Home Z - Archive seriesBritish F3 Jones pulls off last-lap overtake on Merhi to win race two

Jones pulls off last-lap overtake on Merhi to win race two

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: British F3 International Series

Photo: British F3 International Series

Carlin’s Ed Jones made it two wins in two races in British F3’s Spa-Francorchamps outing, narrowly beating Roberto Merhi to victory in the reverse-grid event.

Jones, who, having won race one, started race two from fifth, was second by the end of lap two as Merhi took the lead from poleman Indy Dontje.

The Spaniard and the Emirati were two seconds apart for much of the race before Jones began his charge to victory over the final laps.

The Carlin driver was almost a full second quicker in the first sector in his FIA F3 spec machine, but consistently lost more than a second in sector two.

As the race went into the final two minutes, Jones managed to close in enough to have a good run into the Kemmel straight and emerged in the lead. He held off Merhi over the rest of the lap and took the checkered flag at the end, claiming his second win of the weekend.

Jones’ teammate Sean Gelael was up to third after two laps but didn’t have the pace of the leading duo and ended up settling for a comfortable points finish.

John Bryant-Meisner took another fourth place, two seconds ahead of Dontje. The Dutchman’s teammate Nabil Jeffri beat Sam MacLeod to sixth, with the Scotsman having started in last after his retirement on lap one.

Series regulars Matt Rao, Andy Chang and Camren Kaminsky rounded out the top ten, while Kang Ling took eleventh as the last classified finisher.

Championship leader Martin Cao retired from the race on lap three, two laps before Nikita Zlobin and Peter Li Zhi Cong joined him in the DNF column.

UPDATE: Motopark drivers Indy Dontje and Nabil Jeffri were excluded from the race classification for using non-regulation fuel.

Race results
Pos. Driver Team Time/Gap
1 Ed Jones Carlin 13 laps in 29:52.656
2 Roberto Merhi Double R Racing +0.862
3 Sean Gelael Carlin +12.628
4 John Bryant-Meisner Performance Racing +19.115
5 Sam MacLeod Carlin +33.088
6 Matt Rao Fortec Motorsport +41.763
7 Andy Chang Double R Racing +42.781
8 Camren Kaminsky Double R Racing +50.581
9 Kang Ling ADM Motorsport +52.655
Not classified
Nikita Zlobin ADM Motorsport +9 laps
Li Zhi Cong Carlin +9 laps
Martin Cao Fortec Motorsport +11 laps
DSQ Indy Dontje Motopark +21.453
DSQ Nabil Jeffri Motopark +29.094