Eurasia Motorsport began the year with a race win in round one of the F.BMW Pacific Series held before F1 qualifying at the Malaysian GP. Richard Bradley had qualified on pole position with a stunning 2m 9.9 lap and dominated the 25 car field leading from lights to flag.
Bradley’s team-mate, Kotaro Sakurai, started from the third spot on the grid and slotted in behind Bradley and Carlos Sainz Junior. A forceful Kvyat attempted an outside pass at turn six which slowed both drivers allowing the leading two to get away. Kvyat went off later in the lap leaving Sakurai in third several seconds in front of the pack. Whilst Bradley recorded fastest lap after fastest lap and pulled away to a comfortable win, Sakurai was gradually closing in on Sainz in second place. The young Japanese made a mistake on lap six, running wide onto the marbles and spinning into retirement.
Eurasia’s Nabil Jeffri had qualified a fine seventh, fastest Malaysian, but was forced wide at turn one on the first lap and fell to the back of the field. He got his head down and picked his way back up to ninth place by the flag. Duvashen Padayachee was attached by Oscar Tunyo in qualifying leaving him with three wheels only and consigning him to 16th on the grid. He was involved in a fine three car battle for 13th place when he was forced wide at turn eleven on the final lap and spun out.
“It was easy” stated an elated Bradley after the race. “I mean its never easy but I was able to control the gap and I still had some performance in hand.”
Round two will take place on Sunday before the F1 GP itself.
