British teams dominate French in Belgium.

Teams representing the British Formula Three Championship are celebrating a dominant weekend at Spa in Belgium, after winning both of yesterday's races.

Competing in rounds of the French championship in preparation for the penultimate round of the British series to be held at the Belgian circuit in September, the British teams had a successful weekend, although one or two incurred damage as well in a typical wet-dry Spa experience

Race one was won by Japanese sensation Takuma Sato, driving for Carlin Motorsport, ahead of Rowan Racing?s Martin O?Connell. It was Sato?s second race win of the season, having triumphed in the British series at Silverstone in May, but O?Connell was especially pleased, as the result was his best of 2000.

The Stewart Racing team suffered a bad start to the weekend, however, as an early accident, which eliminated both its cars when drivers Narain Karthikeyan (India) and Tomas Scheckter (South Africa) collected Tiago Monteiro and crashed out at La Source hairpin, left the crew with much to do before the second race.

Karthikeyan repaid the mechanic's efforts, however, and bounced back in style to win race two, and take his first victory for Stewart Racing. The race was stopped early after race-leader Sato crashed out at Eau Rouge, damaging his car. Although the Japanese driver was unhurt, the Carlin Motorsport mechanics face a lot of work to rebuild the Dallara Mugen-Honda for Croft on 23 July.

A combination of poor weather and damaged cars around the circuit heralded an early finish to the second race with Karthikeyan being declared the victor ahead of Pau F3 GP winner Jonathan Cochet, with O?Connell fourth and Promatecme's Andy Priaulx fifth.