British F3 Predictions

[Marshal]

Only 3 weekend left to the start of the Season (Foot & Mouth permitting), so who are going to be the top dogs?

Here are my predictions

Championship Class

1. Takuma Sato
2. Gimmi Bruni
3. Andre Lotterer
4. Antony Davison
5. James Courtney
6. Andy Priaulx

Scholarship Class

1. Matt Gilmore

So what do you think?

[FEUsmart]

No sign of Mr. Kiesa in your list, Marshal?

[Sarah_I]

marshal.
i reckon gimmi bruni wil b pushing sato all the way
could b an interesting season!

[Troy]

My tip is James Courtney. I might be a bit biased for being a fellow Australian, but Courtney is a super quick driver.

[Honey]

I think:

Championship Class

1.Sato
2.Bruni
3.Courtney
4.Lotterer
5.Kiesa
6.Davidson

Priaulx is full of hot air. Much as I think Courtney might need two years in F3 to prove himself, he's got the best resources to make a challenge on the title. I'd really like Sato to win - he deserves it - a genuinely talented down to earth guy.

Scholarship Class

1.Craig Murray

Please? Matthew Gilmore? He may have won the Avon junior last year - but the leap to slicks and wings is hard and I don't think he'll make an impression. Assuming Craig Murray has a decent car, he's got the talent and controlled aggression to walk away with the Scholarship.

[Gina]

In my opinion Andre Lotterer will be on top!
1.LOTTERER
2.SATO
3.Courtney

[Francesca]

Well, going by the last 4 test results I think the first race could end like this...

1. Sato
2. Priaulx
3. Dalziel
4. Kiesa
5. Bruni
6. Davidson

Scholarship Class

1. Keohane
2. Gilmore
3. Kerr

Roll on April 1st!!!

[Marshal]

Ah, I see Francesca has been cunning and waited till she could base her prediction on facts, well, I can see the merit in that.

Also welcome to Honey and Gina, I hope you enjoy 10 tenths.

Finally, it has been pointed out that I didn't include Nick Kiesa in my list, well, that's true. Now I might have just forgotten about him (doh!) or it xould be that I've seen Prost cars go quickly in testing before and it never seems too ammount to much

Roll on fools day!

[FEUsmart]

I'm gunna be a big wimp, and just make some very general predictions I think.

* Kiesa, Sato and Courtney fighting out the title.

* Dalziel will win at least one race.

* Murray will crash most often, but also be quick, and be in the top three scholarship drivers.

* Robbie Kerr will kick a**

* Manor will not win the title this year, and Taylor will be their top driver.

Interesting point I've just noticed - Derek Hayes used to be Mark Taylor's driver coach when Mark was in FFord.

Oh yeah, and don't you guys be in so much of a hurry for April 1st that you miss March 31st and Justin Wilson winning F3000 in Brasil!!

I think your forgetting one Team boys, Avanti eh on a car shake down only 2tenths of the top guys who `ve been testing for weeks well i should think they would need to be looking more at their data and do some head scratching!!

And for Scholarship class, Craig i don`t think so to erratic, Gilmore not nearly enough experience, i`d gedge my bets on Keohane !!


Sato, Davies, Courtney!!!

[Marshal]

Hi Farcnield and welcome to 10 tenths. Judging by your posts you have some connection with Avanti? If so please give us the inside track, and good luck this year.

And the scholarship class, Keohane? Gilmore is less experienced but through the season I'm sure superior talent will count fore more. IMO.

I must coment that i am neither employed by any F3 teams, and the opinionvoiced is purely my own opinion and not that of any Team which i may mention on the board!

But man Gilmore na, i think your being shrouded by the fact that he was nominated for the BRDC Autosport award! He had to be nominated having wont that FF championship, and who was he up agains?? I`m not saying that hes no good he may make me blush at the first race, but i think you`ll find Craig Murray setting quick qualifing times and getting the odd win, but he is a fairly eratic driver at times! check last years Spanish FNissan for results!

Keohane, don`t know a great deal about his form lately, but experience of aerocars is pretty good and Meritus are no dumbies! so i believe he`ll have a steady year with good results!

[Marshal]

Ok Farcnield, we'll agree to disagree on the scholarship class (I do agree with you assessment of Craig Murray though), I guess we should have a bit of a better idea by this time next week.

