AF3 Drivers Ratings
Notes on the top drivers that compete in the Asian AF3 Series.
Christian Jones ? Jones has now won four AF3 rounds in a row and his confidence is going to be sky high coming into Subic on May 30th. He says he drove his best race ever to beat O?Hara in the final race at BRC, setting the fastest race lap in the process. He has a good all round package, an extremely powerful Neil Brown Engine, a well set up car using an all Australian crew of technicians and a good budget. Driving is a mental game and he will arrive at Subic expecting to win, and that attitude breeds success. He knows, however, that he had a little luck through O?Hara?s mistake at BRC and that he has to raise his game even higher if he is to beat O?Hara again.
Source: Asian Formula 3
John O?Hara ? The Formula Ireland Champion gave himself the best chance of winning at BRC. He was in a well set up car with a stunningly powerful TORRI engine, one of the best budgets and a team of Japanese engineers. They hit the ground running by starting their testing campaign days before any of their rivals. He qualified on pole and was ultra confident of winning. A stupid error, out braking himself whilst leading the first race, saw his weekend fall apart. Two second places are not a real disaster but they seem like one when you expected to win. Undoubtedly he will have lost a lot of sleep over his error and the pressure is really on for him to win at Subic. O?Hara is a driver of exceptional speed and talent, can he stand the pressure? I suspect his error was a one off and he will remain the ?pace? for the whole year. He just needs to convert pace into the top step of the podium.
Mark Goddard ? Goddard was extremely disappointed with two third places at BRC, yet in the circumstances they were not too bad. His car was fitted with a new TOM?S engine race week and they had minimal testing before qualifying. He says he also struggled because of the extreme stress of putting together the event, he is MD (managing Director) of the Asian Formula Three Corporation, and a lack of fitness as a result of the long work hours in the lead up to the race. He says he has to raise him game and he believes he can. TOM?S also have to raise their game, their engines were comprehensively blown away by TORRI and Mugen at BRC. Goddard has age against him, he is probably twice the age of Jones and O?Hara but he has experience on his side. He also knows he has beaten the best in the UK in the past and that if he can raise the level of his performance to his earlier days then there is no reason why he cannot win.
JoJo Silverio ? Like Goddard JoJo was late onto the track with a new car and engine and a smaller budget than Jones and O?Hara. Lack of time resulted in a completely unsorted car and two fourth places were really more than most could achieve. Silverio is one of those drivers who could get a dustbin liner round a track quickly, give him a well sorted car and he really flies. He has been stunningly fast at Subic in recent years and with time to get the car sorted expect him to be competitive. Like Goddard, Silverio is no spring chicken and he definitely wasn?t the fittest driver on the grid at BRC. He is however a seriously competitive animal and I suspect he will be leaner, fitter and determined to win at Subic. TOM?S also needs to do their bit. I wouldn?t bet against him taking the fight to Jones and O?Hara.
Tyson Sy ? Tyson has a great chance of Formula One Stardom, the 16 year old undoubtedly has the speed but still lacks experience, especially race craft. His main target is to win races for Minardi Team Asia in the Formula BMW Asia Series and he is competing the Philippine AF3 races to get more seat time to help his BMW campaign. I am sure he learnt a lot from his experience and to run as high as second in a Promotions Class car was a real achievement. Subic with its straights actually favors the narrower Promotion Class Cars, they are quicker down the straights, so expect Sy to be a real factor. Marchy Lee, who won both races BMW races in Bahrain, really rates Sy but believes he will always beat him a straight fight through superior race craft. Lee, O?Hara, Jones et all may be underestimating him ? Goddard reckons he is an extremely fast learner and he is getting a master class from his more experienced rivals!
Enzo Pastor ? Enzo has the only 302 car in the field and he should be ultra competitive once they get the car sorted. The deal for TOM?S Asia was only done race week and the car arrived in the Philippines three days prior to the race. To make matters worse they had no spare gear ratios so he did the whole event using Macau gears! The team will have got their act together for Subic and undoubtedly Enzo?s speed and courage will put him near the top of the timing sheets at Subic. The big question is will he keep it out the wall and can he master the art of down changing without putting mega revs on the engine? This is a make or break or year for Enzo, and he really needs to put in a good performance at Subic. His team has a reasonable budget, he has a new car, a TOM?S engine and Japanese engineer ? there are no more excuses.
Roland Hermoso ? Like team mate Silverio, Roland?s car was out late with a brand new TOM?S engine arriving late race week. If Sy had not been there we would all have been raving about his performance. However Sy was there and Hermoso knows he has to raise his game to get anywhere near his younger rival. Also like his team mate he has to work on his fitness ? we will know in Subic if he has the focus and determination to take the battle to Sy. Roland has the basic speed, he has a good team around him in the form of Speedtech and knows how to win races from his Formula Toyota days. If he performs at Subic then has a great AF3 future in front of him, if he doesn?t then??.
Dado Pena</b< ? Poor Dado Pena, his deal to run in AF3 was done extremely late and when his team, CJM, finally got hold of his car in race week they discovered they been given a bit of a lemon. Dado races for Minardi Team Asia in Formula BMW Asia, he currently lies third in the Championship, and Minardi rate him very highly. His new found maturity behind the wheel has been a revelation to Minardi and this was demonstrated in his performance at BRC. The fact that he salvaged a podium finish in the Promotions Class was a testament to his character and with a new TOM?S engine and a rebuilt car at Subic expect him to take the fight to his BMW team mate, Tyson Sy.
