News

RD 8: Normal Service Resumes for Asmer

03.06.2007

Marko Asmer put the disappointment of his first DNF this morning to win Round 8 from pole positiion to take his 5th win of the 2007 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series season.  Alberto Valerio and Sam Bird completed a great weekend for the Carlin Motorsport team who claimed five podiums from the six available.

RaceMarko Asmer headed a full 31 car grid for Round 8 and when the red lights went out he used his advantage to lead the pack away.  However Sam Bird moved up on the outside of the Estonian driver and Asmer was forced to defend his position as the cars came into the first corner at Riches. 
Asmer led the field through the corner but further back mayhem ensued as five cars ended up on the grass with all them rejoining except the Dallara of Leo Mansell.  However the incident shook up the order in the National Class and allowed Viktor Jensen to leap from 7th into the class lead at the end of the opening lap.
At the front it was Asmer from Bird and Valerio with Maro Engel ahead of Mustonen and Gonzalez.  In a rerun of the first race Bird was able to track the lead car, maintaining a 0.4 second gap to Asmer while holding off his Brazilian team mate in third place.  However Bird’s Dallara was starting to suffer from oversteer and Valerio saw his opportunity.  On Lap 7 he seized it and moved ahead of Bird into second and set off after Asmer, who had moved away from the battling Carlin pair.
On lap 11 the field was bunched up as the Safety Car was deployed to recover the stranded Dallara of Rodolfo Gonzalez at the Esses.  For three laps the field circulated at a slow speed and then on lap 16 it all began again in earnest.
Asmer used his vast experience to maintain his lead while Valerio was pulling away from the struggling Bird, who now had to fend off the attentions of Engel.
In the National Class Jensen got a good restart to hold onto he is National Class lead while Alastair Jackson lost his second place position to Frankie Cheng and then was passed by Hamad Al Fardan.
With the Safety Car period slowing things up, the race was reduced to 26 laps and as the cars came round for the final lap it was Marko Asmer from Alberto Valerio, who was now 1.7 seconds adrift of the Estonian and in turn had opened up a 4.7 second gap to third placed Sam Bird.
Asmer punched the air in delight as he crossed the line to record his 5th win of 2007 but it was also a good day for Carlin Motorsport with a further two podium finishes to add to the three they took earlier in the day.
Viktor Jensen brought his Dallara home to score his first win of the season for himself and his ADR team, with Frankie Cheng setting the fastest lap to be tied on championship points with Sergio Perez.  Hamad Al Fardan recorded his third podium finish in as many races. 
Marko Asmer now holds a 48 point lead in the championship table after 8 rounds of the 2007 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series, with Sam Bird moving into second place, one point ahead of Stephen Jelley.
The next two races will take place at Monza in Italy on Sunday 24th June 2007.