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Formula 3 - News

16/08/2010
Max Snegirev is getting closer to a top ten finish with each outing as the season is nearing the end, his first race at the old Silverstone GP circuit produced his most competitive drive of the year finishing in 13th place, this was followed by a 14th place finish in the pit stop race, unfortunately Max did not finish the last race due to contact being made with another car.

Daniel McKenzie was strong during the first part of Qualifying being quickest while it was wet but as the track dried out and a late pit stop for slick tyres meant that he had crossed the finish line a few seconds late and was not able to begin his last lap that would surly have placed him up the front. All was not lost as he had collected points in each of the 3 races and is still hopeful of finishing the season off with some more wins and a top five finish in the Championship.

Oliver Webb was looking forward to a good weekend but this did not quite materialize due to mix weather conditions, his luck was not with him during qualifying as he looked set to qualify on the front row but still managed to be placed 4th for the main race on Sunday. Oliver did manage to finish on the podium in the last race and although having lost his second place in the championship he is optimistic that he can regain the position at the next event.

08/08/2010
Thruxton Race Weekend

The fastest track in England brings podiums and spirited drives from the Fortec team

Testing on the Friday was in slippery conditions with drizzle falling almost all the way through the session. This hampered testing for most teams and meant qualifying would be the first real dry session for all the drivers. Oli qualified a strong 4th for both races with Daniel 9th for both and Max in 18th for both.

Race 1
Race 1 started well with both Oli and Daniel making good starts. At the exit of the complex Oli was forced off line by Felipe Nasr which dropped him down to 5th. Oli, Dan and Max ran with a low downforce configuration which was very quick in a straight line but unfortunately caused the tyres to lose grip at the half way distance in the race. Oli and Dan went on to finish 5th and 8th respectively earning some valuable points. Max made a good start to the race, passing Nakajima on the opening laps but sadly spun soon after which caused him to retire from the race early on.

Race 2
The reverse grid race saw Daniel narrowly miss out on a pole position start, but he had to settle with 8th on the grid. Oli lined up in 3rd and Max in 18th after his race 1 retirement. After some aggressive driving by Felipe Nasr and Lucas Foresti, Oli soon found himself in the lead of the 20 minute sprint race, staying in front for ten laps before eventually conceding to the cars of Vergne and Calado, but still finished a very strong 3rd place. Daniel made a good get away from the line, making up a place on the run to the complex. He was very strong all race and soon caught and passed Hitech racer William Buller and Carlin second year man Buzaid, to finish in 5th place and narrowly missing out on the fastest lap of the race. Max had a better time in race two and finished in 16th after some front wing damage.

Race 3
For the main race of the weekend all three driver had been preparing very hard with the team and made some very positive steps with the car. At the start Daniel unfortunately stalled on the line and dropped down the order. He managed to get the car started, catch up the pack and pass 4 cars before the end of the lap, before being hit by another car and damaging his wing. Soon after this the safety car was deployed after an incident in which Max was tangled up in, which eliminated him from the race early on. The team called Daniel in and completed a speedy front wing change and releasing him without losing a lap to the pack which was still following the safety car. Oli had a tardy start from 4th position which saw him drop to 7th on the first lap. He soon found his way up to 4th position after some quick laps before the safety car came onto the track. Oli commented on the team radio that he knew his pace was good and could challenge the drivers in front after the safety car period. At the restart Oli and Daniel soon carved there way though the pack, with Oli finishing in a very strong 2nd place and Daniel coming from last to a superb 9th position.

The team are now preparing for their 3rd race weekend in a row which is at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit this weekend.

02/08/2010
Spa Race Weekend

Spa race weekend started off in the usual fashion with blue skies turning to heavy rain in a matter of minutes. Both Thursday test sessions were run in wet conditions which made it difficult for all the runners. All 3 Fortec drivers completed as many laps as possible to gain as much knowledge of the 7km circuit as possible.

Fridays schedule was for a qualifying session in the morning and then 2 races in the afternoon. Qualifying proved very successful for the team with Oli Webb securing pole position for the main race, with Daniel McKenzie just behind in 3rd. After a tough race last year for Max Snegirev, in which he was involved in a huge crash, he was constantly improving in confidence and the laptimes were getting better and better.

Race 1
Race 1 saw some controversy at the start after Oli Webb had his front wing damaged by another car at the 1st corner but managed to cling on for 4th position. Daniel McKenzie was held up in a lot of traffic during the 30 minute race but eventually came home in a strong 6th place. Unfortunately Max had a last lap spin which spoiled an otherwise good effort.

