Double R aiming for first points of year at Silverstone

Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit will host the second event of the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship season this coming weekend, 13th/14th April, where top British team Double R Racing aims to build on the competitive start it made to its maiden campaign in the series at Monza a fortnight ago.

Antonio Giovinazzi

Photo by: XPB Images

Running as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship race meeting at the Northamptonshire track, rounds four, five and six of the F3 season will see the Woking squad bidding to secure its first points of the season – and confidence is high within the camp that aim will be achieved.

Italian racer Antonio Giovinazzi was the quickest of Double R’s trio of Dallara-Mercedes drivers during the rain-affected season opener in his homeland, and the 19-year-old is most likely to lead the way for Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt’s team again at Silverstone.

Although headline-grabbing top five pre-event testing pace at Monza couldn’t be repeated during qualifying after a tough session, F3 rookie Giovinazzi has still proven he has the credentials to make a big impact on European F3 this year. Achieving a best finish of 12th position at Monza, the reigning Formula Pilota China Champion could easily challenge for a hat-trick of top 10 results next weekend.

Indonesia’s Sean Gelael, at just 16-years-of-age the youngest racer in the high-profile series, also had to battle hard in all three Monza races after a difficult qualifying run. Ending his maiden F3 event with a highly creditable best of 14th place from the opening race of the season, Gelael is on a huge learning curve but the talented teenager will undoubtedly make further strides at Silverstone.

Double R’s third driver, Colombia’s Tatiana Calderón, is one of two female competitors in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship this year and managed a best finish of 19th place on her debut. With a notable background in single-seater racing, including being the first ever woman to finish on the podium in the US-based Star Mazda Championship, Tatiana will only get quicker and quicker.

“It’s great to be back racing at Silverstone, it’s always enjoyable being on home ground and we’re confident we can build on the progress Antonio, Sean and Tatiana made at Monza and fight for our first championship points of the season”, commented team principal Hieatt.

“Qualifying at Monza was the big problem for us, the session didn’t work out how we’d planned and that meant a huge amount of work for all three of them to do in the races. They each performed well though, in very tough conditions, and we know there’s so much more to come as the season gathers pace.”

Following free practice and qualifying on Friday, 12th April, round four of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is scheduled to take place at 10.20 on Saturday, 13th April, with round five set to begin at 13.20. On Sunday, 14th April, round six is timetabled to start at 09.15. All three races will be screened live on digital satellite and cable channel Motors TV.

Double R Racing