Kimi Raikkonen's brand new Formula 3 team matched the Finn's Bahrain GrandPrix result by scoring a third place in its first ever outing in the BritishF3 International Series.
Young British prospect Dan Clarke had an excellent F3 debut at DoningtonPark, and backed that up later in the day by taking fourth place with hisDallara-Mugen Honda in race two to finish the day third in the championship.His team-mate, Bruno Senna (nephew of Ayrton Senna), took a fine sixth in raceone but spun out of the second.
Raikkonen Robertson Racing was set up by Kimi Raikkonen and his manager,Steve Robertson. It is run by Anthony 'Boyo' Hieatt, who engineeredRobertson in his F3 days and also tended Raikkonen when he tested an F3 car in 2000 inpreparation for his Sauber Formula 1 tryout. Hieatt engineered Takuma Sato to the 2001 British F3 title at Carlin Motorsport.
Clarke qualified fourth for the first race but made a good start to move upto third. He kept the position to the end, closing on the leading duo butthen dropping back to fend off Ryan Lewis for the final podium spot. He wasfourth on the grid again for race two and once more moved straight up to third.Halfway round the first lap he then passed Mike Conway for second. After asafety-car period, Clarke made a mistake at McLeans and dropped to fourth,where he stayed until the finish.
"In the first race I was catching the leaders while they were battling but,once they split up, they just started driving and pulled away," said Clarke."Ryan was on newer tyres than me but I found out where he was quicker thanme and used the backmarkers to keep a gap. He was never really close enough tome coming onto the back straight and he never drafted me, so I chilled out. Apodium is a great achievement - the result of the whole team contributingand an improvement from pre-season testing.
"For race two the track was dirty from the support races. I tried to rush mypace too much and leant on the car. It was exactly the same mistake asConway made when I passed him."
Senna completed a lap which was almost good enough for pole in firstqualifying but spun on the exit of the chicane and crossed the linebackwards. Even so that was his best time - shades of his uncle Ayrton at the French GrandPrix! From fifth on the grid he dropped back at the start, but got the best ofStephen Jelley in a battle for sixth. Senna's result meant that, on itsdebut race, Raikkonen Robertson was the only team to get both cars home in the topsix.
The Brazilian qualified ninth for race two but spun out on the first lap andwas hit by another car, forcing him out.
A delighted Hieatt said: "Everyone is well chuffed and I'm over the moon.Having both cars in the top six in race one was fantastic and, although Danmade a mistake in the second race, that's what he's there for - to race and tolearn. We've arrived and we're competitive, and that was the main game forthis weekend."
RESULTSRace 1: 1 Danilo Dirani; 2 Mike Conway; 3 DAN CLARKE; 4 Ryan Lewis; 5Christian Bakkerud; 6 BRUNO SENNA; 7 Steven Kane; 8 Marko Asmer; 9 SusieStoddart; 10 James Walker.
Race 2: 1 Dirani; 2 Asmer; 3 Conway; 4 CLARKE; 5 Kane; 6 Bakkerud; 7 Lewis;8 Walker; 9 Tim Bridgman; 10 Charlie Kimball.
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS1 Dirani 40; 2 Conway 27; 3 CLARKE 22; 4 Asmer 19; 5 Lewis 15; 6 Bakkerud14; 7 Kane 12; 8 SENNA 6; 9 Walker 4; 10= Stoddart & Bridgman 2.
