Easter Weekend at Oulton Park: Monday

After a day in the real world on Easter Sunday, followed by an early night, it was up at sparrow-cheep on Monday, and off again to Oulton via McDonalds. I had decided to be bold and not use Jane (the name given to our SatNav); although after completing the 50 mile trip quite a few times I should really be able to manage it by now. This backfired as I took a wrong turn a few miles shy of the circuit, at which point Jane was duly removed from the glove box to provide assistance. We arrived just as the GT cars were completing their warm up, it’s a great feeling when you cross the road bridge over the circuit at Oulton’s main entrance, especially when you have Ferraris roaring around underneath. We were directed to park on the infield overlooking Cascades, and when we parked we were amazed, we had undoubtedly the best parking space anywhere in the history of the world. Ever. In the front row, high on the bank, with panoramic views of probably half a mile of the track, encompassing two of the best overtaking areas it has to offer; I didn’t want to get out, but I did.
Christian had decided that he wanted to watch the first race of the day, the reverse grid F3 sprint race from the start line, so we watched the VW qualifying from Lodge, and crossed the track as the session ended. We arrived opposite the pits just as the teams were starting to assemble on the grid, and I tried my best to be as inconspicuous as all the other men as we ogled the Cooper Tires grid girls. It was actually quite an eye opener watching some of these young kids going through their pre race routines, especially Daisuke Nakajima, who had his engineer stick some duct tape on the barrier, presumably as a marker to show him where to stop after the formation lap. I listened as two particularly dull sounding chaps dissected the previous day’s Malaysian GP, “They’re going to have to just dump a load of water on the track half way through each race” was countered with “They need to go back to having cars like these (Formula 3), there’d be loads of overtaking”. I wonder if they noticed that only James Calado overtook anyone after lap 1 in the main F3 race, from the whole of the top 10, they were probably too busy looking for a hosepipe. After the cars left for the parade lap, we legged it down to Old Hall to watch the start, which was impressive if uneventful, apart from Nakajima taking over from Gabriel Dias at the front, lap 2 was more eventful as Dias tried to reclaim the lead around the outside, off the drying line and entered into a predictable, but well saved 360, which left him at the back of the pack. The next lap saw impressive young Brit Rupert Svendson-Cook relieve the Japanese of the lead, again on the run out of Old Hall, a lead which he held to claim his maiden F3 win, at only the second attempt.
We crossed back to the infield after the race and watched the Formula Ford race from Druids, totally the other end of the circuit for those unfamiliar with OP, due to Christian’s constant wanderlust, and by the time we arrived there most of the expected frontrunners were missing from the action, although I never did find out why. We crossed the bridge to watch the first British GT race from the outside of Knickerbrook, my personal favourite spot, where we amazingly managed to stay for the duration of the one hour race. Let me give you some background on my son, Christian. Christian always manages to take a shine to an unexpected driver over the course of a race weekend, it was Michael Caine at the BTCC meeting last year who became the object of his obsession. This time it was his namesake (probably for that reason), Ginetta G50 driver, and Oulton Park race instructor Christian Dick, who would go on to take 1st and then 2nd in the GT4 class in Monday’s two, one hour races. Imagine my embarrassment, and everybody else's confusion, as, during a quiet moment after his Ginetta had roared past us and up clay hill, when Christian loudly exclaimed, “Dad, I absolutely love Dick”. Even the super sensible ear defender wearing family sat next to us turned to give a disapproving look.
After an extortionate lunch and a trip to the stalls for some discount Lewis Hamilton merchandise (which I craftilly got away with buying as this seasons as Lewis is #2 again) we stumbled across one of those 1990's simulators that looks like an airliner cockpit, which was playing a flying lap of Silverstone with Michael Schumacher (in a manual Benetton, so not exactly cutting edge), Christian persuaded me to take him on it, during which we were nearly reacquainted with my hot dog, although I'm sure I enjoyed the ride more than the small boy in front of me who ended up face down in the footwell.
We took advantage of the pitwalk, where we met some more F3 drivers and the now almost legendary Christian Dick (right), and got some rather nice free stuff from the United Autosports Audi team, before heading off to cascades to watch a great Abarth 500 race, in which Benny Simonsen, brother of GT ace Allan, confirmed what we thought on Saturday, that he is a hugely talented young man. Amazingly, we stayed at Cascades and watched Jean-Eric Vergne dominate the 40 minute F3 feature race, before heading back to our car, in cooling conditions, for the second GT race of the day. We saw the Barwell run Aston Martin crash head on into the tyre wall right in front of us, although that was the last action we did see from our fantastic vantage point as some fool in an orange VW transporter drove around the cordon and parked his tango'd monstrosity right in our eye line. We manoeuvred around the emptying embankment and found a spot which was almost as good to watch the MTECH Ferrari team take their second win of the day, and to witness the evergreen David Ashburn drive the wheels off his GT3 Porsche to take a great third place, rivalling Benny Simonsen for the drive of the day.
All in all another great day's racing at one of the best circuits the UK has to offer, we will be back here in June for the BTCC, but our next adventure of note will be to watch the GT1 World Championship at Silverstone in early May, I'll keep you posted.
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Easter Weekend at Oulton Park: Saturday

