Chris Dittmann Racing claimed more podiums in F3 Cup as the team’s excellent start to the season continued on the Silverstone National circuit.

With no Peter Venn, it was down to Cian Carey, Phillip Jeans and Gino Ussi to represent the Tewkesbury-based squad in rounds seven, eight and nine of 2017.

Irishman Carey left with a brace of podiums, but so nearly more. With fourth place secured in the opener after a four-car scrap for the lead, he scored his maiden podium in the championship in the second race. Fifth with two laps to go the youngster picked his way to third on the very last lap for a fine finish.

He doubled his podium record just hours later, leading the opening half of the race before slipping to second in a brilliant lead fight. He crossed the line less than half a second from victory, pressurising the winner all the way, and now moves up to third in the standings.

Ussi and Jeans had less good fortune. After qualifying alongside team-mate Carey on row three, Ussi found himself tangled up in a turn one clash and his race was over almost as soon as it had begun. Race two went more to plan, claiming his second top-six finish of the season in a closely fought encounter. He took the flag seventh in race three, but in eighth place on the timing screens following a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits.

In only his second race weekend, Jeans out-qualified more experienced opposition in race one and built on that pace to claim 11th. A spin in race two handed him his first non-finish of the season and left him on the final row of the grid for the third. He came home 13th, and with yet more experience under his belt in this debut season of single-seaters.

They lie 11th and 16th respectively in the points, both having missed three races this season.

Team owner Chris Dittmann said: “It was an up and down weekend for us. The ups were of course Cian’s first podiums in the championship but we also know he might have had two wins to his name. It wasn’t to be, but the podiums are still great reward for him.

“Gino and Phillip were right in the thick of it all weekend, sometimes that means there’s contact. It’s all part of racing, but they were brilliant all weekend. Gino’s getting sharper and back to where we know he can be, podiums won’t be far away. Phillip has been really great. He’s lapping faster than guys who have been doing this far longer than he has, it’s definitely beginning to come together for him.

“We’re still second in the Teams’ Championship and we managed to stretch our lead over third a touch. It’s a tall order closing the gap to first but we’re only now heading to halfway in the season.”

F3 Cup returns to Silverstone on July 1-2 to tackle the full Grand Prix circuit.