Twynham tests Auto GP car ahead of F3 Open title showdown

Up and coming British racing driver Cameron Twynham heads to the European F3 Open season finale in Barcelona next weekend (8-10 November) still hopeful of challenging for the Copa Class title.The 17-year-old from Market Harborough has been a championship contender since the first round of the year but endured a luckless weekend at Monza last time out, leaving him 13 points adrift of top spot. With only 20 still available from the final two races at Circuit de Catalunya, Twynham is well aware of the task at hand.“I’m under no illusions as to how difficult it will be to clinch the Copa crown in Spain, but that won’t stop me from going out all guns blazing,” he confirmed. “Realistically I need to win both races in order to have any chance, so I’ll be in maximum attack mode. Any other approach simply won’t do.”To that end Twynham can take comfort from the raw pace he and his Team West-Tec-run Dallara F308 demonstrated at the ultra-fast Monza circuit where he comfortably qualified on pole among the newer F312 machinery. “Monza was tough as the hard work I’d put in over the previous couple of months didn’t really pay off. We were leading the championship and had qualified on pole, but that first race just didn’t go to plan and from there things started to unravel. “But all in all, regardless of what happens in Barcelona, I think we can be proud of the season as a whole. Looking back over the year there are moments where I know we lost points, but also those where we outperformed the car or overcame difficulties. My chief rival has a lot more experience than me, and although I obviously want to win the championship, finishing second would still represent a good return.”While the prospect of overhauling that 13-point deficit will be at the forefront of his mind during the coming week, last Monday (October 28) was all about keeping one eye on the future when Twynham made the considerable step up in performance by sampling a Zele Racing-prepared Auto GP single-seater for the first time.Travelling to Jerez for the championship’s official post-season test day, Cameron quickly settled in behind the wheel of the 550bhp machine despite the significant increase in both power and downforce.“No question, the Auto GP car was absolutely awesome,” enthused Twynham. “I was on-track all day and covered a lot of laps. The jump in performance was very noticeable at first, especially the throttle response. There’s just no comparison between it and an F3 car. So I was patient, built my confidence step by step and was soon turning quick lap times. The team were happy and I didn’t make any silly mistakes. It was a great day and has given me a lot to think about for next year.”Don’t forget Motors TV has live coverage of both European F3 Open races next weekend, with Saturday’s coverage beginning at 13:50 and Sunday’s starting at 12:05 GMT.Barcelona weekend schedule*Friday 8 November:Free Practice 1: 09:00 – 09:30Free Practice 2: 12:20 – 12:50Free Practice 3: 17:10 – 17:40Saturday 9 November:Qualifying 1: 11:10 – 11:40Race 1: 15:00 (17 laps)Sunday 10 November:Qualifying 2: 09:15 – 09:45Race 2: 13:20 (17 laps)


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