I have been waiting all winter for the chance to go and see some live action, and this weekend it finally came around as we headed off to Oulton Park for the British F3/British GT openers at my favourite non-F1 circuit. I bought my tickets on the day they went on sale, although due to there being no Sunday action at this meeting, we decided not to camp, but to travel first thing on both the qualifying day (Sat) and the race day (Mon). Christian was almost as excited as I was, and we had no trouble being up at 6.15, so we would have enough time to cram in a McDonalds breakfast and still get there for the first action at 9. Armed with the obligatory camera, autograph book and programme, we started the usual routine of finding a good place to watch then moving after one session either to the paddock, a food stand or the greener grass of a different spectator area. By lunch time on Saturday we had visited every corner of the circuit watching the practice and qualifying activity and decided to go and have a look around the paddock. Christian did his standing on the podium bit and we walked down the back of the pit garages, which for some reason contained the GT cars this year as opposed to the F3 teams which occupied them at last year’s event. There was an unexpected treat there in the form of a road going Pagani Zonda parked at the back of one of the garages. Next stop would be lunch from a burger van, I decided that I would push the boat out and had an £8 burger meal (not a misprint), and as I was putting my ketchup and mustard on it, I accidentally knocked a jug of milk all over some poor chaps food, leading to great embarrassment, I offered to replace the soggy hotdog, but the man insisted that it would be fine as it was. If you are reading and recognise yourself as this person, which is unlikely seeing as my current readership would struggle to form a five-a-side team, I am deeply and truly sorry, not only for the condition which my actions left your lunch, but also for the unpleasant smell which must have followed you around all day from your milk covered jeans, which you had failed to notice as I left the scene, beetroot faced.
Lunch eaten we returned to the circuit and watched the Ginetta G20 race, which this term benefits from a smattering of the new, more aesthetically pleasing G40, which due to its increased weight, and the lack of experience its new owners have of it, struggled for pace against the outgoing G20. We stayed at Old Hall corner for the second race of the day, the inaugural round of the Trofeo Abarth 500 GB, which we had been looking forward to ever since the announcement that the first round would take place on this weekend. It turned into a great race, even though we were deprived of seeing Ben Winrow challenge for honours due to an early retirement. Won by Gareth Howell from the super quick Benny Simonsen, brother of British GT ace Allan, who was contesting his first ever car race, and Charlie Butler-Henderson, brother of Fifth Gear presenter Vicky (which made me think maybe we could have a ‘Brother of a Celebrity’ championship, although this reality TV concept is probably already on the drawing board at Channel 5). Whilst watching the 500’s, it was great to see F3 driver’s Alex Brundle and James Cole mingling with the crowd at Old Hall so close to their championship debut’s, they had come down to watch the action and Christian lost no time in doorstepping his first pedallers of the weekend for autographs (more info in ‘Christian’s autograph book: Part 2’ later). Chapter 1 of the Jean-Eric Vergne show followed, which we were fortunate enough to be watching next to the parents of Welsh F3 star Hywel Lloyd, who seemed to be enjoying the race until their boy was crudely taken out early on by Carlin’s James Calado, leading to some wild gesticulation by Lloyd Sr. This kind of clumsiness has become a bit of a feature in Calado’s fledgling career, as evidenced by the Oulton commentator referring to him as James Collision, and was perhaps explained in a conversation I had last season with the Dad of a fellow Formula Renault driver, who shall remain nameless, who offered the view that Calado could afford to take bigger gambles, and risk accidents, because he enjoyed sponsorship and funding that many of his contemporaries could only dream of. A good day’s spectating was rounded off by the lack of traffic on the way out of the circuit, and we left thoroughly looking forward to the main action on Easter Monday.
Part 2 will follow in the next few days
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Photos will appear soon on our Flickr page: ifitsgot4wheels.

