Walter Grubmuller and Max Chilton secured a fourth place apiece for Hitech Racing as the British F3 International Series made its first overseas trip of the year to Monza.
On a weekend beset by poor weather conditions that led to the opening qualifying session being abandoned following heavy rain, the teenage duo returned to the kind of form displayed during the season opener at
Oulton Park.
In the opening race, Grubmuller drove like a man possessed as he made up no fewer than nine places on the opening lap alone having qualified down the order and he continued to work his way up the order to eventually take the flag in fourth place just shy of his maiden podium finish.
It was pure chaos out there, he said. I made an excellent start and made up a couple of places. Then there was a first corner pile-up which I managed to avoid and was able to pick my way through and get up to eighth.
It wasn't that pleasant but I managed to avoid it and it was good to be that high up after qualifying where we did. I should have qualified higher up as a podium would have been within reach. On that last lap I could have had Turvey, although he drove quite defensive and it was very wet so it wasn't worth trying.
The opening race meanwhile ended in disappointment for Chilton was he was tipped into a spin near the start and was then collected by National Class runner Jay Bridger, damaging his car and forcing him into retirement.
Chilton however started the second race from pole position making him the youngest pole sitter in series history and had looked well placed to secure his first win in the series as he led the first nine laps of the race.
However he saw his load eroded by a Safety Car period and with his tyres starting to go off on the drying circuit, Chilton could do nothing to prevent three of the drivers behind finding a way past.
