Macau GP: Thursday practice report

Weather: Sunny and clear Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008 Mortara tops first free practice for Windsor Arch Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix Italian Edoardo Mortara got his bid to win the Macau Grand Prix off to the perfect start when he topped the ...

Published: Nov 14, 2008, 1:48 AM

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Weather: Sunny and clear
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008

Mortara tops first free practice for Windsor Arch Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix

Italian Edoardo Mortara got his bid to win the Macau Grand Prix off to the perfect start when he topped the times in Thursday morning's first free practice session.

The Signature Plus driver, who finished runner-up in this year's Formula Three Euro Series championship, swapped times with a host of other drivers through the session before edging himself clear in the final minutes.

He set his best time of two minutes 14.333 seconds on his final lap, just edging out Renger van der Zande and Roberto Streit, and reckoned he could have gone faster.

"I made a mistake on my last lap so I could have been a little quicker, but anyway I am happy," said Mortara. "The challenges of Macau are so particular, and it's more important here to be fastest at the end, not at the beginning. But our package is working well and I feel good."

Japanese Formula Three Champion Carlo van Dam was fourth fastest for TOM'S, who won the race last year with Oliver Jarvis, with James Jakes fifth for ART and Stefano Coletti the fastest Macau rookie in sixth for Prema Powerteam.

There were mixed fortunes for Carlin Motorsport duo Jaime Alguersuari and Brendon Hartley, two men who have been tipped to be in the hunt for victory this weekend.

British Formula Three champion Alguersuari was pleased with his first experience of the Macau track to end up seventh fastest. "It was good," he said. "I really enjoyed it and I know there is plenty of room to improve as I made a mistake on my last lap."

Hartley had to sit out the second half of the session after suffering a gearbox problem on his car. He had been near the top of the timesheets early on, but dropped down the order as other drivers improved.

Mika Maki brought out a red flag just before the halfway point of the session when he crashed heavily at Fishermen's Bend. Other drivers to hit trouble were Kazuya Oshima and Walter Grubmuller, who both went off at Maternity Bend.

-credit: macau.grandprix.gov.mo

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