2010 British F3: Oulton Park – Round 1

The new British Formula 3 season kicked off this weekend at Oulton Park sporting a new three race per meeting format, but it was a familiar story as the Carlin team took both pole positions, three fastest laps and all three race wins. This seasons Red Bull backed entrant, Parisian, Jean-Eric Vergne, lived up to his billing of pre season favourite on Saturday by first securing a double pole position, and then winning the first race later the same day from Fortec’s Ollie Webb and Carlin team mate Adriano Buzaid. Vergne would have surely completed a clean sweep of the weekend were it not for the revised format which now incorporates a BTCC style reversed grid for the shorter race two, whereby the race one winner draws a number from 6 to 10, on the podium, to decide which of those race one finishers will start from pole, the rest of the leading group then have their positions reversed, for the half points race.
The first such draw of the season saw Hitech’s Gabriel Dias, 2009 national class runner up, on pole (below), alongside Double R’s Daisuke Nakajima. Nakajima made the better start, and on lap 2 Dias attempted to get back through by taking the outside at a damp Old Hall, the move sending him spinning down the field and eventually into retirement. Two laps later the Japanese was passed, again at Old Hall by series debutant Rupert Svendson-Cook in another Carlin machine. The young Briton managed to fend off his more experienced competitor to take a very impressive win, followed by Colombian Carlos Huertas and the Carlin duo, Buzaid and Vergne.
The 40 minute feature race was somewhat processional, with the top 10 positions remaining largely unchanged throughout the 40 minutes, Vergne won from pole, followed closely by the impressive Formula Renault UK graduate Webb and his compatriot Svendson-Cook.
Vergne, Webb and Svendson-Cook were the obvious stand out drivers of the weekend, although there were some encouraging signs from the likes of Malaysian Jazeman Jaafar and home grown talent Will Buller and Alex Brundle, all new to the machinery. The most disappointing showing was comfortably that of 2009 Formula BMW Europe champion Felipe Nasr of Raikkonen Robertson, whose crash on his first flying lap in qualifying left him languishing at the back of the field all weekend, and according to paddock sources, struggling to motivate himself, maybe he has been taking some lessons in that department from Kimi.
Most experts had tipped Vergne to go well this season, although few would have thought he would dominate in the fashion he did, great news to see, however, that it will be the British contingent that will now be considered his main rivals.
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Spoilt

What a weekend of motorsport this Easter. I spent yesterday at Oulton Park watching the qualifying day of the British F3/GT meeting, including the inaugural race of the Trofeo Abarth GB, which was great fun, today I'm at home watching the Grand Prix from Malaysia, followed by the BTCC at Thruxton, and tomorrow it's back to Cheshire for the race day at Oulton. I feel spoilt! I will throw something more comprehensive together tomorrow night about the weekend, but a big congratulations to everyone involved with the Trofeo for putting together such a great series, and on a great start to it yesterday.
There will also be an edition of 'Christian's Autograph Book', and I will upload Christian's and my photos to the ifitsgot4wheels Flickr page.

