Saudi driver Reema Juffali encouraged by progress over weekend despite disappointing results RIYADH: Douglas Motorsport secured two hard-fought seventh place finishes in the BRDC British F3 Championship at Donington Park with Saudi driver Reema Juffali and Dexter Patterson putting in competitive performances in the UK’s premier single-seater series. The team headed into the third meeting of the season in high spirits following an encouraging start to the campaign, with Patterson having scored a podium finish on his debut at Brands Hatch, and Juffali coming fourth last time out at Silverstone. The 29-year-old Jeddah-born driver took 16th position on Saturday, and despite not finishing on Sunday, she was encouraged by the experience. Juffali said: “Qualifying was tough, but I was pleased with the races. My pace was improving, I got my elbows out and got some confidence with my racecraft. I think in the final race I was able to show everything I’ve learnt in the last few rounds and there’s a lot of positives to take to Spa (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, in Belgium).” Patterson completed seventh and sixth place finishes over the weekend and team principal, Wayne Douglas, revealed his satisfaction with the progress the drivers were making. He said: “It was great to end a rollercoaster weekend with some top performances in race three. Dexter bounced back well from a tough Silverstone and showed he has huge potential in this championship with battling performances and three good, consistent finishes. “It was an unlucky weekend for Reema, she made some good strides forward across the event and really impressed in the final race. Overall, it was another strong display from both drivers and we’re all looking forward to heading to Spa-Francorchamps next.” Two days of official testing prior to the event gave the racing team the perfect opportunity to fine tune their cars’ set-ups before the weekend’s action, with Patterson and Juffali showing competitive pace as they lapped Donington Park’s 2.5-mile Grand Prix layout nearly 200 times. The experience gained stood them in good stead for qualifying on Saturday morning, with a strong showing seeing Patterson finish 10th fastest and Juffali 17th. That put them both in the thick of the action for the opening race that afternoon. Scottish rising star Patterson made some great progress through the race, gaining a spot on the opening lap before dispatching Australian driver Bart Horsten for eighth at mid-distance. A faultless defensive display from there scored him the spot on the road before he was promoted to seventh post-race. Meanwhile, Juffali enjoyed some close racing as she gained a position to 16th at the finish. While the Saudi star would not reach the finish in Sunday’s two races, she showcased her huge potential with a positive run from pole position in race three. A slow launch off the line dropped her to sixth by the end of the opening lap, but she settled into position and posted a run of impressive lap times as she held off the pack behind. As she started to close on those ahead, an unfortunate moment coming out of the esses ended her race. Patterson had made more progress forward in race two to climb from 10th to seventh, and he had high hopes from eighth on the grid in race three. After losing a spot in lap one, he then went on the attack and grabbed the position back before an early safety car period. Picking up another spot after the restart when a driver ran wide, a fantastic dive into the Melbourne hairpin then secured him sixth place. Time penalties for rivals meant he was initially classified fourth, however a penalty of his own left him 12th in the final result. “I’m really pleased to have made progress up the order in each of the races, and to battle in the top six in race three was a great end to the weekend,” said Patterson. “I’ve still got bits to work on in the car, but it’s starting to click, and I’m excited for the next round at Spa.” The 2021 BRDC British F3 Championship continues in two weeks’ time (July 24-25) with a trip across to mainland Europe to the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.