Date:17/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/17/stories/2008111755941600.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Aditya Patel’s distinction

CHENNAI: Nineteen-year-old Aditya Patel of Chennai finished first among rookies and sixth overall in the concluding Formula BMW Pacific race at the treacherous Guia street circuit in Macau on Sunday. The race was conducted as part of the Formula-3 Macau Grand Prix.

Racing for Eurasia Motorsport and starting ninth on a grid of 22 cars, the Loyola College student manoeuvred past three rivals even as spate of crashes marked the initial phase of the race.

The decent result would have pleased the young driver as the Macau event forms the epicentre of an annual talent hunt for the forthcoming season.

“This is the toughest circuit that I have raced on, and I am looking forward to coming back next year. Saturday’s qualifying was good and engineer Peter Allnut had the right set-up after walking the circuit three nights in a row. Unfortunately, a slow puncture forced me to start ninth,” he said later.

Aditya’s teammate Kimiyo Sato of Japan also jumped three places after starting sixth to finish third behind Mihai Marinescu of Romania and Michael Christensen of Denmark.