Last week Jason and the team made their European debut at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the second round of the GB3 Championship. With the circuit being new to Jason, preparation on the test days and pre race simulator work were paramount for this race.
On Thursday, the first day of testing, Jason started off quiet, but by the end of the day he was running in the top 10. Despite challenges with the car on the first day, the team worked hard to find a setup and it paid off. Qualifying would join the three practice sessions on Friday making Friday the most demanding for the team. The opening session saw Jason just outside the top 5 on used tires up against a majority new tire field. The promise of the day was cut short however, as a clutch issue forced Jason to sit out of the second two practice sessions. While the earlier times were promising, the track conditions changed drastically and qualifying was a tough blow to the weekend, with Jason qualifying P18 and P20.
The GB3 paddock woke on Saturday morning to rain and thunder. The rain was torrential and despite efforts to get Race 1 under way, even sending the GB3 cars out for a few sighting laps, the decision was made to reduce the race weekend down to two races by eliminating Race 3 and shifting the schedule over one race. “I understand why it had to happen, but considering my starting position I was really hoping to race in the wet. We had a really good wet setup I feel, and I think it would have been a good race” says Jason.
Race 2 in the afternoon was a stark difference in conditions, being completely dry. Jason had a good jump off the line, and from P18 made his way to P13 in the battle for 10th. However, for a second time this season, the DRS bracket broke on his rear wing through Blanchimont, the fastest corner on the entire circuit. Luckily able to keep the car under control, he was forced to retire from a promising result.
The final race of the weekend was a challenge, struggling to follow the track conditions with the car, he struggled to find pace while being stuck in a DRS train. Relieved to simply cross the finish line for the first time the entire weekend, Jason brought the car home for a P18.
“It’s tough to leave a track like Spa feeling so disappointed. I wish I could have had the chance to truly enjoy it, but it was just such a tough weekend from Friday onward. I’m sure I’ll be back and better than ever to enjoy the track fully.” Says Jason on the weekend.
The team will be back out in July for Silverstone in two months. Keep an eye out for news during the extended break.