2010 British Formula 3 Preview

It took some time for Red Bull’s junior driver programme to begin producing the goods, and in the meantime that has lead to some pretty ordinary drivers, by F1 standards at least, piloting their cars and that of sister team, Toro Rosso, Scott Speed and Sebastien Bourdais would likely fall into that bracket. In the last couple of years however, it has unearthed some real gems, Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi immediately spring to mind, but the next batch are now knocking on the door of Formula 1. You may have noticed New Zealand’s Brendan Hartley hanging around the Toro Rosso garage last season (you may also, incorrectly but understandably, have thought that he was a Red Bull backed surfer dude, invited as a guest), or Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, who was fastest in the three day young driver test last December at Jerez. You will have certainly seen Jaime Alguersuari this year and last and probably noticed him keep Michael Schumacher at bay for 30 laps last weekend at Melbourne. The last two, Alguersuari and Ricciardo, have something else in common; they have each won the British Formula 3 International Series in the last two years in a Red Bull backed, Carlin run machine. Who's next? Introducing Jean-Eric Vergne, the 19 year old Frenchman, who will be trying to complete a hat-trick of titles for Trevor Carlin’s crack F3 squad this term. Hugely talented, Vergne was runner up in both the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and West European Cup, and will this year dovetail a programme in British F3 with an assault on the Formula Renault 3.5 series with SG Formula. He has topped timesheets in testing in both categories this spring and it is a demonstration of the drinks giants’ faith in him that he is running for two top titles in 2010. He starts as favourite for the title, although Carlin teammates Adriano Buzaid, a 2009 race winner, and James Calado, who narrowly missed out on the 2009 Formula Renault UK title, may have something to say about that. Carlin will run another three drivers this term, taking their entry to six, whilst other expected fore-runners are sure to include ex-F2 ace Alex Brundle (yes it’s his son), Brit William Buller and Manor motorsport’s BMW Pacific champion Ryo Haryanto (look out for his Manor car running in the colours of the Virgin Racing F1 team). The only squad who look like they may give Carlin a run for their money is Double R, part owned by 2007 F1 champion, and now Citroen WRC crash tester, Kimi Raikkonen. They will be running a three car squad for Daisuke Nakajima, brother of ex-Williams F1 crash tester Kazuki, Carlos Huertas, and the super talented Felipe Nasr, 2009 BMW Europe champion. The series kicks off at Oulton Park this weekend with a revised format, extending the amount of races in the season to 30, and the reverse grid, half points races, should provide some extra entertainment. Vergne will be the one to watch, but it is by no means a foregone conclusion that he will triumph.
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2010 British GT Championship Preview

I visited Oulton Park last Easter for the opening round of the British GT championship, and although suitably impressed, it was a little disappointing to see just 13 entries spanning both classes. The Rollcentre Mosler dominated proceedings, before it was later disqualified from the championship as an ineligible entry. We watched Astons, Ferraris and a Viper battling against the Jones brothers Ascari, which would go on to take overall GT3 honours at the final round at Brands Hatch, and a clutch of Ginetta G50s battling for the GT4 class win, but it could not quite compensate for the depleted grid. In fairness, the recession was at its deepest and these machines don’t come cheap, although this may make the fact that this year’s entry list is bustling with new names even more remarkable, as most of the 2010 entrants will have been putting their budgets together for this campaign against the same, bleak economic backdrop. What then, are the factors attributable to the rise in numbers, with some 23 cars showing on the provisional entry list which was released by promoter SRO last week?
There has been a tweaking of the classes, leading to more cars being eligible to compete in GT3; due to the fact homologated models of superseded FIA GT3 spec cars are now permitted. GT4, whose 2009 winner Jody Firth has not yet committed to a 2010 programme, will now incorporate the Supersport cars from last term. 2010 also marks the return of the Cup class, where amateur drivers get the chance to participate in the UK’s top GT series in either a Carrera Cup spec Porsche 911, or a Ferrari Challenge standard 430. Only two Cup class entries appear on the provisional list, including Carrera Cup GB star Glynn Geddie, however expect greater fluctuation of the numbers in this category due to teams and drivers dovetailing programmes with other series’.
SRO has also concentrated this season on attempting to avoid any clashes with other top series, something which has hindered its turnout in previous campaigns, and a comprehensive, delayed highlights package will be shown on Channel 4 and Motors TV in the UK, making sponsorship a more attractive proposition.
Last seasons front runners will all be chasing glory in the GT3 class, alongside champions Team Preci-Spark, the Viper of Aaron Scott and Craig Wilkins will again be near the front, as will the eye catching US entered United Autosports Audi R8’s, which are entered into a part programme, including the season opener in Cheshire this weekend. Leading the GT3 Ferrari charge will be the Rosso Verde entry, again teaming up Hector Lester with Danish GT stalwart Allan Simonsen, MTECH’s Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin, and Chad Racing, whose three car 430 squad features some of the most competitive driver line ups that the series has ever seen, while the Barwell-Cadena entered Aston Martin DBRS9 will expect to be in the mix.
Nine confirmed entries in the GT4 class will include a two car works Ginetta Cars squad, whose drivers are as yet unconfirmed, along with another five G50’s, whose drivers include G50 Cup graduates, 2009 champion Nathan Freke, and regular front-runner Christian Dick. The category will also feature a KTM X-Bow and a Lotus 2-Eleven.
So lets look forward to Oulton and the prospect of a good grid, there is no sight, or sound, in British motorsport quite like that of a good field of supercars roaring around one of the UK’s top venues. The fans and drivers will be hoping for a dry one, however, so there is no repeat of the carnage that wiped out half the field in the 2006 rain soaked meeting. A dry weekend is probably too big an ask, you can’t have it all.
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Christian's autograph book: Part1

