British F3 - Knockhill: Round Ten.

Japanese driver Takuma Sato added a further 21 points to his championship tally by taking victory at Knockhill, Scotland, today in round 19 of the Green Flag British F3 Championship.

On a wet road Sato made a storming start and grabbed the advantage to lead at the first corner. His task was eased when pole-sitter Andy Priaulx stalled on the grid and was last at the first corner. Priaulx fought back to net tenth place at the end of the race.

Sato led from team-mate Anthony Davidson and James Courtney, whilst Matt Davies and Andre Lotterer collided at the hairpin at the end of lap one delaying both drivers, Davies dropping to last place.

Davidson began to close on Sato as the weather conditions deteriorated with first Jamie Spence and then Atsushi Katsumata being caught out by standing water at the fast right-hander of Clarks.

With the cars in dangerous places the safety car was brought into play and on the restart of the race, Sato broke clear leaving Davidson in his wake. Sato then hung on the lead with Davidson and Courtney behind him, Mark Taylor finishing a fine fourth.

Taylor had been close to Courtney early on but fell away after the safety car period whilst Derek Hayes and Gianmaria Bruni rounded out the top six. Bruni had been spectacular in the early part of the race gaining places but was unable to close on Hayes.

Bruce Jouanny was seventh ahead of an impressive Alex Gurney who spent most of the race searching for a way past Jouanny. Ryan Dalziel took ninth ahead of the disappointed Priaulx; Dalziel benefiting from a second spin for Matt Davies that caused the Englishman to retire.

Lotterer also went of the road towards the end of the race and with the weather conditions worsening, and standing water on the road, the decision was taken to stop the race early, after 22 of the scheduled 26 laps.

Round 20 of the championship was cancelled from the Knockhill timetable after conditions worsened during the afternoon.

Formula 3 Championship co-ordinator Jeremy Lord explained: ''We are working on plans to reschedule the race for the next Green Flag British F3 Championship meeting at Thruxton on September 1-2. We don't want drivers and teams to lose a championship round.''

In the Scholarship class race, Brazilian driver Ernani Judice converted pole position into a first F3 win.

Judice, driving for Parker F3, grabbed pole position for round 19 of the championship and bolted away at the green light to lead at the first corner of the stand-alone Scholarship Class race for drivers in two-year-old cars.

Championship leader Robbie Kerr tucked in behind and Irish driver Michael Keohane grabbed third ahead of Dutchman Robert Doornbos and Matthew Gilmore. However, a spin for Doornbos at McIntyres dropped him to seventh and heralded an impressive early race recovery. As Judice led on a wet road, Kerr closed and was being caught, in turn, by Keohane and Gilmore. Gilmore was charging, setting the fastest lap of the race and inching up on tot he back of Keohane's car as Doornbos had a second spin dropping him to 11th place.

With Kerr mounting an attack on Judice, backmarkers loomed ahead and Judice was delayed avoiding a spinning Bobby Issazadhe at Clarks. As the Swede spun out of the race, Judice found Kerr, Keohane and Gilmore right with him and had to defend strenuously to keep Kerr at bay as the Brit challenged exiting the Hairpin.

A safety car period bunched the cars up and on the resumption of the race Keohane lunged past Kerr for second place at McIntyres only to spin out of the race and hand third place to Gilmore. With Kerr delayed, Matthew found a way past him as well offering Gilmore second place at the flag.

Kerr took third ahead of the recovered Doornbos with Mark Mayall and an impressive Aaron Scott comp0-leting the top ten.

The star drive, though, came from Judice. ''I am really pleased. The car was good and the conditions were very bad which made it very hard work, but it is great to win and I hope to do it again alter.''