Less than a second covered the top 12 runners at Silverstone in the first officially timed collective test session of the new season of the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain. Drivers from Australia, the USA, Netherlands, France, Jersey and Finland joined their British counterparts at the British Grand Prix circuit, the venue for the opening rounds of the series in just under a month’s time.
The 2010 championship runner-up, Scott Malvern, emerged on top of the timesheets by a slender margin at the wheel of his new mount, a Mygale prepared by multiple title-winning team Jamun Racing Services. The Essex-based racer went quickest in both the morning and afternoon tests and ended the day a hundredth of a second clear of his team-mate, the Australian Nick McBride, and a tenth ahead of Jamun’s Dutch driver Jeroen Slaghekke.
Malvern said he was pleased with his work, only his sixth day in the car: “I have had to completely relearn how to drive, the Mygale is that different to the Ray I drove last year. The car feels great and I’m really pleased with how things are progressing.”
There was a strong showing from the JTR team also today, with reigning Scholarship Champion Tristan Mingay fourth-quickest overall, just ahead of new signing Dan de Zille, the Jerseyman settling in well to his new team.
The Silverstone tests were an opportunity for teams to test not only drivers already signed to the series for 2011 but also those considering a championship campaign. Among their number was Dan Cammish, the 2009 Scholarship Champion, who sampled Raysport’s new Ray chassis and ended the day the leading non-Mygale runner.
Cliff Dempsey Racing’s American signing Neil Alborico was another Ray man to make the top 10, with Fluid Motorsport’s Van Diemen twosome - Matthew Parry and Matthew Parr - 11th and 12th respectively.
The opening rounds of the 24-race Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain are scheduled for Silverstone over the weekend of 9/10 April.
Leading test times Silverstone 14/3/2011 (am/pm)Scott Malvern GBR / Jamun Mygale: 57.494 / 57.396Nick McBride AUS / Jamun Mygale: 57.885 / 57.406Jeroen Slaghekke NED / Jamun Mygale: 57.867 / 57.504Tristan Mingay GBR / JTR Mygale: 57.840 / 57.621Dan de Zille JEY / JTR Mygale: 57.952 / 57.825Daniel Cammish GBR / Raysport Ray: -- / 57.884Neil Alborico USA / Dempsey Ray: 1:00.706 / 57.888Spike Goddard AUS / Jamun Mygale: 58.234 / 57.957Geoff Uhrhane AUS / JTR Mygale: -- / 57.973Philippe Layac FRA / Enigma Mygale: 57.981 / 58.073Matthew Parry FRA / Fluid Van Diemen: 58.410 / 58.168Matthew Parr FRA / Fluid Van Diemen: 58.393 / 58.359 etc
