Teams and drivers in the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship received a wealth of experience after just one day of practice at Eastern Creek raceway in Sydney, as the 21-car field was presented with both wet and dry conditions.
The changeable conditions did provide a chance for teams to gain vital information as they worked to develop set-ups for the various new car-driver combinations on show in this years' Gold Star field, and it was the experience of Opes Prime Team BRM that shone through, as the temporary combination of Nathan Caratti and James Winslow locked out top spot of the day's two sessions, Caratti taking P1 in the dry and Briton Winslow the wet.
A shower prior to the opening session saw teams making last-minute changes to their cars to suit the conditions, Winslow taking plenty of track information into the ensuing A1GP rookie session held immediately after the F3 practice which he was also taking part in. BRM team-mates Earl Bamber was second, with Caratti in third place, giving the three-time champion team an ideal beginning to the season.
In practice two, it was Caratti who took top spot, his 1m 24.09secs lap well under the existing lap record and the quickest practice or qualifying lap set by an F3 car at Eastern Creek in some time. Caratti was just two-tenths up on young Kiwi compatriot Bamber to end what was a very strong day for the Team BRM stable.
It's always nice to begin the weekend with the quickest time, Caratti said, The car was quite good, but the track was difficult with the rubber laid down from the A1GP session it was totally different from where it was last week.
Despite being still only 17 years old, Kiwi sensation Bamber used his considerable open-wheel experience to set the second fastest time in each session, both times less than a second away from the fastest time. He was another to split his time with a rookie-session drive in an A1GP car, before devoting his attentions fully towards the F3 weekend.
![Neil McFadyen - Piccola Scuderia [pic credit: Klynsmith/Race Torque]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/405189.jpg)
