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The
first qualifying session of the first round of the Spanish Formula
3 Championship 2004 took place today at the circuit of Albacete.
Racing Engineering’s drivers Borja Garcia and Steven Kane will
lead the field into the first race starting from first and second
position. Maria de Villota will start from seventh position. Second
qualifying also went very well for Racing Engineering’s drivers
with Borja Garcia starting from second, Maria de Villota third and
Steven Kane from fifth position.
Qualifying
1:
After excellent results during the Friday test sessions Racing Engineering’s
Borja Garcia, Steven Kane and Maria de Villota were the ones to
bet on for Saturday’s first qualifying. Borja Garcia and Steven
Kane marked the fastest lap times from the very beginning of the
session and continued their fight for the pole position of the first
race after pitting for a new set of tyres in lap six and seven.
Steven Kane recorded his fastest time with 1’22.995 in his
ninth lap. Borja Garcia, in his eleventh lap marked a lap time of
1’22.903, which brought him into first position on the starting
grid for Sunday’s first race. Steven will start right behind
from position two.
Maria de Villota after finishing yesterday’s two afternoon
test sessions fourth and fifth had high hopes for the Saturday qualifying
sessions. Maria was in eighth position when she came into the pits
halfway through the session to pick up her set of new tyres. In
her first lap on new tyres Maria spun and lost precious time of
the thirty minutes qualifying. In her twelfth lap Maria marked her
best time with 1’23.538, which makes her start into tomorrow’s
race one from seventh position.
Qualifying
2:
Racing Engineering’s drivers started the second qualifying
session as sovereign as the first. Borja Garcia immediately took
over first position, which he held until all drivers came into the
pits to put a new set of tyres. Borja’s fastest lap time of
1’23.230 allows him to start from second position on the grid.
The surprise of this second qualifying session was definitely Maria
de Villota. After a perfect qualifying session, the time sheets
saw Maria in an excellent third position.
Steven Kane, after being second in the morning session, will start
the second race from a promising fifth position. Knowing Steven’s
qualities and his will to finish a race on top of the podium, everyone
can expect an exciting race.
Alfonso
de Orleans, Racing Engineering’s president, after the good
Saturday results stated, “I guess that all the Winter testing
work paid off. All three drivers have impressed me. Just look at
the starting order! Let’s hope that all the good work of my
boys and the drivers carries into tomorrow.”
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