Beginning the longer feature event two places higher in eighth, Kerr slipped back a position behind France following the first of his two mandatory pit-stops – with rookie driver Duncan Tappy on-hand to help out on front jack duties. Under pressure from Germany behind, the High Wycombe ace attempted to get by Franck Montagny in the French entry on lap 17, but the move was unsuccessful and once more he crossed the line a low-key ninth.
“It was a tough race as we were in the mix throughout,” he stated afterwards. “We had a reasonable start but couldn't quite make the most of it. Our first pit-stop was really good, but unfortunately India in the pit box in front blocked us on the way out and cost us a position to France. From that point on we had the pace to attack France in front, but of course with Germany right behind I had to defend hard too.
“We had another good stop but got caught on the exit as South Africa came in. It's been a challenging weekend, but we've come away with some points and still have a fighting chance of getting third in the championship – or possibly second if New Zealand have an unlikely bad weekend – with a strong performance at
Brands Hatch.”
The squad is well aware that in order to achieve that objective – and thereby match its accomplishment in both the 2005/06 and 2006/07 campaigns – a good deal more than four points will need to be registered on home soil, but team principal Katie Clements is confident that a similar showing to that which Kerr has produced at Brands on each of the championship's previous two visits there is far from out of the question.
“This has obviously been a disappointing weekend for us,” she affirmed. “Although we scored some points, we are used to scoring much higher, and we had a very good chance to gain good ground on France for third place in the championship.
“It was one of those weekends you can have in racing where it just didn't come together for us. We are now firmly focused on our home race at Brands Hatch in three weeks, and we have not changed our objective of a top three championship finish.”