Race 2
The reverse grid race started with Dan lining up 2nd on the grid, Oli was close behind in 4th and Max was unfortunately futher back due to the spin in race 1. Both Daniel and Oli made good starts and Daniel challenged for the lead travelling towards Les Combes on the first lap. Unfortunately due to Felipe Nasr's excessive weaving on the straight, Daniel had to settle into 3rd place. Oli similarly tried to keep his nose clean to collect some valuable point and came home in 5th place. Sadly Max was forced to retire after a spin during the race.

Race 3
Race 3 should have been fantastic for Fortec after the superlative effort in qualifying, as Oli and Dan lined up 1st and 3rd on the grid respectively. Max was starting further back due to the lack of running before the mornings qualifying. At the start Daniel bogged his engine and stalled dropping from 3rd to 26th by the 1st corner. Many would have given up at this stage, but Daniel focused very hard and put in a series of very fast laps to come from 26th to 10th which was a fantastic drive. Max had his best result of the weekend after starting in 26th position he drove a good race to finish in 18th position. Unfortunately luck was not on side for Oli. After a good start he stayed in the lead for 3 laps before having to give in to pressure from Jean EricVergne. Oli was struggling a little with the balance of the car in the middle sector and had to defend hard to hold position. He eventually dropped to 3rd and stayed there for the majority of the race, but with 2 laps to go of the 40 minute race he had a coming together with Carlos Heurtas which spun Oli's car into the wall at 150mph. Luckily Oli escaped completely unscathed. The car took the brunt of the impact and had considerable damage. The team will now strip the car down and replace all the necessary parts to make it perfect for the fastest track on the calendar at Thruxton next weekend.

18/07/2010
All started well for the Fortec team at Rockingham with all the teams cars showing strong potential during the unofficial testing; this was backed up by two pole positions set by Oliver Webb during qualifying.

Race one left Oliver Webb finishing in 3rd place after a slow getaway at the start but he still had a pole position in the last race to look forward too, unfortunately after making a great start he was hit from behind leading into the first corner, this had dropped him down to the rear of the field, after a spirited drive Oliver eventually finished in sixth place. Oliver is still placed 2nd in the Championship and is looking forward to working his way back into the lead over the remaining half of the season.

Daniel McKenzie had only achieved four laps in qualifying due to a small going off and was not allowed to continue due to having being given outside assistance to restart his car, all was not lost for Daniel as he steamed through the field finishing in 8th place, this had enable him to then start in 3rd place in the reverse grid second race, Daniel went on to win the first ever British Formula 3 pit stop race, after having made a poor start and loosing one position he drove with inspired vigour to pass the second and third placed cars in front of him with great moves and he then took the final place by delivering some F1 style qualifying laps followed by a faultless pit stop to emerge out in front as the race leader, Daniel held on for the final laps to Win his first International class Formula 3 race.

Max Snegirev has narrowed the gap to his team mates and is now much closer to the front pace than he has been all year, although he did not have the best qualifying Max showed great pace during the second race, Max had also made great progress during the 3rd race and was looking to gain his first points of the year but unfortunately he was hit by a car that he was passing and the collision left him stranded on the circuit. After the Rockingham performance that Max had put in he is now looking forward to racing in the top ten on a regular basis.

30/05/2010
Mixed fortunes for all three drivers at the German Hockenheim GP circuit.
Max Snegirev was much closer to the front running pace at this event continuing to show good potential.
Daniel McKenzie started off well achieving his first 3rd place podium finish in the first race of the weekend but suffered from other drivers indiscretions on track that robed him from similar results in the other races.
Oliver Webb also started well being quickest on the test day followed by a solid qualifying and achieving a second place podium for the second race of the weekend, the other races went the same way as they had done for Daniel McKenzie being forced to take of track excursions robbing him of more podium finishes.

