buemi out of contention. He had to start Sunday's race from 26th on the grid and could only recover to tenth.

    Mortara admitted that his error last year was on his mind today, but that it made him more determined to stay out of trouble.

    "It was a big, big thing," he said. "That is why experienced drivers go so well here, and why it is also difficult for the rookie drivers because even if you are fast, like I was last year, you have to understand some things.

    "For example, today's race is not that important. Last year I made a silly mistake at the first braking at Lisboa and I crashed the car. I didn't really want to overtake Buemi at the time, but I was surprised by the speed and by all the cars that were around me - so I made a silly mistake. This year it is all different, so I know what is going on and I can react well.

    "I know quite well that if you want to win then you have to do a perfect weekend from the beginning. I came here with this idea and I am trying to do my best, so let's see tomorrow if we can do something good. I really hope I can remain in first."

    Mortara is now the favourite to win tomorrow's race - especially with the retirement today of polesitter Carlo van Dam, who has been Mortara's closest challenger all week.

    But he remains cautious and just wants to concentrate on making another clean start.

    "You know, I don't know what happened to Carlo, but we can't forget that (Keisuke) Kunimoto and (Roberto) Streit are quick, and the others are pushing also," said Mortara. "It is going to be difficult if I don't have a good start, because then I will be battling with the others.

    "So really, I think tomorrow the main thing is to stay out of trouble, like today. I had a good start and everything worked perfectly because I took the slipstream on the main straight and I could arrive at the braking for Lisboa quite safely.

    "If it is like this tomorrow then I think I have a good chance to do a good result. But if I do a bad start and the others overtake me, then it is going to be more difficult."



  • Guzan hopes to seize opportunity
  • Win and in for Red Bulls
  • Mortara encouraged by early pace
  • Sunday, November 16, 2008

    Mortara wins qualification race

    Mortara wins qualification race

    Edoardo Mortara took a convincing victory in the Macau Grand Prix qualification race on Saturday.

    He started third behind TOM'S teammates Carlo van Dam and Keisuke Kunimoto, but capitalised when polesitter van Dam retired on the opening lap.

    The Dutchman lost the lead off the line then punctured his left rear tyre when he brushed the wall trying to go three wide with the leaders through the Mandarin kink. Four more cars passed him on the way down to Lisboa, after which he tangled with countryman Renger van der Zande on San Francisco Hill and both retired.

    Mortara then chased down Kunimoto during the early stages of the race and made his move to the front around the outside under braking for Lisboa on lap seven.

    Once in front, he was easily able to pull clear of the following pack and controlled the rest of the race. He eased off in the closing laps and took the chequered flag just over a second ahead of Kunimoto.

    "I am really happy for this victory but today is just the qualifaction race," said Mortara. "My start was a little better than the others so I could take the slipstream of both TOM'S drivers in the first straight.

    "I was careful in the first corner but I still nearly hit the wall because the track was so slippery. I was still careful in the first laps and pushed from lap three. Once I was ahead and created a gap it was not so important to push so I controlled the race."

    Roberto Streit also closed onto the back of Kunimoto, but he was unable to find a way past in the latter stages of the race. Instead, Streit found himself coming under pressure from Oliver Turvey right behind him, but Turvey was never close enough to make a serious challenge and Streit completed the podium.

    Turvey himself had been under pressure from Sam Bird for the majority of the race, but was able to defend his fourth position by placing his car on the inside at Lisboa whenever Bird attacked.

    British Formula 3 champion Jaime Alguersuari finished sixth, ahead of Stefano Coletti who was one of several to capitalise on a midfield crash at the start.

    Mika Maki lost eighth place on the final lap when he sustained a puncture and had to drive most of the last lap on three wheels. Marcus Ericsson inherited his eighth spot and Maki limped round to finish 16th.

    James Jakes and Brendon Hartley were squeezed together against the wall on the run to the first corner and Jakes was pitched across the front of Hartley's car and into the barrier. Jakes retired instantly while Hartley limped back to the pits on three wheels and rejoined three laps down, but later set the fastest lap of the race.

    Half a mile later, Jules Bianchi spun on the way into Lisboa and took out a trio of Hitech cars. Max Chilton retired on the spot, but Walter Grubmuller and Roberto Merhi rejoined.

