After a frustrating weekend at the Nurburgring, Northern Irish racer William Buller bounced back in perfect fashion at Paul Ricard with his maiden victory in the Cooper Tires British F3 International Series (16/17 July).The MSA Team UK-backed driver, originally from Scarva but now based in Northamptonshire, made the trip to France seeking to challenge at the front of the field at the wheel of his Fortec Motorsport-run Dallara Mercedes after on-track incidents caused by another driver ended his podium hopes in Germany.Having started the opening race of the weekend from eighth on the grid, a solid performance saw Will take the flag in seventh place, which in turn gave him pole position for race two thanks to the reverse grid draw.After the initial start to race two was red-flagged following a collision on the grid, Will made the perfect start when the lights went out for a second time and was able to pull away at the head of the field to beat Carlin’s Rupert Svendsen-Cook to the chequered flag – giving Will his first trip to the top of the British F3 podium. In a further boost, Will also posted the fastest lap of the race.The final race of the weekend once again saw Will starting from eighth place but a demon getaway when the lights went out saw him climb to fourth on the opening lap, a position he would then hold through to the final lap despite pressure from behind.A collision at the final corner between Kevin Magnussen and Antonio Felix da Costa saw Magnussen retire and promoted Will into third place, which then became second when da Costa was handed a time penalty after the race was finished.Will points haul from the weekend mean he now sits sixth in the championship standings ahead of the next round of the season at Spa, while his victory and second place also ensured he was awarded the Sunoco Driver of the Weekend award.“After the disappointment of the Nurburgring, it was a really good weekend and I’m delighted to have got my first victory,” he said. “In practice, I was quick in the first two sectors but just couldn’t get the final sector hooked up and it was the same in qualifying, so I was a bit disappointed with eighth on the grid.“I knew the Paul Ricard was a circuit where overtaking would be possible and in the first race, I was able to get the final sector of the lap sorted and finished seventh with the bonus of getting pole for race two. There was a mix-up when the lights went out so I had to do the work twice, but I was able to pull away from the chasing pack and bring the car home. Getting the victory is great as it’s been overdue; I’ve had the speed but haven’t always had the luck on my side.“In race three I got a great start to climb to fourth and then profited from the accident ahead on the final lap to finish second. In Germany, da Costa caused problems for me in two of the races and there was no penalty, but at least I was able to benefit this time. “Being on the top step of the podium is a fantastic reward for all the boys at Fortec who have worked so hard this season to give me a good car, and it is also great for the people behind the MSA Team UK initiative and all my sponsors who have made my F3 programme possible.“First and second are good results for me this weekend and strong points towards the championship. I’m only 27 points away from second in the standings, so things are really hotting up.”