23/05/2010
Webb wins again and claims championship lead.
Nineteen-year-old Oli Webb confirmed his status as a fully fledged championship contender today at Magny-Cours, dominating round nine of the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series at the wheel of his Mercedes-powered Fortec Dallara to defeat local hero Jean-Eric Vergne and, more importantly, to wrest the championship lead from the Frenchman's clutches.
Earlier in the day, Vergne had had the consolation of a win in the sprint race, but Webb - already fired up from his Saturday seventh round win - was right behind him to claim second place.
Webb made a good start from second on the grid, just as he did on Saturday, and lead into the first corner.
Webb was more than delighted by his 0.7s victory, which promotes him to the top of the championship standings, two points clear of Vergne. "I'm ecstatic," said Oli. "To do this at a track I have never seen before in my life, against someone who knows it back to front, makes it even more satisfying. I didn't make a great start, but Jean-Eric made quite a bad one, so that favoured me. After that it was just a question of putting in the laps."
The battle for fourth was a highlight, Daniel McKenzie hanging on to the position until eight laps from the end, at which point he was overcome by James Calado, back on form after the Carlin team put in a superhuman effort to repair his car after his morning accident. McKenzie hung on for fifth and his best-ever finish.
Max Snegirev had a good race showing some fast race pace and finishing in 14th place, Max continues to improve at each outing getting closer to his leading team mates, Max is hoping to soon be placing his car in the top ten results.

22/05/2010
Oli Webb claimed a brilliant maiden Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series win in this afternoon's (Sat) seventh round at Magny-Cours in France, the young British Fortec driver moving to within one point of the championship lead as a result.
Webb lined up second on the grid and was perfectly placed to profit when Vergne bogged down as the lights flashed to go. Webb's Fortec team-mate Daniel McKenzie was less fortunate: his best-yet third on the grid meant starting right behind Vergne, and he was delayed by the tardy Frenchman.
Webb's Mercedes-powered Dallara was in a class of its own at the head of the field. By the fourth lap the Knutsford driver was two seconds in front.
"I knew Jean-Eric hadn't stalled off the line, because he still had a bit of momentum," said Oli. "But I got much the better start to take the lead. From that point on I knew I was quicker than anyone else. We knew that even if Vergne got back behind me that we had the pace to beat him. I just concentrated on banging out quick lap times, then backed off and concentrated on saving my tyres. It all went pretty much to plan, so I'm really happy."
McKenzie recovered from his first-lap baulking, and an opening-lap clash with another car, to take 13th.

02/05/2010
Oliver Webb has scored another pair of second places over the long weekend at the new Silverstone GP Arena circuit to place him closer to the championship lead; Oliver had attempted many passes during both races but could not manage to get by, he is now looking forward to the next event attempting to reach the top spot on the podium.
Daniel McKenzie had started the event well with the 3rd fastest time on the Friday morning test and was looking forward to a good result, the qualifying however did not got to plan as he struggled to find the space needed on track to put in a quick time, Daniel managed the 3rd fastest time in the last race which showed that he was capable off achieving a podium finish.
Max Snegirev after missing all the pre season testing that the others have enjoyed continues to improve against the most competitive group of drivers the championship has seen for many years getting closer each day to his team mates and is looking forward to soon be placing his car amongst the top ten.
The team is due next week to test at the Pembrey circuit in Wales to carry out development work on the cars prior to leaving for the next event at Magny-Cours GP circuit in France.

06/04/2010
Oliver Webb secured two podium places over the Oulton park race weekend to place him second in the championship after the first race meeting of the year. Oliver was delighted with the result at his home circuit and is now looking forward to building on this result at the next event at the new Silverstone GP circuit in May.
Daniel McKenzie did well to earn points in each race after not having the best qualifying run that he could have hoped for, Daniels race pace was equal to the race leaders and he too is looking forward to the next event knowing he can match the opposition.
Max Snegirev had a successful week end considering that he only had two test days with the International car that he had not previously experienced due to a late deal coming together for him, Max continued to improve over the weekend closing the gap to his team mates, Max is confident that he can put together a much better performance against his rivals now that he has experienced more time in the car.

25/03/2010
Webb sets the pace on final test day
Fortec driver Oli Webb gave his pre-season hopes for the forthcoming Cooper Tires British F3 season a major boost in the final day of testing ahead of the championship's first race.
Oliver Webb topped by the timesheets by a two-hundredth of a second margin, and went six-hundredths better than yesterday's best time.
Daniel McKenzie finished up eighth in the standings with a solid performance not far behind Webb.
Fortec new signing Max Snegirev had a solid first two days testing with the team and his first drive of an International class Formula 3 car.
The championship's opening round is a week on Saturday (3 Apr) at Oulton Park.

