Räikkönen Robertson Racing
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Räikkönen Robertson Racing (otherwise known as Double R) is a motor-racing team, which races in Formula Three. The team was formed in November 2004 by then McLaren Formula One driver Kimi Räikkönen, and his race manager Steve Robertson, a former driver in F3 himself. It is based in Woking (the town where McLaren build their cars), and it is managed by Anthony "Boyo" Hieatt.
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[edit] 2005
When the team was announced, it was confirmed that Double R would complete in the British F3 International Series, in the Championship Class (the first of two different classes) from the 2005 season. In this first season, the two Dallara F305 Mugen-Hondas were driven by British driver Dan Clarke, and Brazilian Bruno Senna, nephew of the legendary three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton, who died in 1994. This saw the team fare well, with Clarke taking the team's maiden win at Castle Combe, as well as five other podium finishes, and going on to finish 5th in the Championship, while Senna scored three podium finishes, and finished in 10th position in the standings.
At the BP Ultimate Masters at Zandvoort, Double R only entered Senna, who qualified 18th but failed to finish, while at the Macau Grand Prix, Double R again only entered one car, with Clarke appearing for Formula Three Euroseries team Prema, instead. Senna qualified 22th around the tight, twisty Circuito da Guia, although he failed to finish in either the qualifying race or the Grand Prix itself.
[edit] 2006
For the 2006 season, Double R changed their engine supplier to Mercedes HWA, upgraded to Dallara's F306 chasis, and replaced Champ Car-bound Clarke with Mike Conway, who finished 3rd in British F3 in 2005 and Stephen Jelley, to team up with Senna, as they looked to make a serious assault on the overall Series title.
The season started well, with Senna winning both races at Oulton Park. After winning the next race at Donington Park as well, the Brazilian had a useful lead at the championship. Sadly a serious crash at Snetterton, which was not his fault (Bruno was fine, though could not race in the second race of that weekend, due to the damage to the car) seemingly halted his progress, and his results began to worsen through no particular fault on his part. This coincided with a dramatic improvement in Conway's results and he overtook Senna in the race for the title. Conway continued on his way and his impressive results saw him take a seemingly unassailable lead, while Senna's inconsistent form saw slip behind Carlin's Oliver Jarvis, in the race for the runner-up's spot, despite an impressive win in the wet at Mugello. At Silverstone, Conway claimed the title with another weekend to spare. In that final weekend at Thruxton, Double R also ran their fourth car (the one damaged in Senna's crash at Snetterton, now rebuilt) in the Invitation Class, a category for drivers making a guest appearance. British Porsche Carrera Cup driver Danny Watts, who had been in British F3 two years before, made a return, and won the penultimate race at Thruxton. In just their second season, Double R were champions, winning a massive fourteen races from the twenty-two that took place, and Championship Class wins for fifteen (Conway came behind the Invitation Class Signature-Plus cars at Pau, while Watts was, of course, in the same category).
In F3's international meetings, Double R had far more luck than they had in 2005. At the BP Ultimate Masters, the team entered all three drivers, qualifying 7th (Senna), 12th (Conway), and 22nd (Jelley), with Senna finishing 7th, Jelley 18th, and Conway retiring. At the Macau Grand Prix, Double R only entered two cars, with Senna not being able to appear. After Conway's accident in the second qualifying session, the pair ended up in 11th (Conway) and 16th (Jelley) respectively, while in the qualifying race they finished 7th (Conway) and 13th (Jelley). In the Grand Prix itself, Conway jumped from 7th to 4th at the start and as the three cars in front him collided on the first lap, he took a lead he was never to relinquish, to become the first British winner of the Grand Prix since Darren Manning in 1999, and the first winner from the British F3 International Series since Takuma Sato in 2001. Jelley, meanwhile, finished in 11th place.
[edit] 2007
It is not known who will race for Double R in 2007. It seems likely that Jelley will spearhead the attack, while Conway and Senna are expected to move up to the GP2 Series. Australians Michael Trimble and Dominic Storey have tested for the team at Pembrey, in Wales, whilst the UK motorsport magazine Autosport has speculated that the trio could possibly be Jelley, Jonathan Kennard and Dutchman Yelmer Buurman, but no information has yet been confirmed about next years' drivers line-up. Buurman was a double race winner, though slightly erratic, in 2006 for Fortec Motorsport, but may switch to touring cars in Germany, and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.
