12th August 2007 - The Lloyds TSB Insurance British F3 International Series returned to the UK this weekend, with the first of the final four meetings of the 2007 season. Mike Meadows lying in third place in the National Class championship as he entered the weekend, remained in this position after the two races today.

Mike Meadows driving for NewNet Raikkonen Robertson Racing endured a difficult weekend of British F3 racing at an overcast Silverstone, with a hard-fought fourth place finish in the second race of the weekend a welcome result after an opening lap incident in the first had ended his race prematurely.

In Friday testing prior to the race weekend Meadows ran well, finishing second quickest in his class and ready for the challenge of the Silverstone circuit, the home of British motorsport. During qualifying, Meadows needed to find a set-up suitable for the demands of the Silverstone International Circuit. In a strong field of National class F3 cars, with only two short qualifying sessions of 30 minutes duration, Meadows posted a quickest lap of 1:17:207 during the sunny morning conditions placing him 4th in class for race one. Qualifying two took place in slightly overcast conditions during the afternoon session and Meadows found himself finishing the session in 4th again for the second race on Sunday.

In the first of the two races Meadows knew making up positions off the start grid would be crucial to him moving up the field, however he got caught out as too many drivers tried to fit through Copse corner with the same intention. National Class front runner Frankie Cheng was trying to get ahead of leader Sergio Perez, and whilst they were battling, Meadows found himself beached in the gravel trap unable to make his way back onto the race track.

Meadows reflects “Its always a tight squeeze into the first corner, Copse is a quick, high speed corner and there were just too many of us trying to get ahead and make up ground. When you’re all psyched up and the adrenalin is flowing on the grid, it’s disappointing that the race then ends in the first corner, beached in the gravel.”

“It was just one of those racing incidents that you have to put down to experience,” said the Banbury racer. “I have to learn from it, put it behind me and concentrate on making amends in the next race.”

For race two Meadows again lined up in 4th on the grid, however, after the disappointment of a non finish in race one, he maturely sat back and let any potential drama unfold in the first corner rather than be a part of it. Luckily the whole field got through Copse corner without any issues.

During the first few laps Meadows had a close battle with the car in front of Hamad AL Fardan and on lap 3 he managed to get past, only for the position to be re-taken on the next lap. Meadows continued to battle hard throughout the race despite struggling with the pace of his F3 car and at the chequered flag he crossed the line 4th in class.

He said after this, “Race two certainly went much better, I was hoping we might be able to fight for the podium but we should be happy with fourth, we’ve come away with some points, which will keep us up there in the championship standings, after not scoring in race one we needed to get points in race two. We just didn’t have the pace this afternoon and it was much as we could do to run fourth.

The British F3 International Series returns to competition in Thruxton, Hampshire in two weeks time.