3: Racing Engineering Albacete qualifying notes

Borja Garcia on pole position, Steven Kane second and Maria de Villota third!

The first qualifying session of the first round of the Spanish Formula 3 Championship 2004 took place today at the circuit of Albacete. Racing Engineering's drivers Borja Garcia and Steven Kane will lead the field into the first race starting from first and second position. Maria de Villota will start from seventh position. Second qualifying also went very well for Racing Engineering's drivers with Borja Garcia starting from second, Maria de Villota third and Steven Kane from fifth position.

Qualifying 1:
After excellent results during the Friday test sessions Racing Engineering's Borja Garcia, Steven Kane and Maria de Villota were the ones to bet on for Saturday's first qualifying. Borja Garcia and Steven Kane marked the fastest lap times from the very beginning of the session and continued their fight for the pole position of the first race after pitting for a new set of tyres in lap six and seven. Steven Kane recorded his fastest time with 1'22.995 in his ninth lap. Borja Garcia, in his eleventh lap marked a lap time of 1'22.903, which brought him into first position on the starting grid for Sunday's first race. Steven will start right behind from position two.

Maria de Villota after finishing yesterday's two afternoon test sessions fourth and fifth had high hopes for the Saturday qualifying sessions. Maria was in eighth position when she came into the pits halfway through the session to pick up her set of new tyres. In her first lap on new tyres Maria spun and lost precious time of the thirty minutes qualifying. In her twelfth lap Maria marked her best time with 1'23.538, which makes her start into tomorrow's race one from seventh position.

Qualifying 2:
Racing Engineering's drivers started the second qualifying session as sovereign as the first. Borja Garcia immediately took over first position, which he held until all drivers came into the pits to put a new set of tyres. Borja's fastest lap time of 1'23.230 allows him to start from second position on the grid. The surprise of this second qualifying session was definitely Maria de Villota. After a perfect qualifying session, the time sheets saw Maria in an excellent third position.

Steven Kane, after being second in the morning session, will start the second race from a promising fifth position. Knowing Steven's qualities and his will to finish a race on top of the podium, everyone can expect an exciting race.

Alfonso de Orleans, Racing Engineering's president, after the good Saturday results stated, "I guess that all the Winter testing work paid off. All three drivers have impressed me. Just look at the starting order! Let's hope that all the good work of my boys and the drivers carries into tomorrow."

-re-