Snetterton’s a track I’ve always enjoyed, it’s somewhere I’ve gone well in the past in Formula Renault – I took my first podium in the UK Championship there during last year’s winter series – and since stepping up to Formula 3 this year we’ve gone well there.

I had hoped for three good races last weekend but it all went better than I could have wished. We had a fantastic time and although I had to start the third race from the back of the grid (even though I qualified on the National pole!) because of a protest, I had one of the best laps of my career at the beginning to take the class lead and move from 21st overall into 16th place.

In the end, we won by around half a minute which was a fantastic feeling. The first two races were both affected by rain but our pace was good in the damp and in the dry so we were able to win pretty convincingly in both. I’ve wanted to win all three races in a weekend all season so to finally achieve that is great!

There are only three races left now at Brands Hatch GP track later this month so there’s going to be a lot of pressure on. I’ve never raced on the full circuit before – whereas James (Cole – National Class title rival) has – but I’m really looking forward to it.

During the build-up I’ll be working hard on my fitness as always and we have a test at Rockingham as well so that’ll be important. It’s great to go to Brands with the points lead but it’s really close and, as everyone knows, anything can happen!

www.menashehidafar.com

About Menasheh:
Menasheh Idafar is a 19-year-old racing driver with dual British and Bahraini nationality. After making his UK race debut in the club-level Formula Renault BARC Championship in 2007, Menasheh went on to finish fourth overall in the category during his second season, taking five podiums and four pole positions along the way. Stepping-up to the national Formula Renault UK series in 2009, he returned to the podium during the four-round Winter Championship. In 2010, Menasheh is competing in the National Class of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series with T-Sport at the wheel of a Mugen-Honda powered Dallara F307.

The Thruxton event a couple of weeks ago was one of my best of the year, I really enjoyed it and we raced strongly against a lot of the A Class cars. Unfortunately I’ve lost quite a lot of points over the course of the season with a few non-finishes but on pace, we’ve definitely been very strong and we’ve still taken plenty of wins.

At Silverstone, last weekend, I was really pleased with my performance in the last race where I finished around half a minute ahead of my class points rival James Cole. It was a good way to finish the event as the other two races didn’t quite go as planned. Again though, we were fast all weekend.

We’ve only got six rounds left but I’m only nine points behind the National Class lead so we’ve still got a great chance to win the title. It’s going to be really important to make sure I finish all six of the rounds. If we do then I think we have a good opportunity to take the fight down to the wire.

Everything’s going brilliantly with the guys at T-Sport. I’m learning so much each time I’m in the car and I’m really enjoying the racing – my engineer, Nick, is doing a fantastic job for me and we’re working really well together. It’s definitely been my most enjoyable season since I started racing.

So it all comes down to Snetterton, over Bank Holiday weekend, and then Brands Hatch towards the end of September. I can’t wait for the last six races, whatever happens it’s going to be good fun!

 www.menashehidafar.com

 About Menasheh:

Menasheh Idafar is a 19-year-old racing driver with dual British and Bahraini nationality. After making his UK race debut in the club-level Formula Renault BARC Championship in 2007, Menasheh went on to finish fourth overall in the category during his second season, taking five podiums and four pole positions along the way. Stepping-up to the national Formula Renault UK series in 2009, he returned to the podium during the four-round Winter Championship. In 2010, Menasheh is competing in the National Class of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series with T-Sport at the wheel of a Mugen-Honda powered Dallara F307.

We’ve had some good results so far (and some not so good ones as well!) and the National Class fight with my team-mate James Cole is pretty close. There are only eight points splitting us going into next weekend’s three races so there’s everything to play for.

I’m learning so much this year with T-Sport and having a really good time. It’s been a challenge so far but I much prefer driving the F3 car to the Formula Renault I raced before and I think we’re definitely making good progress.

We’re all going to have a new experience at Rockingham with the introduction of pit-stops into British F3. It’s an exciting change and one I’m really looking forward to. It’ll add something else for sure, especially with the different strategies, which will be good to learn for the future.

