Rising young racer Dillon Battistini had his first taste of a high-tech Formula Three car in a test recently - and proved to be immediately on the pace, impressing his team and observers with both his speed and attitude.
Having come a close second in the Caterham R400 series this year, Dillon, from Epsom in Surrey, has his sights set on competing in the British Formula Three Championship next year, and the early signs are that he could become a force in the competitive series.
The
Snetterton circuit in Norfolk, with several high-speed corners, was not the easiest circuit for Dillon to try the rapid single-seater for the first time, but with leading Formula Three team Promatecme in support, he was soon right on the pace of the other racers testing that day.
"It was my first time in a Formula Three car," explained 25-year-old Dillon, "and I was ok with how quick the car was in a straight line, but in the corners the down-force was incredible. It was very different to the Caterham I have been racing this year, and I was lapping Snetterton ten seconds quicker in the F3 car.
"I hadn't driven a single-seater for three years, and the F3 car is very technical, so it was great to work with the team on all the data. The Promatecme engineers were superb; they were listening to me and also giving advice from what they could see in the data. By the afternoon I was flat on the throttle in all the parts of the circuit where I was supposed to be, and I was right on the pace of my team-mate for the day - and he is a Formula Three champion.
"The whole test was really enjoyable, and the feedback from the team on my performance was really positive. It's really whetted my appetite for next year, and I can't wait to get back in the car again."
"Dillon impressed us immensely," said Promatecme team principal Chris Weller. "He did a really good job, settled into the car straight away, and even got the car away first time - usually new drivers stall a couple of times. He quickly got the hang of the car and did a very impressive an professional test - faultless in every way."
![Dillon Battistini [Pic: Jakob Ebrey]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/55008.jpg )
