Asmer tenth but Grubmüller forced out
Hitech Racing finished top British F3 team at the ultra-competitive Zandvoort Masters of F3 race at Zolder yesterday. The Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series leaders with Estonian Marko Asmer took tenth place in the 28-lap race at the Belgian track but there was disappointment for F3 rookie Walter Grubmüller who was forced to retire on lap 16.
The top nine finishers were all competitors from the European series who are more used to the Kumho tyres favoured in Europe, over the Avon tyres used in Britain. Marko’s performance was all the more impressive as the 23 year-old struggled with damaged steering following a first corner clash.
Starting from the eighth row, Asmer made a good start to gain two places off the grid, and over the course of the race made up a further four places to cross the line tenth and the top British series driver. Grubmüller meanwhile, dropped two places off the grid when he was unable to see the lights due to confusion on the grid but got up to 27th position from his 31st starting point before contact with another car filled his sidepods with gravel and caused his car to begin overheating.
The 18 year-old, on his debut International F3 race and first outing on the Kumho rubber, put up a good fight, although he too was affected by damaged steering which ultimately sent him into retirement.
David Hayle: “Marko bent the steering at the first corner when he had a collision with Engel and Clos and did the whole race with the steering out. We even considered bringing him in on the second or third lap as the car was very difficult to drive, but he managed to find a way to drive and decided to continue as the lap times were not too bad. We did well considering but the only consolation really is to be top British runner.
“With Walter it was a similar thing. He had a collision on the opening lap which damaged his steering which then caused him to go off the track and filled the sidepods with gravel. That sent the temperature too high and we had no choice but to stop.”
Marko Asmer: “At the first corner I was between Dani Clos and Maro Engel and we touched. Dani came into me and Maro went onto the grass, it was a racing incident, I couldn’t avoid it, I was in the middle. The car was hard to drive because the steering was damaged and I was going to come in but then I saw that the others were even slower so I carried on.”
Walter Grubmüller: “It was a very frustrating first time competing at the Masters, the start was mixed up and then I couldn’t see the lights so I dropped a few places at the start. Then I had contact with a couple of people over the course of the first few laps and several offs when I went into the gravel which I can’t really explain because they were at the most ridiculous places. I kept locking up and couldn’t control the car plus the team couldn’t hear me properly. Then I saw that the engine temperature was starting to rise so my engineer brought me in.”
Results of Zandvoort Masters of F3 – 28 laps
1 Nico Hülkenberg Dallara-Mercedes 40:45.974
2 Yann Clairay Dallara-Mercedes 40:52.664
3 Jean Karl Vernay Dallara-Mercedes 40:53.359
4 Brendan Hartley Dallara-Mercedes 40:53.636
5 Renger van der Zande Dallara-Mercedes 40:55.654
6 Edoardo Piscopo Dallara-Mercedes 40:58.140
7 Edoardo Mortara Dallara-Mercedes 40:58.855
8 Yelmer Buurman Dallara-Mercedes 41:01.114
9 Harald Schlegelmilch Dallara-Mercedes 41:01.330
10 Marko Asmer Dallara-Mercedes 41:07.861