I always want to do as well as possible but I really do think we stand a good chance at Rockingham, it’s a track I know from Formula Renault and we’ve also tested there in F3 so hopefully we can start the weekend well in practice and build from there.

After Rockingham we have a break of a couple of weeks and then there are three back-to-back events at Spa-Francorchamps, Thruxton and Silverstone so it’s a really important part of the season where we need to score well.

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We had some bad luck as well at both events, including a puncture and some understeer problems because of a really bad flat-spotted tyre at Magny-Cours, but I enjoyed both weekends. I really like the new GP track at Silverstone and I think we did a pretty good job in France too considering it was my first time there. The team was great as always, I’m really enjoying working with the T-Sport guys.

At the moment we’re in Hockenheim for the second back-to-back weekend of racing in Europe, it’s great to be able to drive at some Formula One tracks this year and to get that experience. I’m hoping we can have three strong races in Germany as it’s really important for me to try and close the gap in the championship.

Going into this weekend’s three races I’m 24 points behind my team-mate James Cole so if I can leave Hockenheim a bit closer I’ll be happy. I’d like to try and take the lead back over the next couple of events but with 21 races still to go, it’s a long season and there are plenty of points available.

There’ll be a big break in the championship calendar after Hockenheim – the next races at Rockingham aren’t until the middle of July – so it’s important to try and finish this first part of the season as strong as we possibly can.

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The new part of the track is good, I think it should be a lot of fun in the races, plus it’s going to be a big weekend supporting the FIA GT1 Championship. Obviously my focus is on F3 but I am looking forward to watching some of the GT races too…there’ll be some awesome cars out there.

Our test at Silverstone last week was very consistent and we managed to be quickest in the National Class. We ended the day seventh overall on combined times so I was really pleased, as ever T-Sport did a fantastic job for me and gave me a great car.

Obviously it was great to take two class wins at Oulton Park but I was disappointed to retire from the third race. The main thing this weekend will be to finish all three but if we can repeat our testing pace, we should stand a good chance of fighting for a hat-trick of class wins.

None of us are underestimating the challenge though, testing is testing and the race weekend is a totally different prospect…plus F1 test driver Luiz Razia will be racing in National Class so there’s increased competition. We’ve got a good base to start from during practice on Friday so I hope to qualify as close to the overall top 10 as possible and then see what happens…

Well, my season is now underway. It had been a long wait since my last race at Monza in September 2009!

It is fantastic that my sponsors believed in me over the winter to let me continue my career and especially with Carlin in British F3 that is very good.

I did a few days testing in the F3 car before Christmas although it was pretty tough because most of them were wet so only really at the first official tests earlier this year did I get to learn about the car in the dry conditions. I was struggling for pace initially in the dry tests but I knew it would come but experience was certainly an obstacle. My team mates were pretty fast initially and coming from FRenault compared to me in FBMW they were just used to a car with more aero and of course the circuits! I was able to really learn from their data and with my engineer Brice I was able to make great progress at every test.

At my final test at Silverstone before the first race at Oulton Park I gained a lot of confidence and certainly made a lot of progress with both myself and the car. I was never outside of the top 3 in all of the sessions which certainly was encouraging but still it was just a test and I still didn’t really know where I really was on pace.

I arrived at Oulton Park pretty relaxed and calm for my first race weekend in British F3. The whole paddock seemed to have a really relaxed atmosphere which I really liked compared to the very confined and busy paddock of the F1 support paddock which I have been used to!

We had no free practice so we just had to go straight into qualifying on Saturday morning which certainly was a new and hard challenge for me! The circuit had been wet although it was drying so I chose to start on slick tyres immediately in qualifying as did most of the grid. The first few laps were very slippery indeed but as the temperature built up in my tyres and I began to take risks I realised I had great pace and after 10 minutes of the 25 minute session gone I was on pole. I managed to get a few clear laps and certainly I was in the fight for pole position. There was a yellow flag in the second sector with around 15 minutes to go so I decided to pit for another set of new tyres whilst I wasn’t able to set a faster time. In hindsight maybe I should have just kept the same set of tyres on my car because the circuit was drying very quickly and I had a really good balance. Still, I pushed hard on my second set and once my tyres were up to temperature I was able to fight for pole in the final minutes. I had to settle for 4th eventually but this was still a great result for my first qualifying in British F3. I had qualified 3rd and 4th for races 1 and 3.

