Snetterton BF3: Collard wins Race 1 as Ahmed rolls

Championship leader Ricky Collard cruised to victory in the opening British F3 race at Snetterton, surviving an early safety car period to extend his advantage at the top of the standings.

At the start of the race, Collard led from pole position, with fellow front-row starter Matheus Leist closely following behind in second.

Further down the field, Enaam Ahmed suffered a spectacular crash at the Nelson corner, spinning and rolling over the grass.

The British driver, fortunately, was able to get out of the car and stand unaided while the race remained neutralised under the safety car.

Once the race got going again, Collard was quick to show off his reflexes, establishing a comfortable 1.5s buffer over Leist in a span of just one lap.

The margin only grew as the clock ticked down, with the Carlin driver eventually taking the chequered flag by 3.179s.

Toby Sowery completed the podium for Lanan Racing, ahead of the battling duo of Ben Hingeley and Harrison Scott, the two separated by just 0.317s at the flag.

Thomas Randle, who sits third in the championship, had to settle for sixth place, ahead of Fortec’s Tarun Reddy.

Force India development driver Nikita Mazepin finished eighth on his British F3 debut, losing one position to the aforementioned Reddy on the final lap.

Double R Racing’s Aleksanteri Huovinen and Sean Walkinshaw Racing driver Eugene Denyssen completed the top 10.

Race 1 results:

Pos	Driver	Team	Laps	Gap
1	Ricky Collard	Carlin	15
2	Matheus Leist	Double R Racing	15	3.179
3	Toby Sowery	Lanan Racing	15	7.469
4	Ben Hingeley	HHC Motorsport	15	12.708
5	Harrison Scott	HHC Motorsport	15	13.025
6	Thomas Randle	Douglas Motorsport	15	13.566
7	Tarun Reddy	Fortec Motorsports	15	22.456
8	Nikita Mazepin	Carlin	15	23.047
9	Aleksanteri Huovinen	Double R Racing	15	23.432
10	Eugene Denyssen	Sean Walkinshaw Racing	15	25.807
11	Enzo Bortoleto	Double R Racing	15	27.516
12	Ameya Vaidyanathan	Carlin	15	27.704
13	Thomas Maxwell	Sean Walkinshaw Racing	15	29.144
14	Faisal Al Zubair	Fortec Motorsports	15	36.469
15	Akhil Rabindra	Lanan Racing	15	37.091
16	Krishnaraaj Mahadik	Chris Dittmann Racing	15	37.425
17	Jeremy Wahome	Chris Dittmann Racing	15	39.295
18	Quinlan Lall	Chris Dittmann Racing	15	1'10.799
-	Enaam Ahmed	Douglas Motorsport	0