16/03/2010
Russian racer Max Snegirev is to step up to the International class in the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 series in 2010, it is announced today. The 22-year-old London-based driver will appear at the wheel of a third Fortec Motorsport Dallara.
Snegirev gained a season's experience of British F3 in 2009, claiming a number of podium finishes in the National class.
Max will enjoy his first taste of a Mercedes-powered 2010-specification car at the Silverstone test sessions next week, the final practice ahead of the Easter weekend (3-5 Apr) opening rounds of the championship at Oulton Park.
Snegirev is the third runner declared by Fortec; he joins talented and rapid young Brits Oli Webb and Daniel McKenzie on the driving strength.
Fortec's senior race engineer Mick Kouros said: "We are looking forward to Max driving our car for the first time at Silverstone on 23 March. Max knows that he has missed several test days but is keen to start working with the team and his new team-mates. We will all be working hard to help bring Max up to speed with the International class car, and although he is starting behind all the rest we will be working on continually improving as the season develops."

04/02/2010
National champ ready for International F3 battle.
Reigning National class Formula 3 Champion Daniel McKenzie is to return for a full tilt at the Cooper Tires British F3 International title, it is announced today. The 21-year-old from Poole, Dorset, will race a Mercedes-powered Fortec Motorsport Dallara and says he's confident that he and the team can enjoy a fantastic season.
McKenzie has spent the winter engaged in a punishing physical programme devised by an F1 trainer. "I have never been as fit in my life," said Daniel, "and I'm hoping that I'll have the best stamina of any driver on the grid. I believe that the expansion to 30 races this year is really going to be a tough test. The team has been working extremely hard over the winter, as has Mercedes, and I have never been so excited and pumped-up at the beginning of a season. I cannot wait to get out in the car."
McKenzie won the National class in 11 of his 20 outings with Fortec in 2009, and finished all bar one race. It's that sort of consistency which he believes can pay dividends during the coming 30-race season. "You don't have to win every race, nor even finish on the podium in every race, to win the title. But if you can finish nearly every race and score points, like I did last year, then the chances are that you will have a fantastic result in the championship."
He is excited to be partnering 18-year-old F3 rookie Oli Webb at Fortec: "I know Oli well and he's a good friend, and he will be quick, which is fantastic for me. I want a fast team-mate because that will push me forward and help progress the team."

30/11/2009
Webb signs for 2010 Formula 3 campaign
One of Britain's brightest single-seater prospects, 18-year-old Oli Webb, has signed with the race-winning Fortec Motorsports team to contest the 2010 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series.
Manchester-based Webb steps up to F3 after two seasons in Formula Renault UK, where he has established himself with Fortec as one of the quickest and most consistent in the field. Oli won two races in 2009 and collected a further eight podium finishes on his way to championship third.
He's already pleasing the team with his F3 testing performances: "We have been impressed with how easily young Oliver has adapted to the car," says Fortec's senior race engineer Mick Kouros. "He has been in the top three at all the tests he's attended, and was quickest at a couple of those, particularly the wet-weather ones. We are sure that Oli is going to be among the very fastest in F3 next season."
University student Webb said: "I am delighted with how pre-season has gone so far and I am really happy with how I have adapted to the car. The Formula 3 car has a lot more downforce and engine power and the way it drives suits my driving style more than the Formula Renault car did.
"To have gone so well in the tests is more than I could have hoped for when I am up against guys with a year of experience in the car already. The list of drivers who have done a season or more in British F3 before going on to race at the highest level is pretty incredible and I am determined to join them."

17/02/2009
Fortec Motorsport is pleased to announce that Spanish driver, Victor Garcia, has joined the team to contest the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series for 2009. Nineteen year-old Garcia will be on track on Tuesday 24 February for the first official FOTA test. Garcia impressed the team at a six-day test programme in December. Senior race engineer, Mick Kouros commented: "He set fast times at all the circuits we visited and was quick to adapt to our car and the tyres. Fortec is looking forward to working with Victor and to helping him challenge for championship victory". Garcia comes to Britain with two years experience of Spanish F3 under his belt; he won from the pole at Jerez in October and was twice a podium visitor at Jarama. The former karting champion also has Formula Renault Eurocup experience. Speaking about his new team, Garcia said "I'm really happy to be in this team. They are really organised and experienced and I'm sure we will be very competitive. I'm looking forward to starting testing to get used to the car and the British circuits".