My first race was on Saturday afternoon. I had a pretty bad start off the line with too much wheelspin but still I held 5th position from the first to the last lap and I was very happy to achieve that. In my first ever British F3 race to finish 5th was a good result.

The second race was not until Monday morning because of course we did not race on Easter Sunday. I was starting 3rd after the top 7 were reversed on the grid. It was similar conditions to qualifying actually so once again I was very happy to start on slick tyres. The grid was still very slippery though and I had never made a start in these conditions so I just picked my revs and thankfully got a much better start than race 1! I held my position for the first lap and I immediately realised I was fast enough to win. I took advantage of Dias and Nakajima fighting with each other to move into second and once I was behind Nakajima I knew if I could pressure him on to the damp parts of the circuit then I would have a chance to overtake. This opportunity came on the third lap at the first corner and once I was in the lead I just kept my head down and pushed for a gap. I help the lead to the flag and won my first British F3 race in only my second race and first ever weekend! That was pretty special.

The third race was on Monday afternoon and was 40 minutes long. This was the longest race I have ever competed in so it was pretty tough! I didn’t find it hard physically but it was a new challenge for me to think about saving my tyres and ensuring that I always had a balance I was confident with. I started 4th and had a pretty good start although I had to swerve hard to miss Huertas who had stalled on the grid. This opened a gap from me to the top 2 and after the first lap and a small mistake from me the gap was around 4 seconds to the leaders! I realised pretty soon that my race was for 3rd and that I needed to think about that. I managed consistent laps and stayed focussed to finish 3rd and get another podium.

So, what a great first weekend. 5th, 1st, 3rd. Sunoco Driver of the Weekend and 3rd in the Championship. I was very happy. I have to pay a lot of credit to the great start to my season to my team Carlin who have made the transition from FBMW to F3 very manageable for me. They have given me the confidence I needed all the way so I am very thankful to them. There are still 27 races to go and there are a lot of areas I am not happy with and need to improve with so I will maintain my focus and structure to continue achieving good weekends and of course more race wins.

It was very hard to secure the funding for this season because of the way the economies are around the world at the moment but hopefully this great first weekend has gone some way to showing my sponsors they were right to believe in me.

I have one test at Silverstone before I go back to Silverstone on 1/2 May for my second race weekend of the season. I will approach it with the same mentality with which I approached Oulton Park.

I will spend the downtime back at home training hard and improving more, as for sure that is what the competition will be doing.

It’s fantastic to be back racing again and I am really looking forward to an exciting season!!

Take care.

Thanks,

Rupert

We didn’t have any testing before the weekend so it was straight in to qualifying on Saturday morning. That didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped but I did manage to edge out James (Cole – National Class rival and T-Sport team-mate) to take the class pole.

Race one went quite well. There was a bit of contact early on but I managed to come through that ok and my lap times were pretty good. In the end I built a gap of just over seven seconds to James so that was good and to finish 11th overall was great.

We had a day off on Easter Sunday with no action at all on track which gave me a good chance to think about Monday’s two races, one ‘sprint’ and a longer 40-minute ‘feature race’.

Round two on Monday went well, the track was quite damp and I did hope to try and push into the top 10 overall. It didn’t quite work out that way but 13th place and another class win was great. I’m probably most happy with my lap times – my best was only 0.8 seconds away from (Rupert) Svendson-Cook’s best and he won the race.

Three wins out of three was a possibility heading into the last race but those hopes ended halfway through the first lap unfortunately. I got a little bit out of shape at Cascades and that meant it all got a bit close going through Island Bend and on to the hairpin.

Trying to hold the outside line, there was some contact to the right-rear side of my car and the damage meant my race was over on the spot. It was a real shame as I was looking forward to the test of racing flat-out for 40-minutes which is something I’ve never done before. Two class wins out of three isn’t bad though and I’m pretty happy with things overall.

