Sara Misir
Contributed
Sara Misir took the checkered flag in the closing race of the day, to end with two wins and a second-place finish in the Modified Production Class 4 at the JRDC's Carnival of Speed at Dover Raceway in St Ann on Easter Monday.
Starting third on the grid for the final race of the day behind Oliver Townsend, in Modified Production Class 3, and Allan Gordon, Misir the country's lone Formula Woman driver, displayed her class and quality throughout the race. Kevin Chuck, started alongside Misir with Lamar Larmond started in seventh position.
On the starting roll, Townsend won the initial start with Sara coming from behind on the inside, making it two abreast into corner one, much to the delight of the crowd. Townsend and Misir then drove through corner two side by side, with Gordon and Larmond closely behind.
Misir capitalized on the exit of corner two to take the lead, with Townsend, Gordon and Larmond following closely behind.
Townsend then faced gearbox problems and had to retire the car at the end of the first lap. Still, an intense duel then ensued involving Misir, Larmond, and Gordon, as the next four laps became a three-car battle. But Misir kept her composure and opened up the lead in each lap to run away with more than half a lap by the sixth.
She maintained the lead to seal her victory on the eighth and final lap.
Earlier in the day, in Race Two, Misir faced brake fading problems, but managed to finish second in class behind Allan Gordon. Gordon, MP4, and Oliver Townsend of MP3 were locked in a heated battle for the overall win in race two, but Sara stayed in close quarters, clinching the third spot on the podium after Larmond was run off the track in the closing lap.
Misir ended the day on 27 points to take the early lead in MP4, while Gordon is in second with 24 points. Misir expressed delight with the day's results.
"I performed pretty well during Sunday's testing until we discovered a cracked disc pad in the front brakes. After replacing the pads on Monday, I had to bed them in, which caused brake overheating issues and reduced my stopping power a bit. I'm happy to end the day ahead and look forward to Jamwest in May," Misir said.
The JRDC series continues with the second meet on May 26 at Jamwest Motorsports Park in Negril.
Piastri remaining optimistic despite grid penalty at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri insists he is still targeting a podium finish, despite receiving a grid penalty ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver had initially qualified in second place behind Drivers' Championship leader Max Verstappen, with the Australian's teammate Lando Norris in third.
However, Piastri has since been handed a three-place grid drop after he impeded Kevin Magnussen while exiting the pits during Q1.
The 23-year-old admitted he could not see Magnusson at the chicane at Turns 2 and 3, and tried to get clear of the Dane as quickly as possible, though the steward's review highlighted McLaren's failure to give him sufficient warning that a faster car was approaching.
Nevertheless, Piastri did not let the penalty detract from a generally positive display during qualifying, which subsequently sees Norris take second place on the grid, with the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz leapfrogging him to third and fourth respectively.
"I'm really happy with the performance today," he said. "We were so close to pole on track.
"I've been really comfortable with the car from the moment we put it on track yesterday, and I am enjoying my first GP weekend here. We've definitely been on the pace all weekend and confidence is high.
"It is a shame to lose the front row and having to start from P5 as it’s not the easiest track to overtake on. However, we will try our best to recover some positions and fight to finish on the podium."
Verstappen claims record-equalling eighth consecutive pole for Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Max Verstappen takes pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, equalling Ayrton Senna’s record in the process.
It is Verstappen’s eighth consecutive pole in Formula One after he recorded a best time of 1:14.746 around the track in the final qualification session for Sunday’s race.
The Dutchman will share the front row with Oscar Piastri, though he may receive a penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen in Q1.
Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished just behind him in third, while the two Ferraris, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, rounded out the top five after failing to build on their strong starts.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez failed to make it past Q2 after dropping to 11th, while Fernando Alonso was forced to pit before the end of Q3, finishing last.
McLaren not ready to challenge Red Bull...yet - Norris
Lando Norris says McLaren still need more time if they want to challenge Red Bull consistently after taking his maiden victory in the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris was helped by a well-timed safety car that allowed him to jump ahead of Max Verstappen in Miami to become just the third different driver to win a Grand Prix this season.
The 24-year-old currently sits fourth in the F1 drivers’ standings after three podium finishes, and he expects another competitive race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.
"I'm confident we can make steps forward, but I've made it clear we're not going to be there every weekend," Norris said.
"We need more if we are to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari more consistently.
"We definitely took a step forward, but other teams have upgrades, too. So, we're not getting ahead of ourselves.
"I still think we’re the third-best team at the moment, but that could change if we have another good weekend here, and I'm confident with our rate of development that by next year we can challenge a lot more often for wins and, in the big picture, challenge for the title."
Norris’ victory in Florida followed a major aerodynamic development to the McLaren, and he believes it will be an even better match to the track on Sunday.
"We are just better suited for Imola, potentially the upgrade a little bit as well,” he added.
"Imola has generally been one of our more successful tracks - and for me as driver."
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