[KnowAll]

You dudes have no idea... Lotterer? Sato? pffff.

James Courtney is the man. He will win the series in his first year then do the same in Formula 1. Well, maybe he wont win Formula 1 in his first season, but you get my point..

[FEUsmart]

No offence dude, but Courtney didn't even win FFord in his first year.

Don't get me wrong, I think he's a very talented driver, but the British F3 championship is tough. I'm sure he will win races this year, and hopefully be a title contender. Anyway, we won't have to wait toooooo long to find out how things will be shaping up!!

[Honey]

Re: Craig Murray...

Firstly, he took part in Formula Super Toyota last year, not Nissan.

He went out the first weekend, put it on pole, and won the race by miles. This put Spanish noses out of joint and the next race he was held back in the pits for leaving the garage too late. He was then dogged by problems within the team he was with - and his car's reliability was awful - turned out it had a cracked tub all season.

He's not erratic, but I do think he'll come off quite a lot(!)due to agressiona and frustration. If he finishes races in one piece he will without doubt be in the top 3.

He's got far more experience than Matthew Gilmore - please, the boy did Junior FF last year, and his only competition was kids who had done nothing previously - and they still beat him a few times.

As for the A's - I think everyone is expecting too much from James Courtney - as someone said above he spent two years in FF before he made his mark ( again poor competition). Jag's remember are Paul Stewart's old team - not much cop really. Manor and Carlin will dominate.

I'm with Sato and Murray.

But we'll soon see this weekend....

[dienekes]

All this talk of Gilmore, Keohane and Murray. What about Blair? As far as I know, he has posted the fastest class B time in every test he has done....

[Fraser]

I've been looking through British-F3 to find some info on this Craig Murray chap?

Who is he? Does he have a website?

[Francesca]

Media Information re: CRAIG MURRAY

Craig Murray is being touted as the ‘Comeback Kid’, with his bid for success in 2001 finally in full swing. The 23 year old Scot has his heart set on winning the Scholarship Class in the Green Flag British Formula Three Championship.

Craig’s last appearance in a British Championship saw him clinch a well deserved second place in the Slick 50 Formula Ford Zetec Championship in 1999. This year he rejoins contemporaries such as James Courtney and Anthony Davidson in British F3.

Competing in the Scholarship class in an F398 Dallara Mitsubishi, Craig hopes to make an impression in the competitive British F3 series. “ All eyes are on F3 this year, because of the high standard of drivers and teams involved.”

It will be a busy weekend for Craig, who also manages Aztec International’s eight-strong Formula Ford team. “I want everybody at Aztec to win. I’ve divided my time between building up a first class Formula Ford team, and working on my own racing career. I’m confident that I can keep the Fords on track this weekend, because I have a strong team of people behind me. My own goal is to win, and that applies to both the Ford team and the Scholarship Class F3.”

Although he hasn’t managed to get in much pre-season testing, Craig believes his experiences last year in Formula Super Toyota (now Spanish F3) will give him an advantage. “I raced last year in a very similar car, I know all the British circuits like the back of my hand, and if the races are wet this weekend it will even things out for me. This weekend is mainly a damage limitation exercise to ensure I have the best shot at the Championship. Once the first two races are finished, then I will begin a full testing schedule.”

The car itself has come together thanks to Craig’s hard work, and the backing of Aztec International, who make their first foray into Formula Three this season, following two successful seasons in Formula Ford and Formula Renault. Aztec boss Rob Kemp said: “I think the investment the company has made with Craig speaks for itself. His talent and attitude is well worth the large investment. He will go far with financial support, there is no doubt about that.”

Craig is determined to make a success of this season in order to get his career back on track, with a view to F1 testing in the near future. “If I can win the Championship this year, I will put the prize money into pursuing a career in A class F3 or F3000 in 2002.”

Craig Murray is a scotish guy, he started racing karts and was run in the british Super one by a guy called Dave Boyce, hes the same guy that started Coulthard in karts. He then moved to Vauxhall junior where he soon became known as the demolition man!! Hes done formula ford and the ususal guff, then he went to spain and did Super Toyota or else formula nissan he was pretty quick, but i certainly wouldn`t be expecting anything spectacular from him. He has the ability to put in a quick lap but consistencey may be one of the skill he is lacking in! and to win races you have to be able to lap fast yes, but if not consistently theres no point!