18/04/2008
Marcus Ericsson continued the strong start to his debut Formula 3 season by topping the official series test at Rockingham on Thursday (17/04)
The 17-year-old Fortec Motorsport driver finished the day two tenths of a second ahead of second-placed Max Chilton (Hitech Racing).
"I feel really confident and I hope we can continue making progress," Ericsson said. "We're in good form and I'm really looking forward to the next race at Croft."
Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2008 British F3 International Series take place at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire on 27 April.

18/02/2008
Fortec Motorsport is pleased to announce that Sebastian Hohenthal will remain with the team to fight for the 2008 British Formula 3 International Series title. Hohenthal stays within the Fortec family after winning the 2006 Formula Renault UK championship with the team before going on to finish 9th in the British F3 International series in 2007.
Fortec team principal, Richard Dutton commented "It's great to have Sebastian back with the team for another season. He really is a phenomenal talent and a fantastic personality to have within the team. I'm sure he'll be fighting for race-wins from the start and is certain to be a championship contender".

07/12/2007
The Fortec Motorsport Formula 3 team completed a successful day of testing with the new Dallara F308 formula car today (07/12/07). 2007 Formula BMW UK champion and 2008 Fortec F3 driver Marcus Ericsson completed over fifty laps of the Silverstone GP circuit without trouble in the predominantly damp conditions.
Race engineer to Marcus Ericsson, Andrew Scott commented "The test was incredibly valuable to us at this time of the year in preparation for next season. It ran faultlessly all day and generated a lot of valuable feedback from Marcus. It's a step forward in many ways but presents a considerable development from the aero-package of F307".
The team will complete a further four days of testing next week at Oulton Park and Rockingham before the winter testing ban.

26/11/2007
Canadian driver Philip Major will compete with Fortec Motorsport in the 2008 Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series. Major has been in the UK since the early autumn and has completed a significant testing programme over the recent months both in the UK and Europe.
"Everything has gone very well so far," Major, who is 18 years old, and a veteran of two seasons of FBMW USA competition, said of his pre-season testing. "Fortec is a very good team with very good people, and we have been working hard to get ready for the upcoming season. It's a huge jump in competition from FBMW to F3, but it is one I am really looking forward to."
Team Owner Richard Dutton is very excited about having the young Canadian driver join the team for 2008. "Philip has shown very well in his testing so far. The biggest challenge for him is learning all the new circuits that he will compete on next year. We at Fortec are delighted that he has joined us for the 2008 British F3 Championship".

08/11/2007
Fortec Motorsport are pleased to announce that reigning Formula BMW UK champion Marcus Ericsson will step up to the British Formula Three championship with the team next year.
Following his championship success, Ericsson has completed several test days as part of his winter programme in preparation for the 2008 championship season.
"I am really excited about next year. For me to be able to continue my close relationship and go into F3 with all the people at Fortec is just perfect. I know I have a lot to learn, but appreciate how lucky I am to be in such an excellent team where I can continue to grow as a driver and have the best possible chance to be competitive" commented Ericsson.
Ericsson is backed by former Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Brack, who knows the Fortec team very well. "This is the right and next logical step for Marcus," said Brack. "Fortec provides a very good platform for a driver to develop his skills."

30/08/2007
The Formula 3 team recently completed the first of two pre-race event tests at the Rockingham circuit near Corby. Following recent developments to the Fortec Dallaras, rookie drivers Greg Mansell and Sebastian Hohenthal completed the morning session in second and fifth positions respectively. The afternoon session saw Sebastian move up to this position with Greg eighth. The team will now prepares for the forthcoming British F3/GT meeting at Croft, North Yorkshire next weekend.

23/04/2007
Donington park saw the first podium for Greg Mansell and another solid points scoring 4th place for Sebastian Hohenthal with Leo Mansell having a very unlucky accident in the first race.
The second race began with good starts from all three drivers but things quickly went wrong after the first corner with Seb being hit by another car resulting in him having to pit for repairs. He then rejoined to take the fastest lap of the race by over 0.5 second. Greg and Leo also had trouble with Leo having to pit with rear wing damage. Greg managed to carry on after he was hit by another car to score a point for 10th position

28/03/2007
The Fortec F3 team ended their pre-season testing programme in high spirits after continuing their recent pace at the Oulton Park test yesterday. Fortec drivers Sebastian Hohenthal, Greg Mansell and Leo Mansell ended the day 3rd, 5th, and 13th respectively. The team now look forward to the first race at the Cheshire circuit on the 9th of April were they hope to turn their testing pace into valuable Championship points.

