 British F3000 2002 review.
Story by Andrew Frampton.
A lights-to-flag victory for the Czech driver Tomas Enge in the seventh round of the International Formula 3000 championship at Silverstone reopened the fight for the 2002 title, as series leader Sebastien Bourdais, who finished behind the Team Arden International car, saw his advantage reduced to just nine points.
The grid for the race was formed from the times set in the second qualifying session. Run in dry conditions, all the drivers went faster than they had done in the earlier, damp session. Enge took pole position, with Nurburgring race winner Bourdais alongside on the front row. Giorgio Pantano (Coloni) and Ricardo Sperafico (Petrobras), two outsiders for the championship campaign, completed the second row of the grid, ahead of Antonio Pizzonia (Petrobras) and Mario Haberfeld (Astromega). The second Arden car of Bjorn Wirdheim lined up in seventh position, over a second off his team-mate's pace. Enrico Toccacelo (Coloni) took 8th, with Rodrigo Sperafico (Durango) and Patrick Friesacher (Red Bull) completing the top ten.
Although the Formula One race around Silverstone was the most exciting of the year, the F3000 race was a damp squib in comparison. Enge led the field away from pole position despite suffering with wheelspin off the grid, with Bourdais and Ricardo Sperafico retaining their positions behind. The top three positions remained the same thereafter, with Enge emerging victorious by 12.9 seconds, and Bourdais claiming second by a margin of nearly five seconds. Antonio Pizzonia moved into fourth position as the lights turned to green, powering passed Pantano along the pit straight and taking the position around the outside into Copse. He would only hold his advantage for two laps, however, with the Italian regaining fourth at Club on lap two. Pantano retained his advantage over the remaining laps, with Pizzonia finishing fifth, ahead of Wirdheim, who held off the late challenge of Friesacher to claim the final point. Toccacelo took eighth while Rodrigo Sperafico and Nicolas Kiesa completed the top ten after Mario Haberfeld and Ricardo Mauricio had clashed when running well up the order.
Although Bourdais' advantage may only be marginal, a victory at his home race at Magny-Cours in two weeks time, would boost the Frenchman's title challenge.
Race Result:
1. Tomas Enge (Arden)
2. Sebastien Bourdais (Super Nova) +12.916s
3. Ricardo Sperafico (Petrobras) +17.600s
4. Giorgio Pantano (Coloni) +18.942s
5. Antonio Pizzonia (Petrobras) +25.221s
6. Bjorn Wirdheim (Arden) +35.750s
Driver's Championship Standings:
1. Sebastien Bourdais 40pts
2. Tomas Enge 31pts
3. Giorgio Pantano 21pts
4. Rodrigo Sperafico 16pts
5. Antonio Pizzonia 15pts
6. Mario Haberfeld 13pts
= Patrick Friesacher 13pts
2002 F3000 season calendar
30/03/2002 - Sao Paulo
- Brazil grid by JR
- Brazil review by AF
- Brazil lap-by-lap by JR
13/04/2002 - Imola
- San Marino grid by JR
- San Marino review by AF
- San Marino lap-by-lap by JR
27/04/2002 - Barcelona
- Spain grid by JR
- Spain review by AF
- Spain lap-by-lap by JR
11/05/2002 - Spielberg
- Austria grid by JR
- Austria review by AF
- Austria lap-by-lap by JR
25/05/2002 - Monaco
- Monaco grid by JR
- Monaco review by AF
- Monaco lap-by-lap by JR
22/06/2002 - Nürburgring
- Europe grid by JR
- Europe review by AF
- Europe lap-by-lap by JR
06/07/2002 - Silverstone
- Britain grid by JR
- Britain review by AF
- Britain lap-by-lap by JR
20/07/2002 - Magny-Cours
- France grid by JR
- France review by AF
- France lap-by-lap by JR
27/07/2002 - Hockenheim
- Germany circuit by JR
- Germany grid by JR
- Germany review by AF
17/08/2002 - Hungaroring
- Hungary circuit by JR
- Hungary grid by JR
- Hungary lap-by-lap by JR
31/08/2002 - Spa Francorchamps
- Belgium grid by JR
- Belgium review by AF
- Belgium lap-by-lap by JR
14/09/2002 - Monza
- Italy grid by JR
- Italy review by AF
- Italy lap-by-lap by JR
|
|
|
|
