Sato wins Formula Three title

Japan's Takuma Sato accelerates away to take crown

Formula Three sensation Takuma Sato, of Japan, clinched the 2001 Green Flag British Championship at Thruxton on Sunday.

Sato triumphed despite his Carlin Motorsport team-mate Anthony Davidson brace of victories in Sunday's double-header.

Sato, 24, finished second and eighth, but his points tally was enough to wrap up the series he has dominated all year.

It was very hard. The main thing was to keep pushing

Takuma Sato

The Japanese driver has won 10 of the 22 races this season.

Davidson will try and tie up the runners-up spot with wins in the final rounds at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

Sato, in race two, looking as he was suffering from an engine problem, dodged Jamie Spence and Rob Austin, who both span at Cobb, but then tumbled down to 12th place.

It's been a great year for us - not just this weekend. We've definitely got the right package

Anthony Davidson

Davidson took victory by just 0.252secs from Courtney, with Hayes third, ahead of Mark Taylor and Davies and Andy Priaulx.

Earlier, in race one, pole position man Davidson blasted off the startline ahead of fellow front-row man Sato.

Davidson built up a 3.279secs lead by lap 13 and took the chequered flag eight laps later, 1.797secs clear of Sato.