One of the varied things about motorsport is that quite often things just don't go right. The same can be said for Team BRM's recent showing at Oran Park Raceway in Sydney – which started strongly but ended under unfortunate circumstances for both the team and the race itself.
Heading into the weekend, the second round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship, Team BRM had every reason to be optimistic.
Firstly, Stuart Kostera (#29 Team BRM / Audi Centre Melbourne Dallara F304 – Renault) was just two points behind in the championship and looming as a true contender for series honours. And secondly, was the story of young Italian driver Marco Mapelli, who was again to drive the #4 Team BRM / Gawler Farm Machinery Dallara F304 Spiess Opel.
Mapelli had been stunning at the non-championship Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, racing to a podium finish three times and showing that he is one of the biggest finds of the season. So the ingredients were in place – and qualifying went well, too.
Mapelli lined up fourth for both races, less than two-tenths from pole position in the second qualifying session. Kostera qualified fifth and sixth respectively and was looking to grab a solid haul of championship points to continue his chase for the championship.
Kostera jumped Mapelli in race one and finished fourth, one position ahead of his young team-mate and just a few seconds behind a battle for second place being waged by Leanne Tander and Tim Macrow.
Race two also went well - for the first few corners. Mapelli made a storming start and was placing extreme pressure on Tander's car in the opening laps - clearly quicker.
Unfortunately, he was deemed to have rolled at the start and was subsequently black flagged and told to head to the pits to serve his penalty. Fired up, Mapelli banked the races quickest lap on the comeback trail and eventually finished 6th.
![Marco Mapelli - Team BRM [pic credit: OzF3/Craill]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/316110.jpg)
