Donington British F3: Jack Harvey claims title with victory
Jack Harvey is the British Formula 3 champion after leading the Donington Park finale almost from start to finish
Harvey soaked up massive pressure from Alex Lynn, who launched down the inside in a tyre-smoking move into the Melbourne hairpin on the 11th lap of 28.
But Lynn ran wide, giving Harvey's Dallara-Volkswagen back the lead.
Harvey did not appear to have the pace of the pursuing Lynn, but did enough to hold off his fellow Englishman on a circuit where it is difficult to pass.
He becomes the fifth driver in a row to win the British F3 title with the Carlin team and beat team-mate Jazeman Jaafar to the crown by 13 points.
"I wasn't very fast but I was pushing as hard as I can," said Harvey. "Alex was noticeably good on the brakes but I did trust him."
Lynn's Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes in turn came under pressure from Jaafar, who attacked at Redgate with six laps remaining but faded as spots of rain made the track slippery.
That bunched up the following pack. Jaafar's Carlin team-mate Pietro Fantin tried to pass him, but lost momentum in the move and lost out to the sister Carlin car of Harry Tincknell, who completed an ultra-brave move on the Craner Curves to take fourth.
Fantin then ran wide at the Old Hairpin and, as he rejoined the track, the other major title contender - Felix Serralles - spun his Fortec car in avoidance. Serralles had already lost time earlier in the race when he ran wide at Coppice.
Fortec runner Pipo Derani snuck through as Fantin ran off the road to take fifth, with another Fortec car - that of Hannes van Asseldonk - taking seventh ahead of Serralles. The Puerto Rican therefore finished the season 20 points adrift of Harvey, but as top rookie.
Comeback king Hywel Lloyd made it a hat-trick of National Class wins, although the CF Racing man was caught by Pedro Pablo Calbimonte in the closing laps.
Results - 28 laps: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 39m29.398s 2. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 0.682s 3. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 4.712s 4. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 5.889s 5. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 6.894s 6. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 7.506s 7. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 8.135s 8. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 14.086s 9. Rupert Svendsen-Cook Double R Dallara-Merc + 15.476s 10. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 15.947s 11. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Mugen-Merc + 16.382s 12. Hywel Lloyd CF Dallara-Mugen* + 1m05.612s 13. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte T-Sport Dallara-Mugen* + 1m06.410s 14. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen* + 1m23.355s 15. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen* + 1m24.613s * National Class
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