- Daventry team continue silverware streak in UK’s premier single seater series.
- Faria scores first podium finishes of 2021, Grundtvig takes further steps towards front of the field.
- Fortec remain in Teams Championship hunt as series heads to Donington Park next on 10-11 July.
Fortec Motorsport claimed a brace of podium finishes on an action-packed weekend (26-27 June) in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship at Silverstone, Northants.
The Daventry-based team excelled at the season opener a month prior with Ollie Bearman, but with the Brit on Formula 4 duties out in Italy, it would be regular runners Roberto Faria and Mikkel Grundtvig looking to lead the line on this occasion.
Qualifying proved to be a tough exercise for the pair, but both drivers made solid progress in the opening race, with Faria moving up from eighth to fifth and Grundtvig up three spots to score more points in P12.
The Brazilian then backed up his first top-five finish of the season with a sterling effort to secure a first trip to the podium of the season, rising from sixth on the grid to third at the end of the opening lap before chasing down the leaders.
Although he couldn’t quite get onto terms, he took the chequered flag just behind the top two, underlining his form on a circuit where he claimed his first silverware in F3 at the tail end of last season.
Faria then navigated his way through an action-packed start to the reverse grid to move up into the top three once again and, despite a damaged car, he brought home another podium finish to elevate himself into the top three in the standings.
For Grundtvig, the Silverstone triple-header represented another step towards the front of the grid after a lack of pre-season testing versus the competition.
The Dane banked two points finishes – 12th then 14th – in the opening two races, before contact from another car at Brooklands put him on the sidelines early. Nevertheless, the results will give cause for optimism as the team looks ahead to the next event at Donington Park, Leicestershire on 10-11 July.
Oliver Dutton, Team Manager said:
“It’s been another really strong weekend for our British F3 team, and we’re delighted for Roberto after his first two podiums of the season.
“Likewise, for Mikkel, it’s been another positive outing, and he’s learning every time he gets in the car. Two points finishes is something to build on, and he’s been pushing very hard to make up for lost track time.
“Now we’ll go back to base, learn what we can and get ready for the next event at Donington Park.”
Roberto Faria (#7) said:
“I’m really happy to get my first podium finishes of the season. Silverstone has always been a strong track for me, especially in F3, so to fulfil our potential in that regard is very satisfying.
“The aim, of course, is to keep building from this result. We’re now up to third in the championship, so we need to use this as a springboard for the rest of the season and keep up the hard work.”
Mikkel Grundtvig (#43) said:
“We made more solid progress this weekend, and took several steps closer to our goal, which is to be fighting up at the front.
“Every lap in the car is a bit more experience for me, and we can see in the data that we’re getting closer with every session. To score points in two races is very encouraging, and if not for contact in the last race, I think we would have made it three.
“I’m looking forward now to Donington Park to build on these results.”