15/03/2007
Fortec Motorsport's first outing of the year on the 2007 specification Avon tyre for the British F3 International Series was a great boost to the team. With only three hours of testing available on the Silverstone National circuit, the team's drivers: - Sebastian Hohenthal, Leo Mansell, and Greg Mansell finished the day in 3rd, 12th, and 8th positions respectively, proving the ability of both team and drivers amongst an experienced field. Fortec now look forward to the upcoming Croft test on 20/21 March where they will be looking to continue their strong start to the year.

16/02/2007
Fortec Motorsport is pleased to announce that Formula Renault UK champion Sebastian Hohenthal will stay with the team and graduate to their Formula 3 programme for this years British F3 International Series.
The 23 year old from Sweden, joins Leo and Greg Mansell to complete Fortec's three car line-up. A successful two years in Formula Renault with the team culminated in championship victory last season thanks to an impressive record of seven wins, five poles and 13 podiums.
Sebastian will be once again be aiming for success when the British F3 season starts at Oulton Park on 7-9 April.

30/11/2006
Greg and Leo Mansell will contest the 2007 British Formula 3 International Series with Fortec Motorsport. The announcement follows their successful test programme throughout 2006 and participation in the final two races of the season at Thruxton in October with the team.
Leo Mansell: "British F3 was the right choice for us because, one, it is our home formula and two, we have a great relationship with Fortec, working with them through testing and the race at Thruxton. We're also visiting some great tracks next year Spa, Monza, Silverstone GP, Brands Hatch GP and the street race in Bucharest. It's a schedule we're really excited about."
Greg Mansell: "British F3 is highly respected amongst the other F3 series and next years calendar is fantastic with four tracks from the old F1 calendar and as a driver you couldn't wish for any more. There are fantastic cars and we have a great team in Fortec supporting us and I'm just really looking forward to it, it was the right choice for us."
Richard Dutton, Team Principal Fortec Motorsport: "It's a great honour for Fortec to be involved with Leo, Greg and Nigel. We've worked hard over the last few years in Formula 3 and it's great to have drivers signed and organised so early. We've got the test programme coming up and it is nice going into the season fully ready and organised. It's a great honour to work with Nigel and the boys. I certainly wasn't surprised by their pace at Thruxton because of the speed they were showing in testing. They both amazed me how fast they were developing. The progress was amazing, so I was not at all surprised to see them go so well at Thruxton. If you had to choose which circuit would be the hardest to have your first race it would be Thruxton and I know if it had been anywhere else they would probably have done a better job. Having said that they still did a great job that weekend and we were all very proud."
Stephane Ratel, SRO Chairman: "We are very pleased to welcome Leo and Greg to British Formula 3 for 2007. British F3 has been the traditional career path for young drivers from all over the world looking towards Formula One. I'm very happy to see that Leo and Greg have decided that Britain's premier single seat racing championship is the right place for the next step in their career development and have chosen to drive with Fortec Motorsport, a team that has tasted the victory champagne twice this year."

20/11/2006
Yelmer Buurman concluded a highly-successful visit to the Macau F3 Grand-Prix 2006 with an 8th place finish in the feature race. Facing the challenge of drivers from several F3 Series' with previous experience of the Macau circuit, Yelmer had to learn the track quickly in the limited sessions. After becoming involved in an incident with Jonathan Kennard in the Qualifying race, Yelmer was forced to start from 30th position close to the back of the grid for the main FIA Intercontinental Cup race. After a first corner tangle between Marco Asmer (Hitech), Paul di Resta (ASM), and Kamui Kobayashi (ASM), the field headed by Mike Conway (Raikonen-Robertson) continued the 15-lap race. Yelmer sustained a strong pace throughout the race and gained several positions to finish in 8th position as the third of the 2006 British F3 Series drivers behind Mike Conway in 1st and James Jakes (Manor Motorsport) in 6th.

02/10/2006
The Formula 3 team ended the 2006 British F3 International Series on a high with a win in Race 2 for Yelmer Buurman at Thruxton. The win saw Yelmer pass Maro Engel (Carlin) in the points table to secure 4th place behind Mike Conway, Oliver Jarvis, and Bruno Senna.

26/09/2006
The British Formula 3 Series will see Greg and Leo Mansell graduate to the Championship at Thruxton this weekend (30 Sept-1 Oct). Fortec Motorsport will field two Championship cars in the Invitation class for the pair who step-up from the Formula BMW UK Championship. The outing follows a successful official test at the Hampshire circuit in August.

