Just five seconds of the first Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 race at the ING Australian Grand Prix were all it took to put Fleetcare TanderSport driver Leanne Tander on the back foot for an entire weekend at Albert Park.
A slow getaway from the line left Tander slipping down through the field in the first of four non-championship races at the 5.3km street circuit just outside of Melbourne’s CBD – and from thereon in it was a hard slog for Leanne and her Fleetcare Dallara F304.
Leanne qualified 6th in the record 30-car field and was confident that she had the pace to challenge for podium finishes and race victories in front of the big Melbourne crowd.
Unfortunately a slow start in the first 8-lap race Thursday evening left Leanne down in 12th place at the end of the first lap and forced to charge back through the field.
“I’m pretty frustrated looking back at the weekend, ” mused Leanne.
“It all began with my bad start in the first race. That was enough to drop me back from the leading group. I was confident that I would have been able to run with them but unfortunately it dropped me back into where everyone is crashing into each other. ” She said.
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