The Silverstone GP3 driver of the weekend for me was Alexander Sims.
In race 1, late on saturday afternoon, he was in 5th place on the grid. As the cars prepared to set off on the formation lap it started to rain. 11 cars gambled on changing to wet tyres, the highest placed of which was Nico Muller in 6th. During the formation lap the rain intensified to the point where all those on slicks had to pit for wets, leaving a grid of 11 cars headed by Muller, with the rest starting from the pit lane. Sims, effectively now starting in 12th place, drove a storming wet race to finish 2nd.
In race 2, starting in 7th due to the reverse grid rules for the top eight race 1 finishers, he again came through the field, including two superb late braking moves right in front of us into the left hander at Vale, to finish 3rd.
With those two performances he now leads the GP3 points table.
A special mention too for Lewis Williamson, who gained his first victory in race 2 in authoritative style. He made a poor start from 2nd on the grid, going into Abbey in 4th. But he recovered superbly to take the lead by Brooklands. That lead was never relinquished and Williamson won by 5 seconds from Dean Smith and Sims, giving an all-British podium. A podium which also consisted of the three most recent winners of the Mclaren Autosport BRDC Award for young drivers.
James Calado had two unspectacular but steady races finishing 4th and 5th. Having been given a ten place race 2 grid penalty for not slowing under a yellow flag in free practice, the penalty was successfully challenged as he and his team were able demonstrate that on the previous laps his times through the yellow flag sector were not representative, due to a handling problem with the car following some damage. The penalty was rescinded, Calado hearing the news 30 seconds before the start of qualifying when he then set the second fastest time.
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs had a good race 1 finishing 4th, but did not fare so well in race 2 where he could only manage 15th.