The teams and drivers in the 2006 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series head over the Channel for the first of four meetings in Europe this season, where the first-ever street race for British Formula 3 will take place on the roads and avenues of the French city of Pau. After the torrential rain at Donington Park, the drivers will be hoping for some sunshine and clear weather as they head to the south of France.
The two 24-lap races around the 1.7-mile circuit take place in the picturesque city of Pau in the foothills of the Pyrenees, close to the border with Spain. British drivers have always gone well on the tight street circuit, with the current Formula 3 lap record being held by Lewis Hamilton, who took two wins on the last visit by the EuroF3 Championship in 2005.
Raikkonen Robertson Racing’s Bruno Senna will be looking to maintain his lead in the title race; he currently has a commanding lead of 28 points over teammate Mike Conway, after taking three wins from four starts. “The circuit of Pau is one of the most demanding street circuits in the world. It has various types of corners, from very slow hairpins to flat-out left and right handers, followed by a very tricky chicane. People who have been to Pau say that the drivers try harder and harder on that chicane, until they lose control and crash. It should be an exciting race and for sure, the drivers who start on the front rows will have the advantage.”
As for Conway, he put his title challenge back on track at Donington, with a double pole and victory in round 4. “I can't wait actually, it's the one on the calendar that I've been really looking forward,” the driver from Kent explained. “I went really well in Macau, another street circuit on my first time there, when I qualified 3rd. The Raikkonen Robertson Racing team is definitely ready for Pau! Stephen Jelley and Bruno Senna have both been on street circuits before, they've both done Macau. I've also done a street circuit before in Florida, racing in St Petersburg, which was an awesome little circuit as well. I think it is really fantastic for the championship as well, letting us go on the street circuits.”
Conway’s team-mate Jelley agreed: “I'm definitely looking forward to Pau, having been to Macau last year and that is the mother of all street circuits. What I learned in Macau will stand me in good stead at a place like Pau. Your natural instincts, your survival instincts, are going haywire when you are really close to barriers. You are acutely aware that if you make any mistake what so ever, then that's it, your race is over. My plan is to keep it out of the wall and learn as much as I can, but try and apply the things I learnt in the past to Pau.”
Carlin Motorsport’s Maro Engel claimed his first British F3 podium at Donington, which propelled him up the championship table to 3rd behind Conway and Senna. “The only street circuit I've driven on is the Norisring, which is a traditional German race circuit,” Maro explained. “So I'm really looking forward to Pau. I think it is going to be one of the highlights of the season. I think the Mercedes cars may have a slight advantage at Pau because it has more grunt down the bottom, while we have a bit more top speed. But then again I think it is a big driver’s circuit, and the big difference will be how the teams set the cars up. The advantage will go to the driver who can interact with his engineer and get the best setup out of it.” Although the Donington rounds saw both Oliver Jarvis and Christian Bakkerud lose ground to Senna, both Carlin drivers have proven they have the pace to take the battle to the Raikkonen Robertson Racing trio and will be looking to put the disappointments of Donington behind them. The championship’s only female racer, Japan’s Keiko Ihara, put in two solid performances at Donington to claim her first championship point in 2006 for herself and her Carlin team.
Pau will be the first street circuit for Hitech Racing driver James Walker, who finished second in the first race at Donington. “I'm actually really looking forward to it. I've tried to do as much research into it as I can. I think it is going to take a while to get used to it when we get there, see what it's like. It's a big step forward for the British Championship to go there and I think we'll put on a great show and it will be a really good race.”
Fortec Motorsport’s Yelmer Buurman was another British F3 podium debutant at Donington Park, with the 19-year-old Dutchman finishing ahead of Bruno Senna in round 4, a result that moved him into the top six in the championship title race. “I’ve never raced on a street circuit so it’s going to be new for me,” he commented. “It's not going to be easy, we'll see what happens. However it will be a good experience and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
In the National Class T-Sports Rodolfo Gonzalez is looking to maintain his 100% record, completing 4 wins from 4 starts despite a bent steering column in the final race at Donington Park. The Venezualan currently has a comfortable 35-point lead in the National Class championship over South African Cristiano Morgado, however the former World and European kart champion will be looking to close the gap at Pau.
The 24 regular drivers in the Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series will joined by the EuroF3 team Signature-Plus, whose three-car Mercedes powered team includes 2005 British F3 International Series runner up Charlie Kimball. Last season the American scored five wins, securing 2nd place in the series, 43 points behind 2005 champion Alvaro Parente.
Round 5 of the 2006 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series takes place on Sunday 4th June at 17:50, with Round 6 on Monday 5th June at 15:00. The meeting also includes Rounds 4 & 5 of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, where the GT3 and GTC class cars will race alongside the Coupe de France FFSA GT. A full race calendar is on offer with further racing by Porsche Carrera Cup, Coupe Peugeot 206 RCC, Peugeot RC Cup, FFSA Formula Renault, French Formula Campus Renault Elf and the French Renault Clio Cup Elf.
