Danny Watts, driving the Promatecme run Lola-Dome Mugen Honda, scored another superb podium finish on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit over the weekend to continue his impressive form in the Embassy Racing backed Anglo/Japanese chassis. After a strong showing the previous weekend at Zandvoort in the Marlboro Masters International event, BRDC backed Watts was only headed at the chequered flag by title protagonists Nelsinho Piquet and James Rossiter. It was a popular result for what was both his and Promatecme’s local race.
After qualifying 5th on Friday, Watts made an electric start to immediately sweep ahead of 4th placed starter Will Power in the ADR Dallara. Then diving to the outside at Copse, Danny made a stunning move around the outside on Adam Carroll to wrest 3rd place from the highly rated Ulsterman, before homing in on James Rossiter on the run down to Stowe Corner in an explosive opening few corners. “It was a great start and I got the bite on the clutch spot on,” said Danny after enjoying his champagne on the podium. “I was able to get alongside Rossiter at Stowe and I nearly made it stick, but two places on the first lap was still pretty good going.”
Running on the outside at Stowe compromised Danny’s approach to Club Corner where Carroll fought back and took a look down the inside in to the Abbey Chicane. “ I knew Adam would come back at me because he’s a great racer,” said the 24 year old from nearby Buckingham. “But I was prepared for him and defended the position in to Abbey which I think is when Power got by Adam for 4th. That probably helped me consolidate the 3rd place in the early running.”
With eventual winner Piquet and runner-up Rossiter ahead, Danny settled in to an impressive race rhythm that saw him lap consistently just a tenth of a second off the leading pairs pace, setting the third fastest lap. Indeed, halfway through the 15 lap event, Danny started to close on both Piquet and Rossiter but was ultimately just unable to challenge for another possible win. “The car was fantastic throughout the race and once again it is a clear indication of the progress being made by Lola and Promatecme. We can definitely challenge for wins again this season and with quick tracks like Thruxton and Spa coming up I cannot wait to get stuck in again and challenge at the front of the field once more.”
Race 2 at Silverstone got underway after a brief shower deposited itself on the track neccisitating the majority of the grid to change on to slick tyres. Lining up a fine 4th on the grid, Danny was unable to repeat his heroic start in the first race and completed the first lap in 6th. As the track dried the wet tyres inevitably started overheating and Danny was forced to watch helplessly as a handful of drivers, who elected to gamble on slick tyres, overtook him and the rest of the field.
“It was just one of those decisions where you are either hero or zero and today the majority of the grid opted to start on wets. It was a marginal call and of course the guys who gambled (surprise race winner Marcus Marshall, Alvaro Parente and Danilo Dirani) all qualified quite poorly and so they had nothing to lose. Still, we scored some more points for 8th position and we are also still in touch with the fight for 4th in the Championship,”
Just behind Danny in the final classification was Promatecme Scholarship runner Vasilije Calasan who scored brace of class wins, including a fine 9th overall in the second race.
The Avon Tyres British Formula Three field now heads to the UK’s fastest circuit, Thruxton in Hampshire where Danny Watts and the Promatecme Lola-Dome will once again be gunning for more top placings after once again proving to be the most consistent challenger to the Dallaras since the early 1990’s.
