• Guilherme Samaia takes second British F3 rostrum at Snetterton
Top motor racing squad Double R Racing celebrated podium success in both the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford and the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship over the weekend, 26th/27th August.
Linus Lundqvist bounced back tremendously well from a luckless outing at Knockhill in Scotland two weeks ago to qualify on pole position for the first of three British F4 races at Rockingham, converting his top-of-the-grid slot in round 22 into an outstanding lights-to-flag victory in Northamptonshire.
Around 90 miles away at Snetterton 300 Circuit in Norfolk, the Woking team’s British F3 squad was in action for the penultimate race meeting of its season where Guilherme Samaia claimed his best finish to date with the runner-up spot in round 20 – his second podium of the campaign.
“It’s great to be back on the top step of the podium in F4 with Linus”, said Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, “Knockhill was a nightmare for him, so pole position and his fourth win of the season at Rockingham this weekend was just what he and the team needed. Karl [Massaad] had a whole heap of problems unfortunately, but we know he’ll be back strong at Silverstone.
“Guilherme performed well in the second F3 race at Snetterton, it’s good to be back on the podium in F3 as well and just a shame we couldn’t challenge for the win. Overall, the team effort was strong with Krish [Mahadik] showing really good pace and Jamie [Chadwick] was consistent once again.”
Double R wins again at Rockingham
Sweden’s Lundqvist delivered the perfect response to the huge disappointment of the previous event at Knockhill with the round 22 pole position and victory at Rockingham. Making a good start and seeing off an early challenge, he then began to stamp his authority on the encounter and gradually pulled away from the pack en-route to a winning margin of 1.9 seconds.
Team-mate Karl Massaad, who started 10th, made a good launch and climbed into ninth on the opening tour. Coming under attack on lap four, he was bundled back to 10th place after being edged wide but moved back into ninth on lap six and remained there to the conclusion.
For round 23 on Sunday morning, Lundqvist started seventh with Massaad directly behind in ninth on the grid and the race one winner managed to move up into the top six off the start before being pushed back to seventh into Deene.
On the run to Yentwood, though, a tangle pitched Lundqvist into a spin and team-mate Massaad was also caught-up in the aftermath meaning they slipped to 13th and 15th respectively. Despite damage, Lundqvist made progress back through the order, climbing into 11th place by lap three, but a moment on lap five undid his work. Recovering again, he moved through to 11th before pitting to retire on lap 10.
Having also made some progress after the lap one dramas, despite struggling with a damaged front wing, Massaad moved into 13th and broke into the top 12 after Lundqvist’s lap five excursion. Like his team-mate, though, Massaad soon pitted as his wing issues became an increasing problem. After rejoining with a new nose cone and front wing assembly, the Lebanese driver finished in 12th place.
Round 24 began with Lundqvist fourth on the grid and a strong start kept him in contention for the podium. Almost collected by a rival as he headed through the right-hander at Yentwood, Lundqvist emerged from the turn safely and began to pile immense pressure on third placed Jamie Caroline.
Swarming all over the series leader, weaving from side to side in search of a passing opportunity, Lundqvist couldn’t find a way through and on lap nine he was edged back to fifth by Ayrton Simmons at Tarzan. Momentarily getting fourth back on lap 11 around the outside at Deene, after being bumped onto the grass at the exit the Double R driver reassumed fifth where he stayed to the flag.
From ninth on the grid, Massaad did lose a couple of spots initially and was then bundled back to 14th place. Slipping another position on lap three, he hit back at Deene the next time around before retiring on lap nine when the magnet on his steering wheel failed causing paddle-shift problems.
Season-best finish for Samaia as British F3 returns to Snetterton
In British F3 at Snetterton, Krishnaraaj Mahadik – who arrived in Norfolk off the back of a stunning maiden victory last time out at Brands Hatch – was the quickest of the Double R contingent in qualifying to secure third on the grid for race one, round 19. Team-mates Guilherme Samaia and Jamie Chadwick, meanwhile, were ninth and 11th fastest respectively on the damp but drying track.
On the first lap of Saturday’s contest, Mahadik unfortunately slipped to fifth place and then stayed there race-long. As the laps counted down, the Indian ace edged ever closer to the back of Ben Hingeley’s car and took the flag on lap 10 only 0.3 seconds shy.
Samaia held position at the beginning of the race, with Chadwick moving up into the top 10 and pressuring her Brazilian team-mate initially. As a result of a rival slipping down the order on lap two, the Double R duo climbed into eighth and ninth and remained in those positions to the finish.
On the partially reversed grid for round 20, Samaia started on pole position as a result of his top eight finish in the previous race and a good start enabled him to hold the lead into Riches, before concluding lap one still at the head of the field.
Edged back to second place on lap two, Samaia slipped away from the lead car during the remainder of the 10-lap contest but maintained the runner-up position to the conclusion to secure his second podium finish of the campaign.
Team-mate Mahadik lined-up on the second row of the grid in fourth place and held station early on as he looked to try and break into the podium placings. On lap three, though, he was shuffled back to fifth spot and then edged to sixth on lap seven where he stayed to the flag.
Chadwick ended the second of the weekend’s races just behind Mahadik, taking seventh from ninth on the grid. Putting together a superb opening lap, leaping into the top six, Chadwick was edged back to seventh on lap two but thereafter didn’t put a wheel wrong all the way to the flag.
For round 21, Mahadik started in seventh position and climbed into the top five on lap one before remaining there for the rest of the 10-lapper. Samaia and Chadwick lined-up ninth and 10th on the grid but slipped to 10th and 11th respectively on lap one, where they then stayed race-long.
Double R’s British F4 squad will be back in action on 16th/17th September at Silverstone National Circuit for the penultimate event of the season. The final rounds of the British F3 Championship will then follow a week later at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit on 23rd/24th September.
2017 British F4 Championship Standings
5th Linus Lundqvist, 239.5pts; 10th Karl Massaad, 66pts; 17th Daniel Cao, 7pts
2017 BRDC British F3 Championship Standings
8th Jamie Chadwick, 227pts; 12th Guilherme Samaia, 175pts;
19th Harry Hayek, 51pts; 20th Linus Lundqvist, 32pts
