Racing Engineering Spanish F3 Estoril race notes

Racing Engineering's drivers continue winning in Estoril!

After the double victory of Lucas Lassere in the 2002 Spanish Formula 3 Championship, Racing Engineering again leaves the Estoril circuit as winner of both races. Ricardo Mauricio is the driver who set the standard during the entire weekend of the fourth round of the Spanish Formula 3 Championship 2003. Not only did he dominate the Friday practices and made both pole positions, but also won both Sunday races.

Race 1:

Ricardo went into the first race from pole position and immediately opened up a comfortable gap between him and Garcia and Martin, who have been fighting for second position. He was in control of the race at all time although Martin was able to reduce the time gap towards the end of the race. Ricardo doubtlessly was the dominating man during race 1. Pedro, who was fifth on the starting grid had a good start and overtook Serafim. Pedro continued running in fourth position but was overtaken in the ninth lap and finished the race fifth.

Juan Antonio impressed with a very good start from ninth making up several positions, but was hit by Barba in the third corner of lap one and forced him off the track. By the time he made his way back onto the track, he rejoined in tenth position. However, Juan Antonio did not give up fighting and made his way up again and overtook Risatti during the last lap and finished the race in seventh.

Lourenco amazed everyone with an incredible start. After yesterday's disqualification Lourenco had to start from the last position on the grid but finished the first lap already in eighth. Lourenco, content with his car, was aiming for more, but when Risatti in front of him had problems Lourenco tried to avoid a collision and spun. Lourenco's car has been entirely stopped when Maria de Villota crashed into him. This unnecessary accident forced Lourenco to retire from the race.

Race 2:

In race 2 Ricardo started from pole position again and celebrated a glorious start to finish-victory. Although Ricardo started to suffer from understeer after eight laps, he could keep Martin behind him without much effort. Ricardo finished off this perfect weekend in Estoril with two victories.

Juan Antonio went into the race fourth and lost two positions at the start. He was in sixth position until an impact from another car forced him to stop.

Pedro, starting eleventh into race 2, was bumped by Risatti - an incident that forced him to enter the pits to get a new nose and front wing on his car. Pedro lost all possibilities to gain a good position in the race and therefore finished fifteenth.

Lourenco starting fourteenth once more had a very good start that put him into eighth place. He ran a constant race being eighth until a racing incident involving another car forced him to stop. Lourenco is classified twelfth.

Ricardo, after his two victories announced "I went into the first race with older tyres, which made it difficult to drive the car. Dani Martin was catching me in the end of the race, but we still made it and I am very happy. In the second race the start was difficult. Martin tried to overtake me on the outside, but my car was a little bit better than his, so I kept the lead. During the race the car felt good and also the tyres were fine. Only after lap eight I started having some understeer and Martin could catch me, but I blocked him in second position. I would like to thank the entire team for this perfect weekend. The team deserves it."

Pedro after the two races said "In the first race I started fifth and was for half the race in fourth position. Then Serafim overtook me and I finished fifth. This was not too bad. In the second race I started eleventh and entered the pits after a contact with Risatti. I received a new front of the car and then finished fifteenth."

Alfonso de Orleans said" Great! Everyone worked flat out and the results prove that we did a good job. The team was really solid this weekend and you could feel ever since Friday that it was going to be a good weekend. We are going back to the workshop and improve the cars ever more for the next race. Once again, well done to the whole team and the drivers. Especially Ricardo who had a faultless weekend."

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