Top ten at legendary Spa for CDR

Chris Dittmann Racing (CDR) returned to action in the BRDC British F3 Championship at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, battling for positions in the top ten at a circuit which is regarded as one of the greatest driving challenges on the planet.

CDR’s line-up re-expanded to three cars for the weekend, for the first time since the season opener at Oulton Park on Easter Weekend. Regular drivers Omar Ismail and Jeremy Wahome were rejoined in the Tewkesbury squad’s line-up by Frenchman Tristan Charpentier, who also raced the third car earlier in the year.

Indeed, it was to be Charpentier who led CDR’s charge in qualifying, with an impressive eighth position in just his second outing with the team, showcasing the CDR cars’ fundamental speed. Briton Ismail qualified 13th for the first of the weekend’s three races, to share his row of the grid with Kenyan team-mate Wahome, who was just behind in 14th. The CDR cars were particularly effective through the Ardennes circuit’s iconic opening sector, which includes the daunting Eau Rouge corner, with Charpentier and Ismail the second and third fastest through that part of the lap.

Charpentier’s return didn’t go perfectly to plan as he dropped back a lap, after he was forced wide during an overtaking move at Blanchimont. Ismail and Wahome both progressed in the opening encounter though to rise to 11th and 13th respectively.

Charpentier responded in fine style in the second race of the weekend with a storming drive from dead last on the grid to eighth position. The race two starting positions were determined by the finishing order in the opener, but unfazed, Charpentier set about picking his way up the pack to claim his best finish in the championship.

Ismail enjoyed a mega getaway too in race two, rising as high as eighth in the early exchanges before slipping back to 15th after a spin battling near the top of the order, whilst Wahome was knocking on the door of the top-ten with an 11th place finish.

Charpentier was at it again in the final race, securing yet another eighth place for CDR, though it was a little simpler this time, as his fastest laps from the previous races were enough to secure seventh on the grid. Charpentier dropped back to ninth on the opening lap but recovered to eighth by lap seven to secure his second top-ten of the weekend.

Ismail started 12th for race three, and was involved in a busy scrap around the fringes of the top-ten on his way to 13th, whilst Wahome retired mid-way through the race with an engine failure, after running strongly in the early stages.

CDR Team Principal Chris Dittmann commented: “We have positives to take away from this weekend, despite the fact that we didn’t record any headline-grabbing results. The cars were quick, particularly through the high=speed opening sector, so I’m hopefully we can be right in the mix when we head to the fast and flowing Brands Hatch GP circuit next month.

“It was great to work with Tristan again, and he was really unlucky not to finish in the top-ten in all three races. Omar and Jeremy racked up the points again too, but I’m sure there is still more to come from us, so we’ll be aiming for better at Brands.”

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