Sunday, May 27 2018

Linus Lundqvist secured his third win of the season with a lights to flag victory from pole in the third race of the weekend at Snetterton, but had to fend off a race long challenge from Nicolai Kjaergaard who finished just 0.386s behind his title rival.

Kush Maini threatened to make it a three way battle for the lead for much of the race, but ultimately finished a second away from the lead duo, while Frenchman Tristan Charpentier held off a constant challenge from local man Harry Webb and Billy Monger.

Jamie Chadwick claimed seventh, her best result of the weekend, just ahead of team mate Jordan Cane, with Hillspeed duo Sasakorn Chaimongkol and Jusuf Owega enjoying a decent battle to complete the top-10.

Lundqvist made a good start from pole position, while Kjaergaard made a slightly better one and was almost alongside his championship rival on the run to Riches. The Dane attempted an early move at the Brundle/Nelson complex, but it was Lundqvist who led at the end of the first tour by just 0.166s, with Kjaergaard firmly in the slipstream and Maini not far behind. 

By lap three though it seemed as if Lundqvist was beginning to edge away, holding a lead of almost a second with Kjaergaard being hassled by Maini. But by lap five, Kjaergaard had all but eliminated it again with the gap back down to 0.261s, with Maini coming with him too and the lead trio separated by less than a second. 

Kjaergaard remained in Lundqvist's slipstream, but the Swede was able to stretch his margin fractionally to claim his third win of the season by 0.386s. Lundqvist's win means he has now won at every circuit visited so far this season, and stretches his championship lead to 30 points.

Maini's third place was his fifth podium of the season, and was right with the lead duo until the penultimate lap when he fell a second behind, though he ultimately finished six tenths behind Kjaergaard.

Charpentier's fourth place was his best result of the weekend, the event being his best of the year so far. He had to fend off a constant challenge from Webb, who completed an excellent debut weekend with another fifth place for Chris Dittmann Racing, and holding off a challenge from Carlin's Billy Monger who menaced him throughout the race, the trio separated by less than a second at the chequered flag. 

Chadwick converted seventh on the grid to seventh in the race, though just 0.352s clear of Cane, himself just two tenths clear of Hillspeed's Chaimongkol, who backed up his earlier podium with another strong drive. The Thai driver started 11th and exchanged position a couple of times with team mate Owega, who completed the top-10. 

All 17 drivers completed the race, but Tom Gamble was a casualty on the first lap, dropping from eighth to the back, while Arvin Esmaeili was an early pitter before resuming to finish 17th. 

Lundqvist's fastest race lap of the weekend, set in race one, ensured he also went home with the Sunoco Fastest Driver of the Weekend Award. 

BRDC British F3 Championship, Snetterton race three result:

1. Linus Lundqvist, Double R Racing, 10 laps
2. Nicolai Kjaergaard, Carlin, +0.386s
3. Kush Maini, Lanan Racing, +1.002s
4. Tristan Charpentier, Fortec Motorsports, +3.865s
5. Harry Webb, Chris Dittmann Racing, +4.534s
6. Billy Monger, Carlin, +4.858s
7. Jamie Chadwick, Douglas Motorsport, +6.284s
8. Jordan Cane, Douglas Motorsport, +6.636s
9. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +6.835s
10. Jusuf Owega, Hillspeed, +7.555s
11. Krishnaraaj Mahadik, Double R Racing, +13.187s
12. Sun Yue Yang, Carlin, +13.654s
13. Pavan Ravishankar, Double R Racing, +14.301s
14. Manuel Maldonado, Fortec Motorsports, +15.828s
15. Ben Hurst, Hillspeed, +27.031s
16. Tom Gamble, Fortec Motorsports, +45.322s
17. Arvin Esmaeili, Douglas Motorsport, +1m36.469s