Top Welsh racing driver Hywel Lloyd has been boosted by a string of impressive practice performances as he gears up for the first race of the new British International Formula Three series at the legendary Monza circuit next weekend (April 16 and 17)
Lloyd, the Welsh speaker from Corwen with a dragon emblem on his helmet, was flying in practice at Oulton Park and Pembrey in recent weeks.
The 26-year-old was also the subject of a Sport Wales report on BBC Wales television last week and that has also been a boost to him and his backers.
At the Cheshire circuit the Sino Vision Racing team driver was in the top ten consistently and was on course for sixth place in the final standings when a red flag for a separate incident saw his time deleted.
It couldn’t wipe the smile off his face though: “We are really pleased with how things have gone in the last month,” he said: “The car has been going well and the team is really starting to gel.”
His most recent practice times at Snetterton weren’t as impressive but Lloyd is still upbeat: “We were more interested in making sure the set-up of the car was right for Monza and for Oulton Park the following week,” he said.
“It’s the races that count, that’s when you need to be fast and I’m happy that we have the car where we want it to be.
“Monza is really quick with long straights and plenty of chances for overtaking. You can overtake someone on the straight there and have them overtake you before the next bend.
“We’ve been working on the hyigh speed balance of the car and making sure we’ve got good straight line speed – that’s not such a priority at Snetterton so our times there weren’t as food as they have been but we weren’t bothered about that.
“I’m really looking forward to getting racing again. I’m close to the pace and happy with the way things are.”
Lloyd was headhunted by Chinese-backed Sino Vision Racing this winter after impressing at the Macau Grand Prix in November and now he heads their team as they prepare for the opening meeting at Monza, home of the Italian Grand Prix.
He and Canadian-born Hong Kong driver Adderley Fong will be at the wheels of their two F3 Dallara Mercedes cars this season and Lloyd dsaid: “It’s been a big help working with Adderley. It means we have two sets of input and two cars to try things out on.
“We’re seeing the benefit of that and now we’re really looking forward to the racing. I’m inside the top ten now and that should mean we’re pushing for podium places.
“At Oulton Park we were only three-tenths of a second off the leader’s time and we know we will have race pace so what will be crucial is where we start on the grid.”
Lloyd has won at Monza before – in his Formula Three National Class days – so the Italian circuit is well known to him and one he enjoys and he’s looking forward to. He said: “You always like the tracks where you’ve won but it is a bit special there with all the history and just with the speed and feel of the circuit.”
He will be spending the next few days with his engineers at Sino Vision making some last minute adjustments to the car and won’t actually sit in it again until Saturday morning’s practice session.
Then it is straight into the crucial qualifying laps with a race on Saturday afternoon followed by two races on Sunday.
His CF Racing fans will get their first chance to see him in action in the UK the following weekend when the F3 caravan comes to Oulton Park for the Easter weekend with racing on Saturday and Monday.
For more on Hywel Lloyd and his CF Racing team go to http://www.f3racing.co.uk
TV coverage will be on Channel 4 at 7.30am on Sunday, April 23, and also on satellite on Motors TV UK 1958 the same day and repeats.