You may have already noticed what I am trying to achieve on these pages, or you may not. If you are looking for a comprehensive motorsports results service, you are probably looking in the wrong place. If you're looking for a detailed analysis of the impact Red Bull's pull rod suspension has on lateral graining on Bridgestone's Super-soft tyre, again, I will be found wanting. What the blog is about is a) trying to give a unique slant on motorsport, particularly British motorsport, and trying to promote some of the best series' that the UK has to offer, and b) for as long as I have the editorial freedom to write what I like, I will insist on boring you with some of the mundanity that comes with being a motorsport fan, and wannabe motorsport journo. This is the first such instalment.
As I travel the circuits of the UK and beyond, watching the best that the sport has to offer, I will more often than not be accompanied by my Son, hot shot photographer, Christian, 7. Accompanying him to all events will be his digital camera (I will post his photo's, along with mine, on a soon to be created I.I.G.4 W. Flickr page), and his autograph book. I will be compiling a dynamic list of the autographs that he collects, along with any observations that we have about the person in question. I will first make a list of the few that he has collected prior to this season.


Oulton Park April 13th 2009
1. Daniel Ricciardo, British F3. (Comfortably Christian's favourite non-F1 driver, made a big fuss over him, Christian calls him his 'mate')
2. Max Chilton, British F3. (Looking bleary eyed by the Carlin transporter, after jumping the start from pole before the red lights had even come on, leaving him point-less)
3. Daisuke Nakajima, British F3. (Closest he has come to meeting an F1 driver)
4. Oliver Oakes, British F3.
5. Carlos Huertas, British F3.
6. Walter Grubmuller, British F3. (Christian refers to as Walter Grumbler)

Oulton Park May 30th 2009
7. Tim Harvey, Carrera Cup GB, 1992 BTCC champion. (Brought back some memories for me, I met him at OP at about the same age. Had a good chat with him, genuinely nice chap)

I'll post about my childhood experiences travelling around Europe with my Dad, watching mostly F1 soon. If only I could find my autograph books from then. F1 was a different ball game then with reasonable access to the stars, my autograph book included, to name a few, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sir Jack Brabham, Eddie Jordan, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill, Martin Brundle, Derek Warwick, Rubens Barrichello, Riccardo Patrese, Andy Rouse I could go on all day, and I probably will one day.

Part 2 of Christian's autograph book will come early next week, after this weekend at British F3/British GT at Oulton Park.

