Hillspeed duo conclude an impressive season

Hillspeed drivers Sasakorn ‘Cutter’ Chaimongkol and Oliver Clarke were once again extremely evenly matched during the finale of the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship as the curtain fell on the Markham-Vale team’s 50th anniversary year.
Markham Vale based Hillspeed have brought their impressive seasosn to an end.Markham Vale based Hillspeed have brought their impressive seasosn to an end.
Markham Vale based Hillspeed have brought their impressive seasosn to an end.

At the end of the massively competitive 24-race season, rescheduled of course due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, there were just 10 points to separate the Hillspeed duo with Chaimongkol concluding the campaign seventh in the championship and rookie Clarke an excellent eighth.

“We’ve had masses of pace all weekend and we definitely deserved several podiums with such a quick car under both drivers”, said Richard Ollerenshaw, team principal of the Markham Vale squad, “But I’m still very pleased with the pace and competitiveness we’ve shown at Silverstone, a very strong finish to our 50th anniversary season in motorsport.

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“Ollie has had an exceptional first year, I’ve no doubt he can be a top three championship finisher if he’s back with us in 2021. It’s been a disjointed year for Cutter with his deal not happening until the week before the first event at Oulton Park, but he’s delivered some fantastic drives.”

Ollerenshaw added: “Mostly, I’m proud of the exceptional work we have done which has underlined the outstanding preparation, reliability and pace of the two Hillspeed cars throughout the entire British F3 campaign.”

Round 24, the final race of the season, began with Clarke sixth on the grid and Chaimongkol starting seventh and it was the latter who enjoyed the best of the opening lap – slicing through into the top five as Clarke was edged back to eighth.

It didn’t take long for Clarke to begin his fightback, moving into the top six on lap two and then closing on his team-mate. By lap six there were just tenths of a second between Kush Maini in fourth, Chaimongkol and Clarke and the next time around Clarke made his move to take sixth spot.

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Over the line into the eighth tour the Briton was just 0.1 seconds behind Kush Maini, with Chaimongkol only 0.2 seconds further back, and both Hillspeed drivers were able to get ahead of the Indian racer to move into fourth and fifth where they remained to the final chequered flag of the 2020 British F3 season.