- EDWARDS MOVES TO FRONT IN FINAL PRE-SEASON BRITISH F3
TEST
-
- Rising American star Paul Edwards completed his schedule
of pre-season
testing for the 2001 Green Flag British F3 Championship by leading
an
official test day for the first time and firmly planting himself
in the
front rank of this year's crop of F3 rookies. The world's premier
F3
series kicks off at Silverstone this weekend.
-
- At a rainy Silverstone on Monday, the 22-year-old Californian
piloted
his Alan Docking Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda to the top of the
time
sheets in the first session, and maintained his form in the afternoon
until missing out on the final drying laps of the last session.
Two
weeks previously at Oulton Park, Edwards outran his teammate,
F3 veteran
Andy Priaulx, for the first time, and has since closely matched
the
British driver's times.
-
- Commenting on his steadily improving pace, Edwards said,
"It's taken
awhile to learn how to get the best out of the tyres in all conditions,
but I think I've cracked it in time for the first race. As far
as I'm
concerned, I'm on track to qualify and run in the top six from
the
beginning of the season, and then work up to battling for wins
by
mid-season."
-
- Off-season pacesetters Carlin Motorsport start as title favourites
with
2000 runner-up Takuma Sato of Japan and Formula Ford Festival
winner
Anthony Davidson. Hot on their heels for much of the winter have
been
the Prost Junior Team of the returning Nicolas Kiesa and rookie
Ryan
Dalziel. Edwards said, "We have a way to go on development
to catch
Carlin and Prost, but we've already shown we're a match for top
teams
like Jaguar, Manor, and Fortec."
-
- Edwards' testing performances have also established him as
the quickest
of a trio of Americans contesting this year's British F3 crown.
New York
teenager Jeffrey Jones will drive for 2000 champions Manor Motorsport,
while Alex Gurney - son of US racing legend Dan - lines up for
the
experienced Fortec squad.
-
- "I'm well pumped up for the start of the season,"
Edwards said. "So is
my sponsor Doug Mockett & Company [a US supplier of premium
architectural hardware and fixtures]. The team is working really
hard
and the atmosphere is great. I'm looking for some good results
early on
to help me find the extra sponsorship we need to stay at the
front."
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