    Bianchi's spin triggered another shunt as the tail of the field approached Lisboa. Basil Shaaban hit the back of his teammate, Daniel Campos-Hull, spun into Franky Cheng and the pair squashed Atte Mustonen into the wall as well.

    Pos Driver Team Car Gap 1. Edoardo Mortara Signature D/V 29:20.769 2. Keisuke Kunimoto TOM'S D/T +1.189 3. Roberto Streit Double R D/M +2.904 4. Oliver Turvey Carlin D/M +3.364 5. Sam Bird Manor D/M +3.984 6. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin D/M +4.623 7. Stefano Coletti Prema D/M +4.952 8. Marcus Ericsson Carlin D/M +8.799 9. Daniel Campos-Hull HBR D/M +22.448 10. Kei Cozzolino Now D/T +23.056 11. James Winslow Ombra D/H +26.786 12. Laurens Vanthoor RC D/V +28.090 13. Jon Lancaster Manor D/M +42.871 14. Koki Saga Le Beausset D/T +48.578 15. Walter Grubmuller Hitech D/M +49.439 16. Mika Maki Signature D/M +57.740 17. Roberto Merhi Hitech D/M +1:06.943 18. Massaki Matsushita PTRS/Ombra D/H +1:31.545 19. Nicola de Marco RC D/V +1:44.930 20. Brendon Hartley Carlin D/M +3 laps Retirements Michael Ho Double R D/M 7 laps Basil Shaaban HBR D/M 4 laps Kazuya Oshima Manor D/M 3 laps Carlo van Dam TOM'S D/T 3 laps Renger van der Zande Prema D/M 0 laps James Jakes ART D/M 0 laps Max Chilton Hitech D/M 0 laps Jules Bianchi ART D/M 0 laps Franky Cheng Signature D/V 0 laps Atte Mustonen Double R D/M 0 laps Fastest lap, Hartley 2:13.169 on lap 6

  • Mortara wins for VW at Pau
  • Donovan, Hejduk highlight World Cup call-ups
  • Hartley wins race two at Croft
  • Bianchi wins shortened race two
  • Win and in for Red Bulls
  • Mortara disappointed with third

    Mortara disappointed with third

    Edoardo Mortara says he is disappointed to be third on the grid after dominating the Macau Grand Prix weekend up until today's final qualifying session.

    The Italian, who finished runner-up in the F3 Euro Series this season, has been fastest in every other session this week, but only set the fourth fastest time this afternoon. He was promoted to third when Sam Bird - who qualified second - was given a three-place penalty for missing a weigh bridge check.

    "I am clearly disappointed," said Mortara. "Yesterday I had a crash when I was doing a pretty good lap and again today I could not do the maximum because I was just stuck in the traffic.

    "I did my best time on old tyres, I couldn't do it with the new ones because I was held up by other cars. I tried to make a gap but I was too fast and caught them too much - that last lap could have been pole position but I couldn't finish it because I touched the wall when I caught one of the Carlin cars."

    But Mortara believes he can still win the event on Sunday, if he avoids a repeat of his mistake last year when he crashed at the first corner in the qualifaction race.

    "We don't have to be too disappointed, though," he added. "Third is a good position for sure because it's only the final that counts. If you start at the front it's easier to win, but third is ok. It's important just to finish the Saturday race, I can't afford to do a repeat of last year."



  • Mortara takes provisional pole
  • D.C. United disappointed with draw
  • Mortara encouraged by early pace
  • Interview with Carlo van Dam

    Interview with Carlo van Dam

    Twelve months ago, Carlo van Dam arrived at the Macau Grand Prix as a relatively unknown racer, despite his success in the ATS Formula 3 Cup in Germany.

    Now, however, he is not only riding high as the Japanese Formula 3 champion, after getting snapped up by crack squad TOM'S, but he also taken a well-earned pole position for Macau's qualification race.

    Autosport.com spoke to the Dutchman after qualifying, to hear about his amazing year, his thoughts for the race and what he thinks is the most important thing to do tomorrow.

    Q. How excited were you coming here to Macau this weekend after the great season you had had in Japanese Formula 3?

    Carlo van Dam: "We were looking forward to it for the whole season! Although myself, I always try to take things race-by-race, day-by-day, we just approach it like any other race actually. You shouldn't make it bigger than it is.

    "Of course, the expectations were high and I was really looking forward to it, especially as we finished the season quite early in Japan. It was in the middle of September we had our last race already. So it is great to be with TOM'S here, not only because they won it last year but they have been preparing for it so well, and they have such a big name.