2010 British Touring Car Championship Preview: Crisis averted, now for the drama!

When Vauxhall announced that they would be ending their involvement in the BTCC at the end of 2009, signalling the prospect of a series with no manufacturer backed teams for the first time in twenty years, the doubters were calling the end of the BTCC as we knew it. Through the long British winter, it became apparent that two of the remaining top teams were to lose their title sponsors, Airwaves and RAC, the latter’s withdrawal leading to champion Colin Turkington being unable to find the budget to defend his title. As the weeks and months passed it became clear that Fabrizio Giovanardi and James Thompson, with four titles between them, would be competing on distant shores in 2010, and Jason Plato was making some pretty discouraging noises about finding the necessary budget to compete this term. With Matt Neal, the only other former champion in last year’s field, in limbo after the exit of VX Racing, it was clear that we may also be without a whole crop of the top drivers in the series. Would this be the end? How much longer could ITV4 justify coverage of this length, without the star attractions and with depleted grids to boot, when they had so many episodes of Minder, The Saint and Ultimate Force that had not been on in the previous 72 hours? What a mess!
As the snow fell and Britain fell into its usual chaotic state, the tide slowly began to turn. Some new teams, albeit without the might of the departed Vauxhall squad, signed up for the championship, in the form of former Mini Challenge squad Forster Motorsport, who would run a pair of BMW 320’s, along with AmD Milltek Racing, championship winners in club motorsport, who would run a VW Golf at the start of the championship, with their sights set on expanding as the season progressed. Dunlop announced a new four year deal as title sponsor of the series, taking over the role from sister company HiQ, who would now put its name to the teams’ championship, also until 2013. Series regulars Dave Pinkney and Andrew Jordan announced that they had bought a Vauxhall Vectra each, which they would run with their own teams, Pinkney Motorsport and Pirtek Racing. We knew that the Focus, which had shown such improvement at the tail end of 2009 would return in the hands of the super competitive Tom Chilton plus one, and that Tech-Speed, with the unflinching support of backer sunshine.co.uk would run its Honda Integra’s for the rapid (and very popular) Paul O’Neill and veteran John George. But, with the season nearing there were many unanswered questions, even for a category which usually keeps us guessing until the last minute, meaning we would seemingly have to wait until the official championship launch to learn the fate of the UK’s premier racing category.
Then, in March, the columns began buzzing with BTCC news, Rob Collard had signed for WSR, to partner miracle man Andy Neate, who had sustained terrible injuries in a Britcar race at Silverstone in 08, when it was unclear whether he would walk again, let alone race. Jason Plato tested a Chevrolet Cruze at Oulton. Team Dynamics had agreed deals for Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden to drive their Civic’s. Race-winner Tom Onslow-Cole was in at Arena Motorsport as a partner for Chilton. Another top line up at Motorbase, having clung on to title sponsor Airwaves and added Leyland Paints to their livery, Mat Jackson and Steven Kane were unveiled. Triple 8, who ran the factory Vauxhall programme, bought two of the Vectras they had worked on, and signed 2009 Clio Cup champion Phil Glew to pilot one. However at the launch on March 23rd came the best news on the health of the series, 23 cars were on the entry list, more than at the same period in 2009, and two teams, Team Dynamics and RML, would be running two car works teams for Honda UK and Silverline Chevrolet respectively, Plato joined at Chevy by another Clio star, Alex MacDowell.
The naysayers have been put firmly in their place, eight race winners already confirmed, two works backed outfits, new blood and the usual fix of the top UK venues, teamed with record coverage on the ITV network, still a crisis? Nope.
But who will triumph in one of the most highly anticipated seasons to date? Plato is fast becoming the early season favourite, the confidence-oozing veteran seems reinvigorated by the Chevrolet backing, and the new Cruze, and topped the timesheets in the group test at Brands on the launch day. Don’t believe that he isn’t focussing on surpassing Andy Rouse’s record haul of 60 BTCC wins, which he is now just seven wins shy of. His arch rival Matt Neal will be one of the main threats, as will fellow Honda driver Shedden, while Motorbase and WSR will expect their BMW’s to be right at the sharp end. The Team Aon Ford Focus was much improved at the end of 09, but the late switch to LPG may mean they have some catching up to do in the early season. The Vectras will be quick, especially the Triple 8 pair, their potential could depend on who completes their driver line-up. Tom Boardman returns to the championship from his WTCC adventure, with his Seat Leon, and will expect to be in the frame for regular points, as will Paul O’Neill in the Integra. There should be a great battle in a middle order that will be joined by Matt Hamilton, who will be hoping to build on his part season last term, in his Civic, Lea Wood in another Integra and Martin Johnson once again bringing his 2001 Astra to the party.
It is a huge disappointment not to have Colin Turkington beginning his title defence at Thruxton this Sunday, but don’t rule him out from returning at some stage if the necessary funding can be put in place, WSR has a 320 on hold with his name on it. Trouble is, if they don’t move quickly, the rest of the pack might be out of his sight, although don’t expect the main protagonists to have much between them, the last three championships have gone down to the final day, there is no reason to expect this year to be any different.

