Fandango will start at the top and go down through the order, Overall Runners first. Please note that these are the opinions and views of Fandango and should not be construed as the view or opinion of the Asian Formula Three Corporation.
First the Overall Class, in Championship order. Ananda Mikola had to win the series this year, his career literally depended on it. After racing reasonably successfully in Europe his career was left on the rocks due to the perennial driver’s problem, lack of cash. His management was quite clever in putting him in AF3 for the last two events of 2004, the first of these at his home circuit, Sentul in Indonesia. He won and as a result a deal was put together for him to compete the whole 2005 season. He would run with the crack Japanese Three Bond Team in their Dallara 304, managed and engineered by Adachi San and powered by Nissan engines. He needed to continue winning and this Ananda did admirably, winning both rounds at the first event in BRC and continuing his form into Zhuhai taking the top podium step in round three. The first chink in his armour appeared in the wet round four when he was beaten by Christian Jones. The team quoted engine problems due to the quality of the fuel. Ananda was back to his winning ways in round five, again at Zhuhai, after qualifying sixth in a wet session but crashed out of the final Zhuhai race taking out Tyson Sy with him. James Winslow took his first AF3 win. Ananda had been clearly rattled by the young Filipino’s pace and there was a suspicion that he had decided if he wasn’t going to win then this young pretender to his throne certainly was not!
Sentul did not go to plan. Sy was just plain faster and this clearly got to Mikola who looked like he was overdriving. Whilst Sy scuttled his own chances by stalling on the grid, Ananda ground to a halt with electrical problems, opening the door for John O’Hara to take the laurels. It looked like the Mikola Championship express train was about to be derailed but lady luck stepped in to save the day for the Indonesia. A deluge halted round eight prematurely and once the wets were fitted only a handful of cars could take the re-start. O’Hara and Winslow had both spun out leaving the door open for Mikola to take a well judged win.
Rounds nine and ten were all about Tyson Sy, he annihilated the field on his way to two superb wins. Mikola crashed out of the first race when his throttle stuck open. Again Mikola saved the day with another well judged drive to third but it meant that the Championship would go down to the wire in Batangas with Sy, O’Hara and Winslow all in with a chance. Mikola knew he had to finish and this he did, showing his experience and maturity by not being tempted to go for race wins. Whilst Sy crumbled under the pressure, O’Hara did everything he could by taking two wins but Mikola had wrapped up the Championship with a third and second place in the final two rounds.
Mikola missed the Australian Round of A1GP to wrap up the Championship and his performance in both series has certainly increased his stock. He won the championship in the first half of the season and whilst he was no longer the pace setter for the second half he demonstrated great maturity by doing what had to be dome and not getting fazed when mechanical problems hit him in his home rounds. A truly worthy champion who should have a long ‘second time’ around career in front of him thanks to the Asian Formula Three Series.
Log on soon for the revue of second placer John O’Hara
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