Axcil Jefferies and Ilyas take maiden wins at Sepang 30.05.2009: Formula BMW Pacific Rookies Axcil Jefferies (ZIM/15/Eurasia Motorsport) and Fahmi Ilyas (MAS/17/E-Rain Racing) took their first series victories in Rounds 3 and 4 respectively at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit today.

Formula BMW Pacific  Rounds 3 and 4 Results.

Formula BMW Pacific Rookies Axcil Jefferies (ZIM/15/Eurasia Motorsport) and Fahmi Ilyas (MAS/17/E-Rain Racing) took their first series victories in Rounds 3 and 4 respectively at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit today.

Formula BMW Junior Jefferies needed just one overtaking manoeuvre to secure his win, while Ilyas jumped three positions to go from fourth on the grid to first in Round 4.

Putting in a solid performance was Ireland’s Gary Thompson (16/E-Rain Racing) who finished second in both races. Thompson continues to lead both the Drivers Classification and the Rookie Cup standings.  Rounding out the podium in Round 3 was Akhil Khushlani (IND/19/E-Rain Racing) and, in Round 4, Indonesian Rio Haryanto (16/Questnet Team Qi-Meritus).

While Jefferies managed a fourth-place finish in Round 4, Formula BMW Juniors Chris Wootton (AUS/20/Eurasia Motorsport) and Steel Guiliana (AUS/17/Atlantic Racing Team) were not as fortunate.  Guiliana continued to improve, finishing 10th and 9th.  Double pole-sitter Wootton had two incidents, one of which ended his race in Round 4.

To win his first Formula BMW Pacific race, Jefferies got by team mate Wootton at the first corner of the opening lap of the 10-lap race.

“It was my first time to be in the position to have an opportunity to win,” Jefferies said.  “I wanted to push very hard.  Luckily I managed to break away and even though Gary (Thompson) came close near the end, I knew I had the car to win.”

Ilyas had a reversal of fortunes in the two races.  In Round 3, a racing incident put him back down the order, but he put all that behind him and took full advantage of his second row grid position for Round 4.

“In the second race, the car handled very well, I was able to brake later and could overtake three drivers,” Ilyas said. “Everyone said to forget about race 1 [Round 3] and to have a fresh start and I was able to do that.”

In Round 3, pole-sitter Wootton lost his pole advantage when team mate Jefferies overtook.  Jefferies held the lead to the flag and, while Thompson came within three-tenths of a second, the Zimbabwean had pulled out a margin of almost a second at the line.

Wootton, whose strong qualifying had earlier left him on a high, finished 12th in Round 3 after an incident with Haryanto on the first corner of Lap 3.

Cao Hong Wei (CHN/16/Ao’s Racing Team) had his day end early after an incident in Round 3, and was unable to start the second race. Guest Driver Antonio Martinez (ESP/17/Eurasia Motorsport) worked his way up from the back of the grid into seventh place. In Round 4, Martinez would do the same, finishing sixth.

There was plenty of action in Round 4. On the first lap, Team Holzer PFX teammates Calvin Wong (MAS/17) and Muhamad Alif Jafri (MAS/17) had a coming together, ending both of their races and bringing out the Safety Car. In a separate incident on the first lap, Khushlani and Haryanto touched, ending the Indian driver’s race.

The cars were under the Safety Car until Lap 4. After the restart, pole-sitter Wootton continued to lead, while Ilyas and Thompson got by Jefferies, whose car had been damaged while under caution flags.  Wootton, however, would have his race end when Ilyas made contact with the back of his car.

“I’m pretty devastated,” Wootton said. “During Round 4, I had a perfect start and then again after the Safety Car.  The results put me a long way behind in the championship and a long way behind this weekend as I must start from the back of the grid for tomorrow’s races.”

Ilyas apologized for the incident. “He was braking very early at the first corner and I was going at full throttle on the racing line,” Ilyas said. “I feel so sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

Haryanto scored his podium finish by overtaking Jefferies on the final lap of the race.

Rounds 5 and 6 will take place Sunday at the Sepang International Circuit as part of the Asian Festival of Speed.



Round 3 Results.
 
1 22 Axcil JEFFERIES•* (ZIM) Eurasia Motorsport 22:07.114
 
2 7 Gary THOMPSON• (IRL) E-Rain Racing +0.966
 
3 49 Akhil KHUSHLANI (IND) E-Rain Racing +7.963
 
4 38 Dustin SOFYAN • (INA) Questnet Team Qi-Meritus +11.539
 
5 3 Calvin WONG• (MAS) Team Holzer PFX +13.671
 
6 27 Fahad ALGOSAIBI (KSA)• E-Rain Racing +22.717
 
7 10 Antonio MARTINEZ# (ESP) Eurasia Motorsport +23.684
 
8 2 Dominic ANG (MAS) Team Holzer PFX +30.421
 
9 4 Muhamad Alif JAFRI• (MAS) Team Holzer PFX +39.599
 
10 8 Steel GUILIANA*• (AUS) Atlantic Racing Team 1 Lap
 
11 17 Fahmi ILYAS• (MAS) E-Rain Racing 1 Lap
 
12 11 Chris WOOTTON* (AUS) Eurasia Motorsport 2 Laps
 
13 88 Rio HARYANTO (INA) Questnet Team Qi-Meritus DNF
 
14 16 CAO Hong Wei (CHN) Ao’s Racing Team DNF
 

Pole Position: Chris Wootton 2:10.353
Fastest Lap: Gary Thompson 2:11.542/151.699 kph/Lap 5

 

Round 4 Results.
 
