Astuti Motorsport Media Release

Astuti Motorsport’s Michael Trimble fought through the field to finish seventh in the third Dodo F3 race at Albert Park, after being an innocent victim in a first corner incident.

The Melbourne-based driver started the race from sixth on the grid, and made a quick getaway in the King Springs Renault-Sodemo Dallara F304.

His clean run only lasted until the first corner, where he was one of the innocent victims in a first corner accident.

“It looks like Leanne Tander had a bit of a brain fade, locked everything up on the ripple strip, then hit Tim Macrow and spun him around,” explained Trimble.

“I was on the outside of Tim, and as he was spinning, he spun me around, so that was it. I got a perfect start, and I would’ve been in second place by the exit of Turn 2, in a perfect position to attack Bruno [Senna], but instead I had to rejoin at the back of the grid.”

Trimble rejoined the race over thirty seconds in arrears of race leader and eventual winner Senna, then set about making up for lost ground.

His quest was effective, passing cars at will during the remainder of the six-lap race, but not without further incident.

“Trying to get back through the field was crazy, there are some very slow cars in there,” the 21 year-old said. “At the fast chicane around the back, Turn 11 and 12, I got hit again by someone.

“The guy managed to lose it in the corner at walking pace and hit me, which sent me out onto the grass and cost me more time and places.

“Then when the Safety Car came out, the people couldn’t even keep up with it. We were quite a fair way around the circuit when the Safety Car came out, and when they saw the board, rather than maintaining a steady pace to catch the back of the pack, they dawdled even more.

“Looking at the results, these things cost us which is frustrating. I finished three seconds behind fourth, and less than ten seconds off the podium.”

By the end of the race, Trimble had made his way up to seventh place and was left to rue what had gone on.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “We should’ve been right at the front, attacking Bruno, we could’ve won all of these races so far.

“We’ve been the fastest car this weekend. Fastest in practice, getting pole by a second, but since then things have just gone completely pear-shaped. I don’t know what we did to deserve this bad luck.”

The final Dodo F3 race will start at 9:50am tomorrow, Sunday, morning.

Astuti Motorsport thanks the support of King Springs, PWR Performance Products, Elf, Alcon and Revolution Racewear.

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Astuti Motorsport's Michael Trimble finished seventh in the third Dodo F3 race, having been an innocent victim of a first-corner accident.

Melbourne driver Michael Trimble will be looking for a change of fortune in the final Dodo F3 race.