Green scores double F3 victory at Donington.

Jamie Green scored a remarkable double victory today at Donington Park today in rounds 1 and 2 of the 2003 British F3 Championship. The young British ace was unstoppable in both races as his Carlin Motorsport team-mate Alan van der Merwe led the chase.

However, the results of the opening race remain provisional and subject to the outcome of an appeal by Carlin Motorsport. Green and Richard Antinucci were initially excluded from the results of race one due to an infringement of tyre regulations. The team has now appealed that decision.

The 2003 F3 championship got off to a tremendous start in front of an appreciative crowd, with a capacity field of some of the world's finest young drivers in action. After all the pre-season testing work, the atmosphere was electric as the 30-car grid lined up for the opening race in what is one of the most important championships in the world for aspiring F1 stars.

"Being the first races of the season, it was a bit unknown to me," said Green, reflecting on his double victory. "This is still all very new to me, but I've shown that I'm on the pace straightaway," he said of his first weekend of British F3 racing.

In race one, Green made a fine start to head the capacity field into Redgate for the first time as Alan van der Merwe quickly slotted into second. Initially, three more cars went after the Carlin Motorsport duo to make a six-car lead train, but lap by lap Green and van der Merwe edged clear. In the closing stages, backmarkers gave Green another headache but he mastered the situation perfectly to take a famous win.

"It wasn't easy, there was pressure on every lap," said Green as the reality of his first F3 win started to sink in. Behind the leading pair, Michael Keohane (Promatecme F3) raced hard to fend off a battling trio of cars comprising Rob Austin (Menu F3) and Carlin team mates Richard Antinucci and Ronnie Bremer. That was how they finished, with Keohane delighted to claim a podium finish.

Green was peerless in the second race, leading into Redgate and pulling confidently clear of van der Merwe. Having missed the first race of the day after a technical infringement in qualifying, Nelson Piquet Jnr made his British F3 debut in the second race and chased van der Merwe all the way to the flag. But neither of them could match the pace of Green.

"That's a good result seeing I was only fifth on the grid," said van der Merwe. "It was a very good race, but it was very tough," said Piquet, who took the 76 Lubricants driver of the day award.

When Ernesto Viso crashed out of the opening race, Karun Chandhok swept through to take Scholarship class victory for the T-Sport team. "The team has really helped me along. They have got me where I am today," said the elated Indian racer.

Yorkshireman Christian England and Irish racer Steven Kane were second and third. Kane swept ahead in the second race to complete a perfect day for T-Sport, with Chandhok leading the chase of his team mate. For the second time, Viso crashed out in the early laps of the race.