    "It is an honour to be in their car, and I see it as an honour and am proud that they selected me. I think they have one of the few F3 seats where you cannot just give them a call, say you have some budget and then jump in. You had to be really selected for it. And it is great that just before Christmas that they gave me a call."

    Q. Could you have imagined 12 months ago, when you were in Macau as a relatively unknown newcomer, that you would be here now as Japanese F3 champion and on pole position?

    CvD: "No, especially before Macau because it was only in Macau (last year) that TOM'S approached me. But before then, I would never have expected to be in Japan driving for them. It was great - because I did a good job last year in German F3 and, although I think the level is not so bad there, there are not a lot of people who see that.

    "Fortunately, I got a chance to drive because financially it has always been quite difficult for me. I got offers to do it, but I had to pay most of the budget which I could not do. Then I got the possibility to do it with HBR, who pushed hard, and then I had a bit of doubt about whether I should do it – because they were not a top team. But I thought I had nothing to lose – if it went well people would see that and if it didn't then at least you have given it a try.

    "In Macau last year it was their first and my first year, and I didn't have a very competitive teammate. It (a quick teammate) is important because we saw today with my teammate how much you can pull yourself up, but I was very happy that they (TOM'S) gave me this chance based on my German F3 title.

    "Then I did pretty well. Although the result wasn't good, the speed was there, and TOM'S have the eye for that – they don't only look on paper, they look at the whole package. It is great that they chose me, and so far this race everything has gone quite well."

    Q. How important was that experience from Macau last year in helping you come here and do what you have done?

    CvD: "Definitely, without the experience it is very hard on your first appearance to be there – although my teammate here has done an incredible job. On the straight, he got a bit extra (speed) thanks to me, but it is all about your approach to the second time – especially as last year I wasn't in a top team.

    "So it helped me to gain the necessary track knowledge and learn about where to push. So I felt, from the first moment on, confident. I knew what to do, I knew the key points on the track and that helped a lot."

    Q. What do you think is harder – getting pole position today with red flags and traffic, or finishing in front in the qualifying race tomorrow?

    CvD: "We will see! But the qualifying wasn't easy actually. We expected to make another step and in terms of speed we did. I think for everyone it was a bit difficult with the red flags because everyone had improved on their best times (when the red flag came out), and I was quite a bit down, which I think would have been an 11.6 or something. But red flags hit everybody the same.

    "It was also quite tough because I hit slightly the guardrail on the corner before Melco, and then my steering was bent. So then, on the last run, I was thinking just do the best job. Although second was not bad, you are a race driver and you want to be the quickest of all, so you give it a try.

    "The most important thing is that I knew there was only one lap to get the heat in the tyres and get the rhythm, and I managed to do a nice lap. It is a good boost for myself and the team, and also showed some people today that we can still keep improving."

    Q. How do you judge the engine fight here? There are three different engine manufacturers in the top four places on the grid and Volkswagen appear to have made a step forward.

    CvD: "Yes, the Volkswagen is one that appears to be quite strong now. But I think that the differences are quite small in terms of top speed and performance. There are three different manufacturers in the top four, and to be honest I think we are struggling a bit more on the straight compared to what they did last year, but I think that is normal.

    "Last year, TOM'S came with an engine update and now, this year, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz did. Of course you need to have a quick engine, a quick car and a quick driver – but especially you have to make them work together well.

    "I have a lot of confidence. It is not only based on last year's result but it is on the work we have done this year. It is such a great team, great people – so already no matter what I did last year you come here with confidence to push even more. Now we have to focus on improving the driving. I have to improve still as there are still a lot of points with the car, so we will see about tomorrow. You just have to keep your head as always."

    Q. Who are you most mindful of – your teammate or Edoardo Mortara?

    CvD: "No, the only thing is I focus on my own driving. Everybody yesterday was saying that it was between Mortara and I, but today you see different guys again. And it might be tomorrow that there are different guys coming up again. So if I do my job, there is nothing else I can do. I am confident."

    Q. What is the next step for you after this weekend – and will a win here change your plans?

    CvD: "Well, like I said, I am not focusing on winning the race. I am focusing on the things which matter to be quick. So, I can be honest – most probably in Europe there are not a lot of chances. In terms of the normal ladder, the next step would be GP2. But the last two years, I have shown that even with an alternative step you can be successful.