25/09/2006
The Formula 3 team continued it's run of strong points finishes with a 5th in Race 1 and 4th in Race 2 at Silverstone for Yelmer Buurman. This moves Yelmer closer to Maro Engel (Carlin), currently 4th in the championship with only four points between them. The British F3 International Series concludes at Thruxton this weekend (30 Sept-1 Oct) where Rounds 21 and 22 will be held.

24/09/2006
Yelmer Buurman lines-up 5th and 4th on the grid for the two Formula 3 races at Silverstone today. After originally qualifying 5th for the Race 2, Yelmer was promoted to 4th on the grid after Oliver Jarvis (Carlin Motorsport) had his fastest lap cancelled for speeding in the pit-lane. Yelmer, currently 5th in the championship will be aiming to close the 18-point gap on Maro Engel (Carlin) in 4th position.

18/09/2006
The Fortec Formula 3 team travelled to the Mugello circuit in Italy for rounds 17 & 18 of the championship.
Yelmer Buurman produced two excellent qualifying results, lining-up 5th for Race 1 and 3rd for Race 2. Yelmer's strong start moved him up to 2nd position on the opening lap of Race 1 before a move from Stephen Jelley pushed Yelmer wide allowing both Jelley (Raikkonen-Robertson) and Alberto Valerio (Cesario) through. This left Yelmer in 5th position at the chequered flag.
Starting from 3rd on the grid for Race 2, Yelmer lost out at the start and found himself pursuing James Walker (Hitech Racing) for position. Yelmer followed Walker for several laps before the two cars made contact on the final corner of Lap 6 putting them both out of the race.
The British F3 International Series moves to the Silverstone circuit next weekend (23-24 Sept) for Rounds 19 & 20.

28/08/2006
Rounds 17 & 18 of the British Formula 3 series held on the Brands Hatch Grand-Prix circuit saw Yelmer Buurman score a number of strong qualifying and race results. Starting third on the grid for the first race, Yelmer drove a solid 22 lap race and held position until the chequered flag. Race two saw Yelmer starting from third on the grid once again after an excellent run in qualifying, unfortunately halted by red flags. Yelmer made a good start but lost a place to Mike Conway at Druids on the first lap. The order would then remain the same with Yelmer coming home in fourth position. The series now moves to Mugello in Italy for rounds 19 & 20 (16-17 September)

14/08/2006
Yelmer Buurman once again visitied the Formula 3 podium with a third place finish at Silverstone this weekend. Starting from 11th on the grid, Yelmer fought off James Walker and Oliver Jarvis throughout the 14 lap race to finish behind Mike Conway and Bruno Senna in 1st and 2nd respectively.

29/07/2006
Yelmer Buurman scored his first Formula 3 Championship victory in Race 1 at Spa Francorchamps, Belgium this weekend. Yelmer drove through the challenging conditions from 10th on the grid to take the lead from Maro Engel on the last lap. In Race 2, Yelmer started from 11th position on the grid after a difficult second qualifying session. He moved up through the field to come home in sixth position, picking up more valuable points. Yelmer retains 5th position in the Championship for the next race at Silverstone (12-13 August)

16/07/2006
The Formula 3 team returned from Snetterton with points scores for both Yelmer Buurman and Stuart Hall. Yelmer qualified 5th and 7th for the two races with Stuart 12th and 11th. Race 1 saw Yelmer chasing Oliver Jarvis for the duration but he was unable to find a way past him to finish 5th. Stuart came home 8th picking up 3 valuable points. Race 2 saw Yelmer move up to 5th position after fighting with Stephen Jelley and Maro Engel while Stuart gained a place to finish 10th, putting him 10th in the Championship standings. Yelmer's points put him 5th just two points behind Maro Engel.

08/07/2006
Yelmer Buurman scored a 10th place finish in the first of the Formula 3 Euro-Series races at Brands Hatch. Yelmer qualified 15th for the race but started from 14th on the grid after Esteban Guerrieri (Manor Motorsport) had his times from qualifying dissallowed. Yelmer made a strong start before holding 11th position for the remainder of the 57 lap race. As Richard Antinucci (HBR Motorsport) was racing under appeal following a technical infringment during qualifying, he is excluded from the race results giving Yelmer 10th position.

