Gallery Results 2018 07 July Brands Hatch GP
30th June - 1st June 2018 - Brands Hatch GP
Historic F3s in the Sun
Jon Milicevic and Andrew Hibberd took a win each in the 2018 Historic Formula 3 Championship during the Legends of Brands Super Prix meeting on the awesome Grand Prix circuit (30 June/1 July).
Despite a couple of problems from Friday’s test sessions, a fine field of 23 cars headed out for qualifying first thing on Saturday morning for the event that also featured the annual Nations Cup contest. Notable in the field was the stunning ex-John Miles Lotus 41X of Enrico Spaggiari, set for its first race in the UK for half a century.
Milicevic, unbeaten across the first six races, set the qualifying mark in his Brabham BT21B with Hibberd (BT18) half a second back. After a time gap, Christoph Widmer made it an-all Brabham top three before Roland Fischer (Tecno), Francois Derossi (Chevron B17) and Spaggiari in a very cosmopolitan top six, though Fischer was sidelined by engine issues. Michael Scott (Brabham BT28) and Steve Smith (Chevron B15) were next up.
A seventh win from seven races this season for Milicevic does not tell the full story of Saturday’s race as it featured a mighty challenge from Hibberd who did a good share of leading until forced to ease back his pace when a carburettor problem left him badly short of engine revs. “It started misfiring so I drove round on part throttle,” said Hibberd.
Smith, Widmer and Scott battled for third and all deposed Hibberd in the closing stages but Swiss commuter Widmer was a last-lap retirement when a loss of brakes pitched him off at Clearways. The damage was repairable and Christoph had offers of help and parts from the across the HF3 paddock as he worked to get the car ready for Sunday’s race.
Roles were reversed on Sunday when Hibberd made much of the running until Milicevic was sidelined by a broken rocker, just as they were building up towards a battle all the way to the flag. “It was incredibly warm and the engine was starting to get very hot behind Jon,” said Hibberd. But Milicevic cruised into the pits at the end of lap six. “I heard it go and knew it was time to switch the engine off,” said the championship leader.
With Derossi slowed late in the race by car problems, a surprised but elated Scott moved up to take second after his race-long sparring partner Smith also retired with engine issues. “This is terrific,” said Scott. “You never know!” Meanwhile, a delighted Widmer got his repaired Brabham up into the final podium position. “For the first few laps I was very cautious to make sure the car was okay and then I started pushing. What a great track!”
Thierry Gallo (Tecno) and Spaggiari edged Derossi back to sixth at the flag and Gregan Thruston (Brabham BT21B) was only half a second down on Derossi at the flag. Up in to a fine eighth from the back of the grid after a first lap retirement on Saturday went John Waggitt (Chevron B15) with an excellent performance.
Rounds nine and 10 will take place at Croft circuit in North Yorkshire during the annual Nostalgia Festival (4/5 August).
Paul Lawrence
View Results and Timings (as a PDF document) [PDF]