1 17 Fahmi ILYAS• (MAS) E-Rain Racing 24:27.865
 
2 7 Gary THOMPSON• (IRL) E-Rain Racing +6.374
 
3 88 Rio HARYANTO (INA) Questnet Team Qi-Meritus +9.060
 
4 22 Axcil JEFFERIES•* (ZIM) Eurasia Motorsport +13.378
 
5 38 Dustin SOFYAN • (INA) Questnet Team Qi-Meritus +13.508
 
6 10 Antonio MARTINEZ# (ESP) Eurasia Motorsport +15.022
 
7 2 Dominic ANG (MAS) Team Holzer PFX +17.079

8 27 Fahad ALGOSAIBI (KSA)• E-Rain Racing +17.118
 
9 8 Steel GUILIANA*• (AUS) Atlantic Racing Team +20.836
 
10 11 Chris WOOTTON* (AUS) Eurasia Motorsport DNF
 
11 49 Akhil KHUSHLANI (IND) E-Rain Racing DNF
 
12 3 Calvin WONG• (MAS) Team Holzer PFX DNF

 13 4 Muhamad Alif JAFRI• (MAS) Team Holzer PFX DNF
 
14 16 CAO Hong Wei (CHN) Ao’s Racing Team DNS

Pole Position: Chris Wootton 2:10.452
Fastest Lap: Rio Haryanto 2:11.594/151.639 kph/Lap 10

 
*Scholarship driver
•Rookie Cup
#Non-Series Registered

Provisional Championship Points Tables after Round 4.

Drivers
1.Gary Thompson (IRL/E-Rain Racing) 58 points; 2. Axcil Jefferies (ZIM/Eurasia Motorsport) 40 points; 3. Rio Haryanto (INA/Questnet Team Qi-Meritus) 34 points; 4. Dustin Sofyan (INA/Questnet Team Qi-Meritus) 26 points; 5. Fahmi Ilyas (MAS/E-Rain Racing) 25 points; 6. Chris Wootton (AUS/Eurasia Motorsport) 23.5 points; 7. Calvin Wong (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 19 points; 8. Akhil Khushlani (IND/E-Rain Racing) 15 points; 9. Dominic Ang (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 12 points; 10. Fahad Algosaibi (KSA/E-Rain Racing) 11.5 points; 11. Steel Guiliana (AUS/Atlantic Racing Team) 6 points; 12. Aditya Patel (IND/Atlantic Racing Team) 5 points; 13. Cao Hong Wei (CHN/Ao’s Racing Team) 5 points; 14. Muhamad Alif Jafri (MAS/17/Team Holzer PFX) 3 points; Zhu Huan (CHN/Questnet Team Qi-Meritus) ½ point.
                  

Rookie Cup
1. Thompson, 58 points; 2.Jefferies, 40 points; 3. Sofyan, 26 points, 4. Ilyas, 25 points; 5. Wong, 19 points; 6. Algosaibi 1.5 points; 7. Guiliana, 6 point; 8. Jafri, 3 points.
 

Teams
1.Eurasia Motorsport, 72.75 points; 2. E-Rain Racing, 67.88 points; 3. Questnet Team Qi-Meritus, 67 points; 4. Atlantic Racing Team, 49.5 points; 5. Team Holzer PFX, 43.5 points; 6. Ao’s Racing Team, 21 points; 7. Motaworld Racing, 6 points.

 
Statistics:
Winners 2009: Thompson (1); Haryanto (1); Jefferies (1); Ilyas (1)
Pole Positions: Thompson (2), Wootton (2)
Podiums: Thompson (4); Wootton (2); Haryanto (3); Jefferies (1); Khushlani (1); Ilyas (1)
Rookie Cup Wins: Thompson (3); Jefferies (1)


Background:

Formula BMW is the world’s leading entry-level series in formula racing. In 2009 the three Formula BMW series – Formula BMW Europe, Formula BMW Pacific and Formula BMW Americas – will be held in the key motor sport markets of Europe, pan-Asia and North and South America. Formula BMW will be regularly held in the support programme of Formula One. The series gives young racing talents the chance to enter professional motor sport in a safe racing car – the Formula BMW FB02.

The FB02 has been in use since season 2002. It is powered by a 140 hp BMW engine that takes it to a top speed of up to 230 km/h. It ranks among the safest vehicles in its category and exceeds the FIA safety regulations that govern this class of car. Innovations such as the FORS (Formula Rescue Seat) were developed by BMW Motorsport specifically for Formula BMW. Following Formula One, Formula BMW was the first single-seater series outside the US in which the HANS system was made mandatory.

Formula BMW drivers have the opportunity to take part in an Education and Coaching Programme that runs parallel with the racing season. The programme includes driver coaching at the races by professional race drivers, attending a Formula One test, fitness courses, tuition in driving technique and strategy, as well as seminars on sponsoring and sport management.

Among the 20 team drivers in this season’s Formula One, there are now five Formula BMW graduates: Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastién Buemi and Timo Glock.

- Nikki Kemp -   also photo