    "So I am not too much focused to be in GP2, especially if there is not a top team around. And there will be good possibilities to stay in Japan, I think. I have been at all the F3 races on the podium there, I did GT races – in a total of 22 races, I was on the podium 21 times.

    "So in Japan I have built up something. Unless there is a very good alternative it would be stupid to throw that away. Again, last year I did not expect to be in Japan this year, and maybe at the moment you can't expect to be somewhere else.

    "We will just take it day-by-day. Tomorrow, the most important thing is to wake up again."



  • Nowak weighing U.S. midfield options
  • Nowak makes final roster selections
  • Alguersuari targets rookie Macau win
  • Hulkenberg to miss Macau GP
  • Saturday, November 15, 2008

    Mortara encouraged by early pace

    Mortara encouraged by early pace

    Edoardo Mortara was encouraged by his front running pace on the first day of running at this year's Macau Grand Prix but is refusing to get too carried away with the final qualifying session still to come tomorrow.

    He took provisional pole today and only Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam was able to get within seven tenths of his best time - but the majority of the drivers haven't yet shown their true pace, electing not to push too hard and risk a crash on the first day.

    Mortara doesn't expect to maintain such an advantage in final qualifying tomorrow.

    "Nothing has really happened yet, it is a good start but it is just day one," said the Italian. "The times will be faster tomorrow so today is more like practice. Also, the rookies that are learning the circuit will get faster all the time and the gap will come down.

    "To be honest, I wasn't pushing that hard in the morning and I don't think many did."

    But it wasn't all good for Mortara today, he damaged the nose of his car at the end of the qualifying session when Masaki Matsushita spun and blocked the road.

    "I am satisfied with the car, but we have to work very and if we can fix all this damage then it won't be a problem," added Mortara.

    Van Dam also played down the significance of the times this afternoon and is confident that he will be in a position to challenge Mortara for pole tomorrow.

    "It is only the first day, but so far it has been pretty good in terms of lap time," said van Dam. "It is called first qualifying but really it is just second practice - it is about getting comfortable with the car.

    "It is nice to be here with TOM'S. They are always strong here and we've had some good preparation, so I am feeling quite confident.

    "Last year Mortara was the best rookie here and we have been working hard to close the gap to him. This morning we were 1.4 seconds off and now we are only three tenths so we'll see what more we can do tomorrow. I feel good."



  • Mortara takes provisional pole
  • Jakes confident despite shunt

    Jakes confident despite shunt

    James Jakes is confident that he can still fight for victory in this weekend's Macau Grand Prix, despite a heavy crash cutting short his first qualifying session today.

    He was fifth quickest in morning practice and was lying third 15 minutes into qualifying this afternoon when he lost control of his ART car exiting Curva R and spun into the barrier.

    "It's a shame because it was going really well," said Jakes. "I was pushing quite hard because I wanted to get a reference for the new tyres ahead of tomorrow, but it just got away mid corner.

    "As soon as I felt it slide I knew it was going to be a crash. But it was ok, the damage wasn't too bad and it should be all fixed by tomorrow morning."

    Jakes still finished the session in tenth place, despite sitting out the last half hour when the circuit was at its quickest.

    "I'm quite positive because I know there pace is there," he added. "I wasn't pushing that hard in the morning and we were fifth, and I was P1 for a while this afternoon.

    "Obviously it would have been better without the crash and the missed track time, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem. We've just got to come back tomorrow and get it right. We came here to win."



  • Mortara encouraged by early pace
  • Americans confident going forward
  • Mortara takes provisional pole

    Mortara takes provisional pole

    Edoardo Mortara snatched provisional pole position for the Macau Grand Prix on Thursday - before ending the session with a damaged car after getting caught up in someone else's accident.

    The Italian had been fastest in morning practice and maintained such form throughout the incident-filled qualifying session as he steadily improved his lap time.

    But his run of swift laps came to an abrupt end when, with just more than one minute to go, he could not avoid hitting the stranded car of Masaki Matsushita, who had spun into the middle of the road after hitting the barriers at Police.

    Although delighted at his speed, Mortara could not hide his frustration at the incident – which damaged the nose of his car and brought the session to an early close as the track was totally blocked.

    "It was really disappointing," said Mortara. "I was right behind him when he went off and there was no warning, nothing I could do. Luckily I hit him square on, so the only damage is to the nose. The car should be repaired for the morning."

    Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam was second fastest, but more than three tenths away from Mortara's pace and well aware of how much work there is still to do.

    "It is nice to be strong here, but what really counts is final qualifying tomorrow and then the races," said the TOM'S driver. "We are well prepared."

    Roberto Streit was third fastest for Raikkonen Robertson Racing, three quarters of a second slower than Mortara, with Brendon Hartley recovering from the gearbox problems that cost him track time in the morning to set the fourth best time. Behind Renger van der Zande, British F3 champion Jaime Alguersuari was the fastest rookie in sixth spot.

    The session was red flagged twice prior to the final incident involving Mortara and Matsushita. James Jakes was pushing hard to improve his pace when he spun into the barriers at Curva R after 17 minutes, then Nicola de Marco crashed at the same spot following the restart.



  • Mortara encouraged by early pace
  • Matsushita gets grid penalty
  • Friday, November 14, 2008

    Mortara on top again in practice

    Edoardo Mortara kept up his strong start to the Macau Grand Prix weekend when he topped the times once again in Friday's final free practice session ahead of qualifying.

    The Signature-Plus driver, who has been fastest in every session so far this weekend, made the most of a tow from another car down the long straight into Mandarin Bend before setting his best lap ten minutes into practice.

    With his car fully repaired after his accident in first qualifying, Mortara admitted to being a little surprised to be fastest overall having spent the session mainly focusing on his race setup.

    "Everything was okay," he said. "We just wanted to prepare for the race this morning, so I was not expecting to be first at the end. It looks good for qualifying, the car feels fine and I am happy.

    "At the moment, I am not thinking about my rivals too much - all I am thinking about is the lap time. I am expecting a big fight for pole position this afternoon, with a lot of drivers up there going for the top spot."

    Mortara's closest rival was once again TOM'S driver Carlo van Dam, and the Japanese F3 champion has closed the gap from three tenths yesterday to 0.117s this morning.

    Van Dam was thankful that a braking mistake heading into Lisboa late in the session did not result in him hitting the barriers. Instead, he just went up the escape road and harmlessly came to a stop.

    "We've made some good steps with the car, but it is hard to say exactly where we are because the tyres we are using are now quite old," he said. "That was why I pushed a little too hard and made that mistake under braking. But everything looks like it is heading in the right direction."

    Italian Kei Cozzolino was third fastest for the Now Motor Sports team, with British F3 champion Jaime Alguersuari fourth quickest - but hitting trouble late on when he crashed at San Francisco Bend, badly damaging the left hand side of his car and ripping off his rear wing.

    Alguersuari's accident brought out the second red flag of the session, with practice being stopped earlier after 20 minutes when Nicola de Marco's stranded RC Motorsport car was judged to have been left in a dangerous position after he spun at Fishermen's Bend.

    There was more disappointment for Mika Maki, who returned to action for the first time since his sizeable accident in first practice. He suffered a puncture and spent much of the session in the pits.

    Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap 1. Edoardo Mortara Signature D/V 2:13.054 2. Carlo van Dam TOM'S D/T 2:13.171 +0.117 3. Kei Cozzolino Now D/T 2:14.171 +1.117 4. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin D/M 2:14.245 +1.191 5. Oliver Turvey Carlin D/M 2:14.351 +1.297 6. Roberto Merhi Hitech D/M 2:14.542 +1.488 7. Brendon Hartley Carlin D/M 2:14.616 +1.562 8. Marcus Ericsson Carlin D/M 2:14.709 +1.655 9. Renger van der Zande Prema D/M 2:14.714 +1.660 10. Roberto Streit Double R D/M 2:14.775 +1.721 11. Stefano Coletti Prema D/M 2:15.082 +2.028 12. Sam Bird Manor D/M 2:15.120 +2.066 13. Max Chilton Hitech D/M 2:15.383 +2.329 14. Keisuke Kunimoto TOM'S D/T 2:15.474 +2.420 15. Atte Mustonen Double R D/M 2:15.515 +2.461 16. Franky Cheng Signature D/V 2:15.520 +2.466 17. Daniel Campos-Hull HBR D/M 2:16.015 +2.961 18. Jules Bianchi ART D/M 2:16.049 +2.995 19. Kazuya Oshima Manor D/M 2:16.352 +3.298 20. Walter Grubmuller Hitech D/M 2:16.918 +3.864 21. James Jakes ART D/M 2:17.031 +3.977 22. Mika Maki Signature D/M 2:17.102 +4.048 23. James Winslow Ombra D/H 2:17.399 +4.345 24. Jon Lancaster Manor D/M 2:17.516 +4.462 25. Laurens Vanthoor RC D/V 2:17.832 +4.778 26. Koki Saga Le Beausset D/T 2:18.284 +5.230 27. Michael Ho Double R D/M 2:18.824 +5.770 28. Basil Shaaban HBR D/M 2:19.267 +6.213 29. Massaki Matsushita PTRS/Ombra D/H 2:19.480 +6.426 30. Nicola de Marco RC D/V 2:19.835 +6.781

