Jakarta, 5th August - Indonesia’s Sean Gelael heads back to Brands Hatch as he bids to improve on his fourth position in the British Formula 3 International Series – but this is a very different Brands Hatch to the one he raced on as part of the FIA F3 European Championship back in May.
While the European championship competed on the short Indy circuit, the British event takes place on 10th and 11th August on the full Grand Prix track, which is regarded as one of the biggest challenges in world motor racing.
This is because it features the incredibly fast Hawthorns and Westfield bends, taken in top gear, followed by Sheene Curve – top gear for some but down one to fifth for others, depending on gear ratios – and then the banked Stirling’s bend.
And all this is under the leaves of ancient woodland, making Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit one of the most atmospheric stretches of racing track anywhere in the world.
With crash barriers never far away and plenty of undulations, this is also a track that truly punishes mistakes, meaning that 16-year-old Sean will have to be inch-perfect threading his Double R Racing Dallara-Mercedes racer through the narrow, bumpy 200km/h corners.
Gelael comes to Brands, around 25 kilometres from London, on the crest of a wave after accomplishing the third podium finish – and the very first fastest lap – of his F3 career last time out at Spa-Francorchamps.
That is a truly impressive achievement, bearing in mind that he is by far the least experienced driver in the field, not to mention the youngest.
For Sean, Brands is once again a case of taking a step into the unknown. Yes, he knows four of the corners from his races in May, but even two of those are approached at significantly faster speeds off the longer straights of the Grand Prix circuit.
“I am really looking forward to Brands Hatch,” said Sean. “It has real history and some of those corners look amazing. I cannot wait to get out there and try them, and learn them. The others have an advantage of experience, but I just have to do my best.”
As usual there are three races, with the first at Brands Hatch taking place on Saturday and the remaining two on Sunday. Regardless of the result, Gelael will be taking his first steps onto the legendary asphalt on which the sport’s legends raced during Brands Hatch’s years as the British Grand Prix venue from 1964 to 1986.(ms/arl)
