Carlin Motorsport is off to a great start to the British F3 International season after driver Daniel Ricciardo won both of last weekend’s rounds at Oulton Park.
Australian Ricciardo started his debut race on the front row, beside team-mate Max Chilton, who compromised his race with a jump start and a corresponding penalty, his challenge eventually fading in the face of pressure from Ricciardo and JTR’s Nick Tandy.
His second win saw him get past pole-sitter Walter Grubmuller, of Hitech Racing, on two separate occasions following a race restart that saw him lose the place he had gained.
The race initially went off the rails after F3 rookie Wayne Boyd spun at Old Hall Corner – into the path of T-Sport team-mate Gabriel Dias, who rolled his own car. Neither driver was injured.
By the end of the opening lap of the restarted race, Ricciardo had opened up a 1.3 second lead, challenged by both Grubmuller and Tandy – currently the highest-placed British driver in the series following his two podium finishes. But neither could keep him from taking the chequered flag.
Full results and standings on the British F3 International website >>
Ricciardo has since told Autosport that he’s not expecting the rest of the season to be quite so easy: “I think this weekend proved there’s quite a few of us who can fight for race wins.
“Nick Tandy was always going to be strong, Walter [Grubmuller], with his F3 experience, he’s started well.
“Max [Chilton] impressed with his pole, and [Daisuke] Nakajima in his first British F3 race was right up there, so it’s quite hard to say, but for sure there are a few guys who can do it.”
He has also since impressed in a Silverstone testing session, topping the timesheet during a wet session.