03/07/2006
Fortec completed their F3 Euro-Series weekend at Brands Hatch with a solid 9th place finish for Yelmer Buurman in race 2. Yelmer, starting from 11th on the grid held position before moving up the field when a number of drivers were penalised for jumping the start. With overtaking difficult on the short Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Yelmer drove consistently on the pace to complete the 42 lap race.

27/06/2006
The Fortec Motorsport Formula 3 team will compete in the F3 Euro-Series rounds at Brands Hatch this coming weekend. Driving for the team will be Yelmer Buurman who also competed in the Euro-Series at Hockenheim earlier in the year. The races on Saturday and Sunday will be held on the short Indy circuit at Brands Hatch, supporting the DTM Series. Yelmer hopes to add to the points he scored at Hockenheim and gain further experience of the Brands Hatch circuit which will host rounds 15 and 16 of the British Series in August.

22/05/2006
The Fortec Formula 3 team scored it's best result so far this season with a third place for Yelmer Buurman in race 2 at Donington Park. Varied weather conditions throughout the weekend lead to an exciting final race which saw Yelmer come from ninth on the grid to take the podium place. Yelmer now holds sixth position in the championship with only four points between him and Maro Engel who lies third in the standings. Stuart Hall is currently ninth while Charlie Hollings is in joint eleventh position after a successful Donington race which saw him finish seventh in class in the second race.

17/04/2006
The F3 team completed a successful first British Championship race weekend with all three of it's drivers scoring points. In Race 1, Yelmer Buurman came home 6th with Stuart Hall and Charlie Hollings 9th and 11th in class respectively. Stuart Hall finished 6th showing strong race pace from lights to flag in Race 2 with Yelmer 8th and Charlie 9th. The event was dominated however, by Bruno Senna in the Raikonnen Robertson Dallara Mercedes who won both races putting him firmly in the lead of the championship. Fortec drivers Yelmer Buurman, Stuart Hall, and Charlie Hollings hold 7th, 8th, and 11th in the championship standings.

09/04/2006
Yelmer Buurman had a dissapointing end to the Hockenheim Euro-Series weekend following the second race on Sunday. Starting from pole, Yelmer got away well putting several car-lengths between himself and the following pack. Technical problems then caused him to drop back to 8th place before a bold move from Sebastien Buemi up the inside of Yelmer put him out of the race and left Buemi with a drive-through penalty. The team now returns to the UK for the firt race of the British championship at Oulton Park, Cheshire this weekend.

08/04/2006
Yelmer Buurman finished 8th in Race 1 of the Formula 3 Euro-Series at Hockenheim today. The reverse grid system means that he will start Race 2 from pole position on Sunday. After qualifying 16th, Yelmer made up several places on the first lap and then worked his way through the field in an action-packed race.

30/03/2006
The Formula 3 team today completed a successful two day test at Hockenheim with Yelmer Buurman in preparation for the first round of the Formula 3 Euro-Series. Yelmer ran well in mixed weather conditions gaining valuable experience for the race event.

28/03/2006
Charles Hollings will drive for Fortec Motorsport in the 2006 British Formula 3 Championship. The 2005 National-Class race winner had his first taste of the Mercedes-Benz powered Dallara at Oulton Park today which will host the first round of the British series. Although presented with varying weather conditions, both Charlie and the car ran well setting respectable times for a first outing.

17/03/2006
The Formula 3 team will be competing in the first round of the F3 Euro-Series with Yelmer Buurman. The event takes place at Hockenheim, Germany on the 8th and 9th April and will be used to prepare for the start of the British Championship.

03/03/2006
Experienced Consultant Race Engineer Chris Gorne is dovetailing his duties at DPR Direxiv in GP2 and A1GP Team France, with a role at Fortec Motorsport for 2006. His involvement will primarily be, but not limited to, assisting and co-ordinating on their Formula 3 programme.

14/02/2006
Two of Fortec's Formula Renault drivers will graduate to compete in the British Formula 3 Championship with the team for 2006. Yelmer Buurman and Stuart Hall will race the Mercedes-Benz powered Dallaras after testing with the team throughout the winter. Official testing begins at Pembrey, South Wales on the 15th and 16th February.

22/10/2005
The Formula 3 team are conducting an intensive testing programme over the coming weeks where it will look at drivers for the forthcoming season. Scheduled to test are Mike Conway, James Jakes, Sam Bird, Stuart Hall, and Stian Sorlie.