DESPITE DOUBLE FRONT ROW GRID SLOTS

Wymondham-based P1 Motorsport saw a promising weekend turn sour at Croft Circuit yesterday in Rounds Five and Six of the 2004 Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Championship.

Both Adam Carroll (Northampton/Portadown) and Ernesto Viso (Cambridge / Caracas, Venezuela) had set stunning times during Saturday's qualifying session, to secure a front-row grid slot apiece for today's two F3 encounters.

But neither driver was able to translate their second-pole position into a podium finish - Carroll ending up in the tyre wall on the opening lap of the first race and Viso frustratingly spinning out of contention whilst lying a strong second in Round Six.

With both drivers retiring from both races, team boss Roly Vincini was understandably glad to leave the North Yorkshire circuit this evening:

"What a weekend.  Both the lads proved they were on the pace this weekend and it's just so disappointing to come away with nothing.  It's weekends like this that sort the men out from the boys; we've got a great team of lads working for P1 and two very strong and determined drivers.  We'll bounce back."

QUALIFYING

Rd 5: Adam Carroll - 2nd Ernesto Viso - 6thWarm and dry conditions on Saturday produced two fraught qualifying sessions - and a limited tyre performance window for all runners.

Carroll initially headed the times in the first session, setting a stunning 1:13.231 on his eighth lap.  With no more time to come from his fresh rubber, Carroll was forced to play a waiting game and see if any of his rivals could better his provisional pole position time.  Just three laps later, Carlin Motorsport's Danilo Dirani found an inch-perfect lap to eclipse Carroll by just 16/1000th of a second.  The pair ended the session in first (Dirani) and second (Carroll) respectively, nearly 3/10th of a second clear of the pack.

Viso was a little disappointed to end the session in 6th place overall, having encountered traffic on his best lap early in the session.

Rd 6: Adam Carroll - 7th, Ernesto Viso - 2ndAfter his frustration in the first qualifying session, South American sensation Viso secured a well-deserved front row position during second qualifying.  Warmer track conditions meant tyres usage was even more critical than earlier in the day, and Viso timed his flying lap to perfection.  Posting a time good enough for second on the grid, just 3/100th of a second off poleman Dirani, Viso knew he'd got the best of his tyres.  Despite a valiant effort to depose the Carlin Motorsport driver, Viso ran into traffic towards the end of the session, and the race for pole was over.

With reverse fortunes from the first session, Carroll ran into traffic on his hot lap - and despite being just 16/100th of a second off pole, he ended the session in seventh place overall.

ROUND FIVEAdam Carroll - DNF, Ernesto Viso - DNF

A miserable start to the first race of the day saw Carroll and second-row man James Rossiter come together on the exit of the first corner - and Carroll immediately in trouble.  The resulting contact saw the unlucky P1 Motorsport driver launched up into the air and onto the tyre wall at the second corner.  Although Carroll's car sustained no actual damage during the incident, one of the tyres subsequently bounced onto his rear wing, causing significant damage.  The determined youngster rejoined down in 14th place but retirement was on the cards and six laps later he drew into the pits to record his second non-finish of the season.

Viso escaped the first corner dramas to consolidate his sixth position on the grid at the start.  As the race settled down, Viso was well placed in sixth just behind Marko Asmer and Alvaro Parente and looking good for a strong points finish.  However disaster struck on lap 13 when Viso clipped the tyres at the chicane, damaging his front suspension and forcing immediate retirement.

ROUND SIX Adam Carroll - DNF, Ernesto Viso - DNF

Carroll's second race lasted one lap less than his first - and was even more frustrating.  After a decent start, he was lying sixth at the end of the opening lap and in the middle of a frantic train behind race leader and pole-sitter Dirani.  For the first half dozen laps, Carroll held station behind Clivio Piccione with the threat from the following Karun Chandhok receding as the laps counted down.  But on lap six, it was all over.  Carroll suddenly encountered a loss of power and although he was able to limp back to the pits, the electrical problem was terminal, forcing his immediate retirement.

All P1 Motorsport's hopes now rested on Viso, who had made a cracking start from second on the grid to hold station over the opening few laps.  Less than a second behind leader Dirani, Viso was driving a superbly controlled race, gradually pulling away from the chasing Will Davison in third as he shadowed Dirani's every move.  But just before half distance Viso again fell foul of the tyres positioned at the chicane - and as soon as he clipped them, he knew his race was over.  With a badly deranged front left wheel, the unfortunate Viso limped onto the run-off grass and into retirement.

Rounds Seven and Eight of the 2004 Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Championship take place at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland, on 15th & 16th May.

QUALIFYING - ROUND FIVE1   Danilo DIRANI   BRA   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.215   2   Adam CARROLL   GBR   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.231   3   James ROSSITER   GBR   Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   1:13.494   4   Alvaro PARENTE   POR   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.591   5   Will DAVISON   AUS   Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   1:13.635   6   Ernesto VISO   VEN   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.747   7   Marko ASMER   EST   Dallara F304 Renault Sodemo   1:13.766   8   Nelson A PIQUET   BRA   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.794   9   Lucas DI GRASSI   BRA   Dallara F304 Renault Sodemo   1:13.804   10   Karun CHANDHOK   IND   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.903  QUALIFYING - ROUND SIX

1   Danilo DIRANI   BRA   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.795   2   Ernesto VISO   VEN   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.832   3   James ROSSITER   GBR   Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   1:13.836   4   Will POWER   AUS   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.841   5   Lucas DI GRASSI   BRA   Dallara F304 Renault Sodemo   1:13.947   6   Clivio PICCIONE   MON   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.949   7   Adam CARROLL   GBR   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:13.958   8   Will DAVISON   AUS   Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   1:13.992   9   Marko ASMER   EST   Dallara F304 Renault Sodemo   1:14.190   10   Karun CHANDHOK   IND   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   1:14.385 

RACE RESULT - ROUND FIVE

 1   Danilo DIRANI   BRA   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   22:41.872   18  2   James ROSSITER   GBR  Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   22:47.100 18  3   Will DAVISON   AUS   Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   22:53.684   18 RACE RESULT - ROUND SIX

 1   Danilo DIRANI   BRA   Dallara F304 Mugen-Honda   27:49.559   20  2   Will DAVISON   AUS   Dallara F304 Opel Spiess   27:53.373   20  3   Lucas DI GRASSI   BRA   Dallara F304 Renault Sodemo   27:55.146   20