26.05.08 SETUP WORES SPOIL TURVEYS CHANCES AT ROCKINGHAM Monday, 26 May 2008: Any hopes Oliver Turvey entertained of another podium finish in rounds seven and eight of the British F3 International Championship were well and truly doused by heavy rain at Rockingham over the weekend. The RSF driver – who scored his third podium finish in as many meetings at Monza last weekend – struggled to find the right wet weather set up during Saturday's rain-hit qualifying sessions and paid the penalty. In the first of the chaotic sessions – which was red flagged twice as cars spun off in the treacherous conditions – Turvey was unable to muster the speed to set a front running time, qualifying ninth, yet only eight-tenths of a second off pole. In the second, with an improved set up providing better front end grip, he made light work of the standing water setting third fastest time behind Carlin Motorsport team mate Alugersuari and Fortec driver Hohenthal. Sunday's first race was no less of a challenge for the drivers, spots of rain at the start promising more dramas as the cars took to the grid on slicks. But the threatened downpour held off for a while enabling Turvey to make up two places by the first corner to take up station behind Ericsson. As the race progressed the heavens had opened again and Perez had found a way past Hohenthal to join battle with Turvey. The RSF man kept the Chilean at bay for a further seven laps, passing Abay on lap 21 before finally losing position to the championship leader one lap later with a lap to go. "We didn't manage to get the wet weather set up quite where I wanted it," he said at the finish. "So under the circumstances starting ninth and finishing sixth wasn't too bad. Having said that, I should really have beaten Perez. But other than that I couldn't really have got any higher." In the second of the rain-sodden races Turvey made a slower getaway than intended from third slot on the grid and moments later found himself bringing up the rear following a first corner incident. In the melee Turvey mounted the kerb to avoid a collision with National Class Carlin team mate Andy Meyrick only to be sent into a spin when the two touched. "At that stage I was on the kerb and had no grip so I spun which dropped me to dead last," he explained later. When he rejoined the race he showed his mastery of the wet conditions with a charge through the field that took him from 24th at the end of lap one to eighth on lap 20 and secured fastest lap en route. "A frustrating weekend really," he said afterwards. "We had real pace here and should have been on the podium in both races really. But on the positive side we can say we were quickest in the wet and dry. So hopefully in the next few races we can carry that on and get some good points." << back to news