After a dominant brace of wins at Donington Park two weeks ago, Lola’s Formula Three customers travel to Spa with an enormous sense of optimism for rounds 3 and 4 of the 2005 British Formula Three International Championship this weekend.
P1 Motorsport and Promatecme UK will be out to consolidate their own superb performances in the opening rounds a fortnight ago, as their drivers Danilo Dirani, Steven Kane and Charles Hollings all have previous experience of the undulating circuit.
After a successful test at Thruxton last week in which Dirani once again topped the times and Kane finished an encouraging 4th fastest, Lola engineers believe that Spa, so often described as the best test of any chassis, could be well suited to the B05/30.
Leading the title race after a maximum score at Donington, Dirani is full of confidence for the Belgian races, saying: “I had two very good races here last year, getting a podium in both events, so I am sure that we can do a good job again with the P1 Lola this year.”
Steven Kane, who worked miracles two weeks ago after minimal testing in the Promatecme Lola, is relishing the prospect of challenging at the front this weekend and emulating his mentor Damon Hill, who won the Belgian Grand Prix in 1998 for Jordan. 11 years earlier he also scored a significent F3 win at Spa in an Intersport run Ralt RT31 Toyota.
“It is always a great feeling as you leave the pitlane to begin a lap of Spa, “ said Kane looking ahead to the weekend. “ Eau Rouge in an F3 car is not as spectacular as Pouhon or Blanchimont. They are really mega corners and certainly get your attention, so I can’t wait to get started although we are still short of laps. Still, if we can achieve what we did at Donington then I will be a happy man.”
Charlie Hollings’ previous track experience at Spa was in a Radical sportscar and the 23 year old will be looking to follow up on the promise of a podium place and fastest national class lap at Donington two weeks ago. “We improved throughout the weekend at Donington and I am sure that at Spa we will be aiming to improve on that, so I can’t wait to get the weekend underway. The circuit is just majestic and in an F3 car it will really be something.”
