Tandy satisfied with top ten.

Nick Tandy enjoyed a solid start to his maiden season in the British F3 International Series after the JTR Marshall Westland driver secured a place in the top ten in qualifying for the opening race of the 2008 season at Oulton Park.

The Formula Ford festival winner saw his preparations for the new season affected slightly by the late delivery of the teams Mygale chassis, but has made up for lost time with a solid performance during the pre-season running completed prior to heading to the Cheshire circuit.

A solid run in Friday testing set Tandy up for the weekend and he qualified in a solid ninth place for race one. Tandy then ran as high as third in the second session before slipping down to 13th, a result he admitted was the only disappointment of the day.

"It's been ok, although I'm a bit disappointed as we up in third or fourth in that second session but didn't progress like everyone else did as the session went on," he told Crash.net. "But top ten in our first session is something that can't be sniffed at for a new car and a new team so we are looking forward to the races on Monday.

"We've gone so well here at Oulton in testing so we hoped for better things from qualifying but it seems other have moved the pace on whereas we have stayed the same. We are by no means at the back of the grid and the Mygale is showing its pace. Our pace compared to Ultimate is good and to beat them in the first session is pleasing. But we are working together as group to improve the Mygale car and Esteban did the best time for the car in the second session which is good when it comes to development of the car."

Tandy added that how race day pans out will be very much dependent on the opening laps on race day, with Oulton Park being notoriously difficult for over-taking.

"We want to finish and make up a few places but it depends on the first lap," he said. "If you have a good one then its all well and good but if you don't then you have to race some people and just try to make up positions."