  • Vietoris tops wet practice at Zolder
  • Mortara quickest in first practice
  • Matsushita gets grid penalty

    Matsushita gets grid penalty

    Japan's Masaki Matsushita will be forced to start from the back of the grid for Macau's qualification race on Saturday after being punished for missing a weigh bridge check during Thursday's first qualifying session.

    The PTRS by Ombra driver, who crashed in the final moments of the session before being collected by provisional pole position man Edoardo Mortara, was ruled to have ignored a red light at the entrance to the pitlane requiring him to stop for routine checks.

    Matsushita was summoned to see the stewards after qualifying and it was decided that he will be dropped down the grid the number of places that will put him at the back of the grid for Saturday's qualifying race.



  • Mortara on top again in practice
  • Qualifying rained off at Monza
  • Rapids beat Chivas to remain in playoff race
  • Crew ready to exorcise demons
  • Maki declared fit for qualifying day

    Maki declared fit for qualifying day

    Mika Maki will take part in today's practice and qualifying sessions for the Macau Grand Prix after missing yesterday afternoon's running.

    The Finn has been suffering from suspected food poisoning this week and had to sit out Thursday's qualifying session following a crash after just four laps of the morning practice.

    He complained of abdomen pains after his accident and was sent back to his hotel to rest. But he returned to the circuit this morning and has been declared fit to drive.

    "I had a bad stomach from Wednesday onwards, some food poisoning we think," said Maki. "It was getting worse yesterday but I tried to drive anyway. In the session it was quite bad and I ended up thinking more about being ill than driving and this is how you have a crash.

    "The doctors gave me some medicine and I slept a lot yesterday. This morning I am a lot better and I will try to catch up - I just have to stay out of the walls this time!"



  • Maki ruled out of first qualifying
  • Donovan fit, ready for milestone
  • Thursday, November 13, 2008

    Hartley keen to end season on a high

    Hartley keen to end season on a high

    British Formula 3 race winner Brendon Hartley believes victory in this weekend's Macau Grand Prix would go some way to make up for his frustrations this season.

    Hartley finished third in the British F3 Championship this year, taking five wins, but thinks he did not do a good enough job with Carlin Motorsport teammates Jaime Alguersuari and Oliver Turvey finishing ahead of him.

    And that is why he is hoping his experience from Macau last year will pay off this weekend so he can end his season on a high.

    When asked whether victory in Macau would make up for his British F3 season, he told autosport.com: "I think it would to be honest. I think I could go home to New Zealand a bit happier.

    "Although I had a pretty good season it was not really good enough. There were too many mistakes and a few bad races. Winning this race would definitely make up for it.

    "It is the best race of the year and if you win it you get globally recognised as a good driver, so it's a fantastic. It's a big deal winning here, as there is so much history to this place."

    Hartley faces one of the most competitive Macau GP fields this year. As well as the threat posed by his teammates, other strong contenders are expected to be Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam and Euro Series front-runners Edoardo Mortara and Jules Bianchi.

    "It is going to be tough," admitted Hartley. "To be perfectly honest I am not really a confident person, but I am feeling pretty good about the race.

    "I did pretty well at Bucharest this year, which is another street circuit. I was pretty fast there and won a race. I am just really excited to hop in the car tomorrow morning and see what happens.

    "In my opinion it is the best track in the world and I am just getting a bit excited about it, a bit anxious. I have pretty high expectations and I definitely want to be on the podium this weekend. I don't see why it is not possible. It is a bonus to have driven here before. I can't wait to get out there to be honest."

    And Hartley thinks the fact he does have that year's experience here could provide him with a vital edge over the many rookies in the field.

    "It is going to be easier this year because last year when I raced here it was only my second race in an F3 car, with no testing at all.

