CHRIS GILMOUR used his customary good start to perfect effect at Phillip Island today, powering from third off the line to win the sixth round of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship and solidify his championship lead with one round to go.
After being beaten by both James Winslow and John Magro in the two sprint races held as a precursor to the double-points trophy race, Gilmour had watched his 20-point championship lead be halved as the weekend progressed.
But with one perfect launch and a controlled 10-lap drive at the front he turned the margin back around with what he described as his ‘best ever drive’ in his 116-race F3 career.
“That was just about as perfect as it gets,” the Queenslander beamed.
“I was a bit uncomfortable yesterday and not in the right headspace so I didn’t get the best start, but today I knew what we had to do and was able to do it. The start was great and I was able to maintain the lead all race thanks to a very, very good car.
“I think it’s the best race I’ve ever driven and certainly one of the most satisfying. I want to win this championship more than anything else so this is a great confidence boost and gives us a great start ahead of Tasmania next week.”
Gilmour now leads Winslow by 19 points ahead of the final round to be held at Symmons Plains with the V8 Supercars in seven days time.
John Magro finished second in the feature race, backing up a pair of the same results in the two earlier races in one the more competitive weekends of his F3 career. Magro was slow away from the start in the feature race but had superior straight-line speed over Winslow’s similar Mercedes-Benz powered Dallara and chased the former champion down mid-way through the (shortened) 10-lap affair.
The pair engaged in a mighty side-by-side duel for second that lasted for more than twenty seconds, from the beginning of Gardner Straight all the way to the braking zone at the Turn four hairpin in an impressive display of side-by-side racing.
“It feels like a win to me,” Magro said.
“I was really pleased with the way I drove and the way the car was all weekend. We’ve been tuning it up and it’s brilliant. I’m going to have a massive go in Tassie next week and I think we can win it to end the year on a high.”
Magro remains in championship contention, 37 points from the leader.
Winslow will have the hard work to do in Tasmania, but after halving Gilmour’s lead in the first two races this weekend still has every chance to win his second Australian Drivers Championship title. The British ace is also in sight of the all-time Australian Formula 3 wins record, adding to his motivation for next weekend; his 15 career wins just two away from the all time best of 17, held by two-time champion Paul Stephenson.
Mat Sofi had a solid weekend in the Astuti Motorsport Yellow Tail Wines Dallara, dicing with Gilmour in race two (after beating him to the first corner) and keeping touch with the leaders in the finale in a performance that showed the combination will be contenders at Symmons Plains next week.
Steel Guiliana won the day in the Forpark Australia F3 National Class though team mate Josh Burdon could argue that his weekend was just as strong.
Burdon won the first two sprint races in commanding fashion whilst Guiliana failed to finish race two after a high-speed trip off-track at turn one. But the class leader rebounded strongly to win the feature race after a race long battle with Burdon and Queenslander Ben Gersekowski, who scored a trio of seconds on the Island. Roman Krumins maintained contact with the class leaders all weekend for perhaps the best fourth-place of his F3 career.
Guiliana now leads Gersekowski by just 12 points ahead of the final round this week.
The F3 Australian Drivers Championship will return to one of its most special venues this week, returning to Symmons Plains Raceway in Tasmania with the Falken Tasmania Challenge V8 Supercar event.
The F3 Australian Drivers Championship acknowledges and thanks 2011 partners Kumho Tyres, Forpark Australia, ELF (Race Fuels), Performance Friction Brakes and Race Torque Media for their support.
More information can be found at www.formula3.com.au