Obviously, I want to thank all of the guys at T-Sport for doing a fantastic job and for giving me a great car. We’ve got a few weeks off now until the next three rounds at Silverstone where we support the FIA GT Championship so that’ll be a good event. Up until then I’ll be training hard to prepare as well as I can…I’m really looking forward to it!

For more information regarding Menasheh, please visit www.menashehidafar.com/

Gabriel had started the race from pole thanks to the reverse grid rules brought in for the 2010 campaign, but was slow away from the line after suffering a broken handbrake – which affected his ability to make a perfect getaway.

It allowed fellow front-row starter Daisuke Nakajima to take the lead, with the Japanese driver forcing Gabriel onto the grass as he attempted to reclaim top spot. Dias then got a run on his rival into Old Hall on lap two and tried to go round the outside, but was tipped into a spin that dropped him to the rear of the field.

After a series of quick laps, Gabriel had climbed up to 15th place before retiring to the pits on lap six.

“My handbrake broke on the grid so I got wheelspin when the lights went out and dropped to second place,” he said. “I tried to get past Nakajima exiting turn one and he pushed me wide to the grass and then he was being defensive every time I tried to make a move. I got a run on him into the first corner and went for the outside line and he pushed me wide onto the grass and I spun. I was lapping quickly after that but we decided to pull into the pits to save tyres for the final race.”

Team-mate Will Buller started the race from tenth on the grid but suffered wheelspin on the damp circuit as he attempted to make up places at the start. The MSA Team UK driver then found himself stuck at the back of a train of cars and took the chequered flag in ninth place, with the damp circuit making overtaking even more difficult than normal.

“We knew it would be difficult after qualifying and I went into the race knowing I’d be satisfied with some points,” he said. “I got some wheelspin off the line and was on the wet side of the circuit, and then found myself running at the back of a train of cars. Oulton Park is probably the most difficult circuit to overtake and if you wanted to try and pass someone, it meant going onto the wet line. That could have meant risking my own race, so I was satisfied to finish ninth and pick up some points. Our true pace is strong and I’m confident for the final race.”

Team boss Ryan Sharp admitted to mixed emotions at the finish, after Gabriel missed out on a strong result but Will picked up his second top ten of the weekend.

“After the start, Nakajima pushed Gabriel wide and then was weaving all over the circuit trying to keep him behind,” he said. “Maybe he had a problem with his steering.

“Gabriel got a run on him into Old Hall and Nakajima slid into him, which dropped Gabriel to the back of the field. He set the fastest lap in successive laps but then we decided to save tyres for the final race and he retired. Will was on the wet part of the grid and suffered wheelspin off the line, and then found himself stuck on the back of the train. He had old tyres on the car so it’s good that he managed to score some points.”

Brazilian racer Gabriel Dias started the race from tenth on the grid but was able to make up two places to run in eighth by the end of the opening lap. Gabriel then found himself behind Jay Bridger for most of the race, but the Litespeed driver was forced to retire in the closing stages, which promoted Gabriel into seventh place.

A new reverse grid system for the second F3 race of the weekend sees the race one winner draw a random number from a hat to decide who starts on pole for the second race. That draw saw Gabriel secure pole for Monday’s opening race.

“From tenth on the grid I knew it would be difficult as it isn’t easy to overtake at Oulton Park, but I made a good start to get up to eighth place and then got seventh when Jay retired,” Gabriel said. “That is an important result for us as we need to try and score points in every race. It will be good to start race two from pole position and I’m sixth on the grid for race three so I’m confident of scoring some good points on Monday.”

MSA Team UK driver William Buller started the race in twelfth place but stalled his Dallara-Volkswagen when the lights went out and dropped to the rear of the field as a result.

Despite Oulton Park being one of the most difficult circuits for overtaking on the British F3 calendar, Will fought his way back through the pack to take the chequered flag in tenth place and score his first points finish of the year.

