Calado takes win number two at Silverstone

James Calado got his championship firmly back on track this afternoon, with his second win of the weekend at Silverstone. The Carlin driver took another lights to flag victory, despite pressure from second placed man Oliver Webb. Adriano Buzaid was the next Carlin driver across the line in fifth, with Jean-Eric Vergne sixth, Jazeman Jaafar seventh, Rupert Svendsen-Cook 11th and Lucas Foresti 12th.

James Calado (GBR) Carlin Dallara Volkswagen Credit: British F3

Lining up for the third and final race of the weekend, James Calado took his place in pole position as race three got underway this afternoon. The Racing Steps Foundation driver made a good start to lead the field into the first corner, while behind him Buzaid was fifth, Vergne seventh, Jaafar tenth, Svendsen-Cook 11th and Foresti 13th.

The racing action continued fast and furious on lap two, with Jaafar involved in a wheel to wheel battle with Alexander Sims, with the two swapping places until Sims took tenth place from the young Malaysian. Having battled with Sims, Jaafar then found himself defending from Gut and Gabriel Dias but held his place. Team mates Buzaid and Vergne meanwhile were caught in their own battle, with Buzaid passing the Frenchman for sixth place.

By lap six, Calado was still leading, while Buzaid and Vergne had moved up to fifth and sixth respectively, Jaafar was ninth, Svendsen-Cook 11th and Foresti 13th. A safety car period a lap later bunched up the field however, but Calado coped well with the pressure to make the perfect restart. Jaafar was also on a charge and had moved up to eighth place.

In a repeat of race one earlier on in the weekend, Calado was busy defending from Webb at the front - by lap 14 the two were dicing corner after corner, but Calado once again managed to break the tow and create some breathing space in the final stages of the race. The battle at the front allowed several cars to close the gap, and by lap 16 the first to seventh placed cars were tightly packed.

The overtaking continued into the final laps; Buzaid lost out to Sims but made up a place when Daisuke Nakajima retired on the penultimate lap, as did the other Carlin drivers. At the chequered flag it was victory number two for Calado, Buzaid was fifth, Vergne maintained a 12 point lead in the championship with his sixth placed finish. Jaafar concluded a feisty drive with a seventh place finish with Svendsen-Cook 11th and Foresti 12th. With the two Invitation Class drivers of Alexander Sims and Esteban Gutierrez not included in the British F3 points standings, all six Carlin drivers finished the race in the top ten points paying positions.

"It was a fantastic race, but it was really, really hard!", said race three winner Calado. "We were wheel to wheel, but it was a really clean fight. I'm so pleased to take another victory. Two pole positions and two race victories; it's been a great weekend."

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