DISAPPOINTMENT FOR CONWAY AT MARLBORO MASTERS EVENT

Marlboro Masters of Formula 3
Zandvoort, Holland
June 13, 2005

The Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 event at Dutch racing circuit Zandvoort ended in disappointment for Sevenoaks racer Mike Conway.

British Formula 3 Championship frontrunner Conway, 21, was taking part in the blue-riband event alongside the cream of the world's F3 drivers, and was impressing mightily until an accident halted his stellar progress.

Conway, who had never raced at Zandvoort, immediately made an impression in qualifying, setting the fourth-quickest time in the opening session. But in session two, a minor mistake had big consequences for the Fortec Motorsport driver.

"I screwed up," he admitted. "I went out on old tyres first, planning to switch to newer ones later in the session. But I went wide at a fifth-gear quick corner, and ripped the floor off the car. I had to pit and the damage meant I couldn't get out again in the session, so I never got to use my new tyres, which was a real shame as we knew I could have found at least another second on new rubber."

Conway, the reigning Formula Renault UK champion, ended up eighth in the second session, which gave him a starting position of 16th in the annual non-championship Marboro Masters race on Sunday (June 12).

With the tight and very twisty circuit renowned for being one of the most difficult in the world on which to pass in slicks-and-wings single-seaters, Conway was unable to climb through the order despite clearly being quicker than most of the cars ahead of him. Stuck behind a long train of cars unable to pass, Conway benefited from other drivers crashing out and finished 13th.

"Every lap I would fall back at the last corner, which is quite quick because I couldn't get the power on while there were cars in front of me," explained Conway. "That meant I couldn't get a tow down the main straight and I'd have to make up the time I'd lost in the rest of the lap. So I went back and forth the whole race."

Conway's next British Formula 3 outing is at Wiltshire track Castle Combe on June 25/26.

Media contact: Andy Bothwell 07944 651166