KEY POINTS:
Formula Renault Euro Cup winner New Zealander Brendon Hartley starts his assault on the British F3 championships on Monday at Oulton Park, Cheshire.
The precocious 18-year-old from Palmerston North is driving for the British-based Carlin Motorsport team and has been the most consistent performer in pre-season testing.
"We
were quickest on old tyres," said Hartley. "We thought we would get a clean sweep of the last three official test days."
In final official testing at Oulton Park, Hartley was beaten by just 0.079 of a second by Finnish driver Marcus Ericsson. Both drivers were more than half a second under the lap record.
"Brendon has been really on to it," said team principal Trevor Carlin. "He's working well with the engineers and his attitude is very focused."
Hampshire-based Carlin is the most successful British F3 team having won the title three times and been runners-up five times.
"Preparations have gone well and the team is in a positive mood," said Hartley. "We're getting to understand the set-up for the new Dallara chassis and I have a good relationship with my Carlin engineers."
Hartley has been nicknamed "Hartley the hare" by British publication Autosport in their preview of the season in acknowledgement of his persistently quick pace and lap times.
Formula Three has been the stepping stone for many drivers who went on to win Formula One championships. This includes Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. Recent graduates from F3 have also found their way into F1: Nelson Piquet is at Renault, Mike Conway is at Honda F1 and Marko Asmer is a test driver at BMW Sauber.
The 2008 British Formula 3 International Championship comprises two 30-minute races at 11 different circuits during an eight-month season.
Eight rounds are scheduled at British circuits and there are three European races in Romania, Belgium and Italy. "We are going into the new season well prepared with a highly successful and renowned team. Even though the tracks are totally new for the pair of us we are expecting to get some top finishes right from the start, perhaps as early as Easter!" said Hartley and his teammate Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari.
The last New Zealander to race at the top level of British F3 was Paul Radisich when he was a teammate of Damon Hill in 1986. Radisich claimed pole position in his first F3 race and went on to establish his name in touring cars, a class he won two world championships in.
Hartley could be one of the few Kiwis since Denny Hulme to sprout wings and fly into an F1 seat.