Japanese ace takes race one at Rockingham.

Carlin Motorsport driver Takuma Sato stamped his authority on the Green Flag British Formula Three Championship by taking a lights-to-flag victory in race one at the new Rockingham Motor Speedway, near Corby.

Title favourite Sato made a brilliant start to seize the initiative from pole position man Derek Hayes, who was slow away and also got passed by Andy Priaulx's Alan Docking Racing machine and Manor Motorsport's Mark Taylor as the field streamed around the banked first corner.

Guernseyman Priaulx closed on Sato when the Japanese racer made a mistake on lap four, but the leader was able to respond and maintain his advantage to the end of the race.

Behind the leading pair, a great battle developed for third between Manor Motorsport driver Hayes, Anthony Davidson (Carlin Motorsport) and Andre Lotterer (Jaguar F3).

This trio vaulted ahead of Taylor when the latter ran wide at one of the hairpins on lap three.

Davidson kept Hayes honest early on, but himself came under pressure from German driver Lotterer after a wild moment at the chicane. Lotterer nipped past the Englishman, but was repassed again at the next corner. The positions remained the same under the chequered flag.

Jaguar F3's James Courtney fought back to sixth after a bad start. The Aussie had lost first gear on his car before the race had even started, meaning he had to use second gear as the lights turned green. Although he was slow away, he charged back through the field, surviving a coming together with Taylor at the hairpin to rack up another points finish.

In the Scholarship Class for two-year-old cars, series frontrunner Robbie Kerr (Fred Goddard Racing) charged hard on the first lap to move from fourth on the grid to claim victory.

After leaping ahead of two cars into the first bend, Kerr blasted past pole position man Ernani Judice (Parker F3) exiting the second corner to claim the lead. Towards the end of the race, Adam Blair (Performance Racing) began to close on Kerr, but was unable to mount a challenge before the race came to an end.

Third in class went to Michael Keohane (Meritus Racing), while Brazilian driver Judice mounted a charge after losing several places in the opening skirmishes. He eventually finished fourth.