Buri strengthens championship charge

The weekend of 12^th-14^th August saw single-seater racing ace Antti Buri head to the Netherlands. With three strong results towards his MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain title bid, it was another successful venture for the youngster.

Acting as part of the British championship as well as another round of the Formula Ford Eurocup, Zandvoort’s triple header provided ample entertainment for Antti and his rivals.

A disappointing qualifying session left Antti with a fourth place start for the first race, however high expectations after recent success left the Finnish racer wanting more. “Fourth was a good position for us, but I was slightly disappointed. I had hoped for better, but a wet session together with the fact we ran on old tyres made things tricky,” he said.

As the first of two races on Saturday got underway, Antti made the best of a bad situation, when he transferred a sluggish escape into second place. After losing ground on the opening tour, the LMS Racing expert found himself in the shadows of rival Nick McBride for a number of laps. Once free of McBride, Antti launched an attack towards leader Scott Malvern, but as time disappeared he was forced to settle in second place.

Almost a mirror image of race one, the second race again saw Antti forced to chase after leader Malvern. A brief loss of position gave him some work to do, before he instigated an attack for honours.

This time around Antti posted lap times closer to that of his nearest rival, matching his pace with every twist and turn in wet conditions. Again unable to deter him Antti followed him across the finish line to secure another second place.

A blast of rain early Sunday morning left the Formula Ford field with a damp track for their third and final encounter. A number of drivers opted to start on wet tyres due to the unpredictable conditions, including Antti. However, after just two laps a drying track caused the wet tyres to boil.

A struggle for the remainder of the venture saw Antti’s battle for victory gradually fade, despite his strongest efforts. A heroic drive saw the youngster classed fifth overall at the fall of the chequered flag, and second in the British class standings.

Against a field of varying experiences Antti was pleased to have secured two honourable podium finishes. “Overall it has been a good weekend for us. We scored important points towards the championship, which was what we needed to do with just three rounds left,” said Antti.

Antti’s next high speed adventure will take place at Brands Hatch, over the 3^rd-4^th September. Supporting the prestigious German Touring Car series, the DTM, Antti is optimistic for a strong result. “We have raced at Brands Hatch many times, and we have already been there this year, so we’re hopeful of a good result. We will be testing there just before the race, which will give us a good idea of where we stand,” he continued.