It was only apt that recently-crowned Cooper Tires British F3 International Series champion Jordan King should win the final race of the season, and he did exactly that by fending off Will Buller in the last 17-lap encounter.
Having sealed the deal in the opening two races in Germany on Saturday, King converted pole position into his fourth victory of the four-round championship with a calm drive to keep 2013 rival Buller at bay in a close race.
The Carlin driver made the perfect start to keep his advantage as the lights went out, before the lead duo set off in a class of their own at the front, King fending off the attentions of his Fortec Motorsport rival to claim victory by 1.398s at the flag.
A distant nine seconds further down the road, third place went the way of the man who started in that position on the grid, Antonio Giovinazzi. The Double R Dallara-Mercedes man fended off Carlin’s Nicholas Latifi throughout, securing second place in the championship from Buller in the process.
Latifi was resigned to fourth place and fifth in the final championship standings, despite Felipe Guimaraes only finishing seventh in a race where Fortec’s rookie team-mate put on a star performance.
Guimaraes collected Jann Mardenborough at the second corner on the opening lap, sending both men spinning down the order and promoting Tatiana Calderon up to fifth.
Calderon was soon overpowered by the drivers behind her however when Sean Gelael stuffed his Dallara-Mercedes through a gap left by his Double R team-mate, the International pack following their way past the Colombian.
Gelael was then eliminated from the battle after Spike Goddard botched an overtaking move at turn one and collected the Indonesian, Goddard serving a drive-through penalty as his punishment while Gelael was forced to pit for a new right-rear tyre.
The drama was the ticket required for Alfonso Celis to take advantage, the 17-year-old Mexican F3 rookie securing a top five finish, fending off the recovering Mardenborough and Guimaraes in the closing laps.
The National class also went the way of the 2013 season’s second champion, Sun Zheng claiming comfortable class spoils in the final race of the year.
