Porsche WEC driver and ex-F1 star Mark Webber expects Thruxton to provide a stern challenge for the British Formula 3 drivers when the series returns to Hampshire this weekend.
The championship hasn’t held a meeting at the high-speed circuit since 2010 and arrives at a crucial stage with Matt Rao just four points clear of Fortec Motorsports teammate Martin Cao and eight ahead of Sam Macleod. Webber, who competed at Thruxton in British Formula Ford and F3 in his junior career, admits the track made a big impression on him when he first raced there.
“I didn’t have much success here in F3, but my memory is of a very daunting and quick track in the junior categories. The first time I drove Thruxton, I was amazed by just how fast-and-flowing it was – there might be only a handful of corners, but they are all very quick! You need a good engine, because you’re at full-throttle a lot of the time.”
“It’s evident straightaway that you need to be extremely confident with the car through the fast corners. It’s also a very bumpy track, which is something you have to respect, and you always need to be near the slipstream in qualifying. My engineer used to say to me, ‘No tow, no front row’ – and that was certainly the case at Thruxton.”
With Classic Touring Cars, Ferrari Classic and a number of other support categories on show, Thruxton Group Managing Director Bill Coombs is expecting a thrilling weekend for the spectators.
“British F3 will generate the fastest four-wheeled racing at Thruxton all year, as the best young drivers of the moment bid to prove their mettle around the most demanding circuit in the country. It promises to be an awe-inspiring spectacle with plenty of thrills-and-spills – and keep your autograph books at the ready, too, because history suggests you may even spot a future F1 star in the field…”