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Is that exciting enough for you?

All of those who urged caution after the processional season opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, stand up, for you have been vindicated.
Sunday's Australian GP at Albert Park proved the perfect tonic after the criticisms levelled at F1 a fortnight earlier. Sure the rain helped but this one had everything, a safety car, knife-edge strategy calls, plenty of overtaking and a British winner. It didn't just provide today's entertainment, it set things up for the races to come, consider some of the sub-plots arising from Oz.
Was Lewis Hamilton's bad weekend simply that or is he missing the calming influence that father Anthony provided, Lewis was blameless for the accident and the tyre call, but comments about Mark Webber's possible retirement from the sport and a brush with the law, leave questions to be answered, it was hard not to note the reaction of Martin Whitmarsh as JB took the victory, is Jenson suddenly McLaren's golden boy?
Has Michael Schumacher made a catastrophic error by risking his reputation on a comeback which has so far seen him humbled by not only his team-mate, but by 20 year old Jaime Alguersuari today, who he spent over half of the race trying to get the better of?
Are Red Bull's reliability issues set to rob Sebastian Vettel of another crack at the title?
All fascinating aspects of a season which is now firmly on course to meet expectations. Crisis, what crisis?
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2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 Great Britain Season Preview

Easter weekend at Oulton Park will see the inaugural race weekend of the new for 2010 Trofeo Abarth 500 Great Britain. The series has moved to the UK for this year having already established itself on the continent with its European and Italian championships.
When the European branch of the championship came to Brands Hatch last July, supporting the World Touring Car Championship, it was an instant success with the crowds, now they have their own championship to get worked up about. The championship will be fought over seven weekends, supporting some of the most prestigious series in Europe, culminating in a trip to Monza for the season finale.

3/5 April Oulton Park (British F3/ British GT)
17/18 April Silverstone GP (FIA Formula Two)
22/23 May Cadwell Park (British Superbikes)
26/27 June Snetterton (GT Cup Championship & Formula Palmer Audi)
24/25 July Silverstone GP (Silverstone Classic)
4/5 September Brands Hatch Indy (DTM / Trofeo Europe)
23/24 October Monza, Italy (Trofeo Europe / Italy / GB)

The attraction of the series, along with the calendar, is the cars. The model used for the series is the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse, incorporating a 1.4 litre turbocharged engine, producing 190bhp at 6,500 rpm. The series has managed to attract some pretty impressive teams to date, with Pulce Racing, Pyro Motorsport and one make regulars JHR, among the teams already confirmed, along with multi-car entries from the Tech 9 and Advent MTS squads. A touch of glamour is provided with the entry of Fifth Gear presenter Vicky Butler-Henderson as a driver in the series, along with ex-BTCC racer Fiona Leggate. BTCC race winner Gareth Howell has tested a Tech 9 Abarth and is rumoured to be considering an entry to the series.

It promises to be quite a spectacle around the circuits of the UK and Europe this season, and if it lives up to its billing, the championship could quite easily find itself challenging the Clio Cup as the feeder series of choice for aspiring BTCC runners.

For more information on the championship go to www.trofeoabarth500gb.com

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