2012 British Formula 3 International Series

The 2012 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series season is the 62nd British Formula 3 International Series season. The series, promoted by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, began on 6 April at Oulton Park and ended on 30 September at Donington Park after 29 races held at ten meetings.

The first two poles of the season were claimed at Oulton Park by second-year driver Jack Harvey for the Carlin team,[1] and he won the opening race of the year ahead of teammates Jazeman Jaafar and Carlos Sainz Jr.[2] In the reverse-grid second race, Fortec Motorsports' Pipo Derani scored his first win in the series,[3] while teammate Félix Serrallés won the third race of the weekend in his first Formula Three meeting.[4] A week later at Monza, Serralles and Sainz claimed their first poles in Formula Three.[5] Rain before the start of the first race forced drivers to change from slick tyres, and in effect, the race started from the pit lane.[6] Sainz, Jr. left pit lane first and won his first race in the championship. Derani and Jaafar, who had left the pits seventh and eighth respectively, joined Sainz, Jr. on the podium, while Serralles finished tenth.[7] Serralles won the second race held in torrential rain, ahead of Harvey and teammate Pietro Fantin,[8] while Sainz, Jr. comfortably won the third race, almost seventeen seconds clear of Serralles, with Serralles' teammate Alex Lynn taking his first podium in third place.[9]

  1. ^ Carter, Nick (6 April 2012). "Jack out of the box and on to pole, on the double". British Formula 3 Championship. Stéphane Ratel Organisation. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  2. ^ Carter, Nick (7 April 2012). "Harvey claims victory in Oulton Park thriller". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  3. ^ Carter, Nick (7 April 2012). "Pipo pops up to score his first British F3 win". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  4. ^ Carter, Nick (7 April 2012). "Serralles stages a rookie rout at Oulton Park". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  5. ^ Carter, Nick (14 April 2012). "Carlin and Fortec claim Monza British F3 poles". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  6. ^ Simmons, Marcus (14 April 2012). "Carlos Sainz Jr takes bizarre maiden Formula 3 win at Monza". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 16 April 2012. Rain just before the start meant a wet race was declared, but everyone began the green-flag lap on slick tyres. They then all pitted for rain tyres at the end of it, meaning the race started from the pitlane.
  7. ^ Carter, Nick (14 April 2012). "Saintly Sainz slithers his way to victory & series lead at Monza". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  8. ^ Carter, Nick (15 April 2012). "Serralles scores British F3 win number two at Monza". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  9. ^ Carter, Nick (15 April 2012). "Sainz on top again in the Monza rain". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. British Formula 3 Championship. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.