2008 Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula F3 Championship National Class

Bucharest Street Circuit 23rd/24th August www.bucharest-ring.com

Hywel jumps to 2nd overall in F3 National Class after Roman holiday

Race 2 podium -Happy Chappy-Hywel looks the happiest - Maybe Wilson & Bridger realise he's given them something to think about! 

Qualifying   & Race 1 Saturday 23 August

Wrda member Hywel Lloyd and the CF Racing team are on a double high after bouncing up to 2nd place in the National Class points standing after a double 2nd place finish on a hot & steamy race weekend on the Bucharest street circuit in Romania. The 5000 Kilometre round trip started to look  worthwhile as in Qualifying for Race 1 , Steven Guerrero was the National Class provisional pole position man until late on,   ahead of Hywel and Salman Al Khalifa.  Al Khalifa clipped the wall and  Stefan Wilson span out and stalled at Turn 13,  bringing out the yellows as the marshals removed his car from the circuit.  The yellows spoilt Hywels fastest lap but   Jay Bridger claimed the National Class pole on his very last lap.

However in the race it was all change in the National Class as Jay Bridger and Steven Guerraro, who were fighting for the lead, suddenly locked up and both ran wide,  leaving the way clear for Al Khalifa who had challenged Hywel into the first corner, eventually making the move stick after the Welshman fought back into Turn 2.  On lap 6 disaster struck for Steven Guerrero as he ran wide on the exit of Turn 12 and hit the wall hard. Behind the Colombian at the same corner Stefan Wilson and Philip Major collided, braking the rear suspension on the Canadian drivers car, and then Wilson’s Dallara tagged the back of Kristjan Einar’s Dallara, which ended up in the wall.  Wilson dragged his car back to the pits to retire but Major and Einar’s cars were stranded on the circuit and the safety car was deployed to allow them to be recovered. So Al Khalifa finally won a race with Hywel in close company  and Jay Bridger in 3rd place, and doing enough to win the National Class, however overnight Hwyel is only 3 points away for 2nd place in the title standings.

Qualifying & Race 2 Sunday 24 August

Hywel sealed one of his best qualifying positions of the year by finishing  a  wreck strewn session in 2nd place behind  National Class points leader Jay Bridger took but ahead of Steven Guerrero.  After just five minutes of the session run the red flags came out as Atte Mustonen clipped a barrier in the first chicane and slammed into the concrete wall on the exit.   With five minutes of the session left Steven Guerrero spun and hit the wall at Turn 10, his T Sport Dallara coming to rest in the middle of the circuit and bringing out the second red flag. 

Race 2

Hywel powers around the Bucharest circuit

Jay Bridger had another disastrous opening lap, dropping three places as he got caught out at the second chicane by slower cars and then being in the wrong gear, consigning him to battle with Steven Guerrero for third place while Hywel and Stefan Wilson headed off into the distance. However just before half distance a crash brought out the safety car and following the re-start Hywel was under pressure from Stefan Wilson for the lead of the National Class. The two cars were nose to tail for several laps after the restart. On lap 13 Wilson got close enough to challenge into the second chicane. Wilson took his chance to take the lead and reversed the Monza result by jumping the chicane. Jay Bridger finished third, doing Hywel a favour by robbing Guerrero of a few more points and helping maximise the points gained from his second podium to put Hywel up to 2^nd place in the Championship with only the 2 races at Donington to go.

Speaking afterwards Hywel commented on his Romanian trip. "It's a brilliant place to go. The circuit was fantastic! Obviously being a street circuit it was really bumpy, but you need so much concentration. It was a brilliant challenge, and for once we had the car working well".

Speaking about his double podium, he said "It was a brilliant set of results for me and the team. We couldn't have asked for more from the weekend. Race 2 was a difficult race. After the safety car I made a mistake and allowed Stefan alongside me, going into the 2nd chicane. He went across the chicane and I came out in second place.   However to finish the season in 2nd place in the class in our first year would be a major achievement for me and the team as well. We have only got the races at Donington left, but its probably one of my favourite tracks on the UK. I done a lot there with Formula Renault, so hopefully we can keep the points coming"

Listen to the Pre race press conference

The final races in the 2008 Championship is on the Donington Park National Circuit on 11/12 October. (There will be a test day on the 9th), Andy Meyrick is also hoping to return at Donington and with 42 points on offer over the 2 races 2nd and 3rd places are still up for grabs. Hopefully we can see two Welshman filling those places.

Points after 20 of 22 races