Jonathan Legris proved that patience is certainly a virtue after ‘raining' supreme in a heavily delayed first Formula
BMW UK race of the day at
Donington Park.
With treacherous weather forcing the officials to twice delay the start of the race, clearer skies but a wet circuit greeted the drivers as they came onto the grid, but with little or no experience of such conditions, the first few laps were certainly tentative.
Nonetheless, Legris showed his experience from the getaway, the Motaworld Racing driver getting a superb start from fourth to round the first corner in second place and snatching the lead half way round the opening lap.
From here, sophomore competitor Legris simply pulled away to cross the line a clear five seconds up on Marcus Ericsson and Henry Arundel to claim his first victory in the series.
With Legris making his move at the start, pole sitter Sam Abay managed to get away well but from the first corner the Australian looked to be having a hard time in the conditions. With the rear stepping out round the Craner Curves as he led the field, a skittish Abay succeeded the lead to Legris under Starkey's Bridge.
Worse was to follow for the Team Loctite driver, who had recorded his first ever pole position for this race, when he lost control of his car braking for the chicane and spun to the back of the field.
His demise saw Legris cross the finish line at the end of the first lap already a good distance up on Arundel, while Henry Surtees, Marcus Ericsson and Kimiya Sato followed closely behind.
For the first few laps at least, the attention focused on the battle for third between Surtees, Ericsson and Sato. Surtees however was pitched down the order when he out-braked himself at Redgrave and took a trip across the gravel trap, a feat matched soon after by a hapless Abay as he battled against the elements.
