GP3 frustration for Williamsonposted in MSPOR08 | 05 | 2011

    A WEEKEND WHICH looked so promising when he sat top of the timesheets in qualifying for the opening GP3 race in Istanbul, ultimately ended in massive disappointment for Highlander Lewis Williamson.

    Not only did he fail to score any points in the opening two races driving for MW Arden — the team owned by Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner — the 21-year-old from Golspie miraculously walked away from a nightmare 160mph crash.

    Making his race debut in the GP3 championship — part of the support package of the Formula One weekend at Istanbul Park — Williamson was on course for a dream pole position with just minutes of the session remaining.

    But despite ultimately being satisfied to finish the session in third, his problems were further compounded when he was penalised twice for touching the solid white line on the exit from the pitlane. The punishment from the stewards relegated the Scot to a frustrating ninth on the grid.

    "To be honest, with hindsight the punishment — I definitely think — was too severe," Williamson, backed by Highland Arena, admitted today. "On both occasions I only had a quarter of the width of the tyre on the white line.

    "Considering I'm a GP3 rookie, and this is my first time at Istanbul, I think some penalty points on my licence, or even a fine would have been better. I definitely don't think I, or the team, should have been penalised six places on the grid."

    But Williamson's weekend was to accelerate even quicker downhill when he was pitched backwards and upside down into a barrier at around 160mph during the first race of the weekend on Saturday.

    The Scot had recovered to be battling for a podium finish when, attempting to overtake the Carlin of Leonardo Cordeiro, the two cars' wheels interlocked and Williamson's race was over as was spun into the barrier.

    "I'd positioned my car on the outside of the other car entering the corner and gave him more than enough space," the Scot explained, "but while I held my line his front left tyre clipped my rear tyre and that spun me backwards into the barrier.

    "It was a very severe impact and the car came to rest upside down, but it's testimony to the strength of the car that I was able to walk away from the wreckage.

    "The guys then worked almost right through the night to repair the car and they did a wonderful job to get me on the grid for the second race this morning. But because we didn't finish the first race, I started from 29th on the grid.

    "Again I worked my way through the pack and was on course for a half-decent finish, but my right rear tyre rapidly went off and lost grid and really I just became a siting duck for everyone to pass in the second half of the race."

    Williamson did bring the car home in 20th position, but despite the massive disappointments of both races, the talented young Scot focused on the positives.

    "I proved to myself, and showed the team, that I have the pace to be competitive in this championship, which is a feeder to F1," Williamson explained.

    "This was the first time the team had qualified in the top three — on times — in GP3 and my race pace was quicker than the race leaders, so we know the results are there.

    "I'm just disappointed for the team, especially after all the hard work they put in. But I'll take a lot away from this weekend and when we get to Barcelona for the next round in a fortnight, I'll be ready to deliver."

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    Jim McGill

     

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