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F3 Bahrain Super Prix Report & Results

Future Star
By Josh Barnett
December 24 2004
Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Formula 3 Bahrain Super Prix at the Sakhir Grand Prix track, used for Formula One's Bahrain Grand Prix.

McLaren sponsored, Bristish F3 Euroseries front-runner, Lewis Hamilton won the race after starting the race in 21st.

By the end of the first corner the young Englishman was up to 4th just ahead of team-mate, and McLaren Autosprt BRDC awrd winner, Paul di Resta.

By the fourth lap the inevitable had happened. The safety car was out. I say inevitable because this was 31 young guns fighting for position in an attempt to impress a Formula One team boss.

At the restart Hamilton eyed a gap and went for it. He passed Nico Rosberg, Keke's son, and was chasing after 2004 F3 Euroseries champ, Jamie Green. But Green was untouchable and no one could make an impression on him.

On the eighth lap Rosberg put paid to Hamilton's fading tyres, the price any driver must pay for pushing too hard too early, and passed him.

A quiet period of the race then followed for the front-runners where nothing much happened. Rosberg closed on Green by a few tenths but only because of some mistakes made by the Brit.

The second safety car period came at the end of the fourteenth lap after Rob Austin needed rescuing from a potentially dangerous postion.

At the second restart Oriental drivers Ho-Pin Tung and Daisuke Ikeda collided, forcing the safety car out for the second time in quick succession. An extra lap was added. This proved crucial in the outcome of the race.

At the thrid restart of the afternoon the lights on the safety car went out just as the car entered the pitlane. Some drivers expected the restart, while others were waiting for the safety car's lights to go out.

Jamie Green fell nicely into the second catergory. Unaware of the restart Green made a dreadful hash of the situation. By the first corner Rosberg had pulled alongside Green and the travelled through the first corner and the following corner two abreast. Drama was inevitable and the pair ran wide. Hamilton saw his chance of glory and pased both Green and Rosberg. The pair took awhile to get up to speed, handing a nice cushion to the new leader. All he had to do was hold on for another lap and a half.

Green had dropped down to fourth as Lucas di Grassi passed him but Green managed to salvage the third place finish in the end. But the champagne belonged to Lewis Hamilton who won by 0.8 seconds from Nico Rosberg with Green a further 4.7 seconds back.

 

RESULTS SUPER PRIX (20 LAPS)

      NAME                       TEAM/CAR                                     GAP

  1. Lewis Hamilton (GB)   Manor Motorsport/Dallara-Mercedes  0.000
  2. Nico Rosberg (FIN)     Team Rosberg/Dallara-Opel             0.795
  3. Jamie Green (GB)       ASM/Dallara-Mercedes                    4.702
  4. James Rossiter (GB)    Signature/Dallara-Opel                   6.748
  5. Fabio Carbone (BRA)   Three Bond Racing/Dallara-Nissan    7.803
  6. Marko Asmer (EST)     Carlin Motorsport/Dallara-Mugen      7.864
  7. Kazuki Nakajima (J)    TOM'S/Dallara-Toyota                     8.494
  8. Loic Duval (FRA)         Signature/Dallara-Opel                   9.434
  9. Alexandre Premat (F)   ASM/Dallara-Mercedes                   9.958
  10. Ernesto Viso (VEN)      Menu Motorsport/Dallara-Opel       10.145

 Fastest Lap: Jamie Green 1:54.049

 

2004 F3 Bahrain Super Prix Winner: Lewis Hamilton

 2004 F3 Bahrain Super Prix Winner: Lewis Hamilton GB

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