“Qualifying didn’t go to plan for me and I wasn’t able to show my true pace, so I was eleventh on the grid,” he said. “I stalled at the start and dropped to the back of the field but I was able to fight my way back up to tenth by the finish. It’s difficult to overtake here so I had to be really aggressive and forceful to make up places, as I knew how important it was to score some points. Looking ahead to Monday, I’m sure the team will give me a car to fight for more points finishes.”

Hitech boss Ryan Sharp said he was pleased to see both drivers score points in the season opener, with the team now looking to make the most of its pole position in the second race.

“Oulton Park is a difficult circuit to pass on, so it was good that Gabriel was able to make up places off the start and he then benefitted from Bridger’s retirement to finish seventh,” he said. “Will battled back through the field well to take tenth, so we’ve been able to get both cars in the points, which is good.

“Gabriel will now start the second race from pole thanks to the draw, and while that isn’t the way we want to get pole position, we will take what we are given. After a difficult pre-season, that might be the bit of luck we need, but both drivers are well placed to score points on Monday.”

The hugely successful launch at the team’s Buckingham base, which was attended by the likes of Brawn GP team manager Ron Meadows, saw new team boss Ryan Sharp reveal the Dallara-Volkswagens which will be driven this season by youngsters Will Buller and Gabriel Dias.

MSA Team UK member Buller makes his move into British F3 after two years of competing in Formula BMW and has already displayed race-winning pedigree in Formula 3 machinery with victory at Interlagos over the winter. Despite being just 17, the rising star heads into the season as one to watch and with his focus firmly on the championship crown.

“I had two difficult years in Formula BMW, but they have really helped me to improve as a driver and I am ready for the new challenge,” he said. “I spoke to Ryan about F3 and he explained what Hitech were doing and when I drove the car, I found it really suited my style. The whole team wants to push to be successful and I believe they are the best team to be with.

“Winning in Brazil was a huge boost to my confidence and means I can hit the ground running this year. My focus is fully on taking that success into the new season and winning has to be the aim.”

Brazilian racer Dias joins Hitech having finished second in the National Class last season in what was his first year in the championship. With a year of British F3 experience and valuable knowledge of British circuits under his belt, Dias too is aiming high.

“Hitech are the team I wanted to be with and I feel they will give me a great chance this season,” he said. “I have full confidence in the team, in the car and in the engineer I will be working with this season; it’s the opportunity of my life. I knew the team would be good after they finished second and third last season, but when I tested the car I realised just how good they are – it’s like being part of an F1 team. I know the circuits now which will be a big advantage for me in 2010 and the aim has to be to fight for the title as that is what will open doors for my career.”

Alongside a new look driver line-up for 2010, Hitech take on a new identity for the season ahead, with leading GT racer Sharp having put his own racing career to one side to take control of the team over the winter.

As well as signing two stars of the future, Hitech has also concluded a deal to run with Volkswagen engines this season and hopes are high for the year ahead as the team looks to reclaim the title it took back in 2007 with Estonian racer Marko Asmer.

“This is a huge deal for me,” Sharp explained. “Racing has been my life since I was young, so if I was going to put my own racing to one side and do something else, it had to be a big opportunity. Hitech is that opportunity and I am 110 per cent committed to this programme, as is the whole team. It’s all or nothing when it comes to our plans as we have three young drivers to focus on and want to do the best we can for their careers. As a team, we have invested over the winter and will be coming out for 2010 bigger and stronger.

“Will and Gabriel signed up early for the programme and have shown their speed in the car already. They are working well within the team and I feel the work we are putting in will be to good use with them. It is great for us to have them in our cars.

“In terms of our engines, we saw how the VW progressed last season in British F3 and it was our idea to make the move over the winter. The chance presented itself to do it for Macau and it was a big job to get ready, and while the event didn’t go to plan, it allowed us to learn a lot for the new season. VW share our passion and drive and it is important that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to our aims.

“We only go racing to win and we want to win races this season and fight for the title. We hope to carry on the work shown by the team last year and achieve the goal we have set; which is to bring the title back to Buckingham.”

Hitech has now successfully completed all pre-season testing and is looking forward to the first race which will take place at Oulton Park on the 3rd-5th of April.