    "I will be a lot more confident this year. And confidence is a big key around this track. If you are confident with the car it is a big factor because you have to be within millimetres of the wall and there is no room for error, so experience could be a big thing."



  • Real focused on toppling Chivas
  • Bianchi wants to emulate grandfather
  • Alguersuari targets rookie Macau win
  • Mortara quickest in first practice

    Mortara quickest in first practice

    Formula 3 Euro Series runner-up Edoardo Mortara kicked off his Macau Grand Prix weekend in perfect style by topping first practice on Thursday morning.

    The Signature-Plus driver swapped the leading time with a host of other drivers throughout the session before edging himself clear in the final minutes.

    He set his best time of 2:14.333 on his final lap - just edging out Renger van der Zande and Roberto Streit - and reckoned he could have gone faster.

    "I made a mistake on my last lap so I could have been a little quicker, but anyway I am happy," said Mortara.

    "The challenges of Macau are so particular and it's more important here to be fastest at the end, not at the beginning, but our package is working well and I feel good."

    Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam was fourth fastest for TOM'S, with James Jakes fifth for ART and Stefano Coletti the fastest Macau rookie in sixth for Prema Powerteam.

    There were mixed fortunes for Carlin Motorsport duo Jaime Alguersuari and Brendon Hartley, two men who have been tipped to be in the hunt for victory this weekend.

    British Formula 3 champion Alguersuari was pleased with his first experience of the Macau track to end up seventh fastest.

    "It was good," he said. "I really enjoyed it and I know there is plenty of room to improve as I made a mistake on my last lap."

    Hartley had to sit out the second half of the session after suffering a gearbox problem. He had been near the top of the timesheet early on, but dropped down the order as other drivers improved.

    Mika Maki brought out a red flag just before the halfway point of the session when he crashed heavily at Fishermen's Bend. Other drivers to hit trouble were Kazuya Oshima and Walter Grubmuller, who both hit the wall at Maternity Bend.

    Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap 1. Edoardo Mortara Signature D/V 2:14.333 2. Renger van der Zande Prema D/M 2:15.081 +0.748 3. Roberto Streit Double R D/M 2:15.454 +1.121 4. Carlo van Dam TOM'S D/T 2:15.745 +1.412 5. James Jakes ART D/M 2:15.780 +1.447 6. Stefano Coletti Prema D/M 2:16.893 +2.560 7. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin D/M 2:17.165 +2.832 8. Roberto Merhi Hitech D/M 2:17.214 +2.881 9. Jon Lancaster Manor D/M 2:17.469 +3.136 10. Sam Bird Manor D/M 2:17.689 +3.356 11. James Winslow Ombra D/H 2:17.872 +3.539 12. Max Chilton Hitech D/M 2:17.932 +3.599 13. Kei Cozzolino Now D/T 2:18.234 +3.901 14. Walter Grubmuller Hitech D/M 2:18.432 +4.099 15. Jules Bianchi ART D/M 2:18.464 +4.131 16. Atte Mustonen Double R D/M 2:18.508 +4.175 17. Franky Cheng Signature D/V 2:18.593 +4.260 18. Oliver Turvey Carlin D/M 2:19.096 +4.763 19. Michael Ho Double R D/M 2:19.107 +4.774 20. Brendon Hartley Carlin D/M 2:19.483 +5.150 21. Daniel Campos-Hull HBR D/M 2:19.508 +5.175 22. Keisuke Kunimoto TOM'S D/T 2:19.958 +5.625 23. Kazuya Oshima Manor D/M 2:20.311 +5.978 24. Marcus Ericsson Carlin D/M 2:20.338 +6.005 25. Laurens Vanthoor RC D/V 2:20.443 +6.110 26. Mika Maki Signature D/M 2:20.475 +6.142 27. Koki Saga Le Beausset D/T 2:20.839 +6.506 28. Basil Shaaban HBR D/M 2:21.263 +6.930 29. Nicola de Marco RC D/V 2:21.526 +7.193 30. Massaki Matsushita PTRS/Ombra D/H 2:24.645 +10.312 D/V = Dallara Volkswagen, D/M = Dallara Mercedes, D/T = Dallara Toyota, D/H = Dallara Mugen-Honda

  • Rest provides tonic for weary Revs
  • Perez quickest in practice at Croft
  • Frustrated Fire hungry for success
  •