Competing in the opening round of the 2007 All Japan F3 Championship at the famous Fuji Speedway, Jarvis made a superb start from his second place qualifying position on the grid to quickly seize the lead with a clear margin from Japanese team mate Kazuya Oshima who dropped back to 6^th in the 15 lap race.  

Jarvis concentrated on building a dominant lead in the laps that followed opening up the gap to a 1.4 sec advantage in the early stages of the race. From then on he drove a controlled race, setting the fastest lap time, but with 9 laps to go it started to rain and conditions became very difficult.  Despite the rain on his visor and difficulty in gauging the track conditions which were altering with each lap, Jarvis still managed to extend his lead and cross the line to take the chequered flag with a 4 second advantage over team mates Hiroaki Ishiura and Kazuya Oshima. 

“For me, it was a fantastic feeling to get the first win in Japan wrapped up. It is a great result personally and of course, for the TOM’S Team with a 1,2,3 finish.  With such a long straight, I knew it was crucial for me to build a big enough gap early in the race to break the tow.  Then, I could see rain on my visor but with me being out in the lead, it was impossible to tell how the track was changing with each lap. I just kept my concentration to the end,” commented a satisfied Oliver Jarvis.

Round 2 also found Jarvis again on the podium, although possibly not as high as he had hoped for!  Nevertheless, a third place finish was a good result for the 23 year old who finished runner-up in last’s British F3 International Series and was the 2005 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner. 

Again starting second on the grid behind Oshima with Ishiura behind him in third, Jarvis took the lead into the first corner, but this time with a much smaller margin to Oshima who was being pursued by Roberto Streit.   As Jarvis once more attempted to increase his lead, he struggled with car balance allowing the determined Oshima to close.  Twice Jarvis defended his position in the opening lap but on the main straight Oshima navigated the pass taking the lead once more.  Jarvis had hoped to re-take the lead in the next lap but his continual battle with his car put him under increasing pressure from Streit, and in a similar manoeuvre to Oshima, Streit passed Jarvis down the main straight.   The ongoing handling issues that Jarvis was experiencing prevented him from getting the tow back pass again and he had to be content with a third place finish behind Oshima and Streit.

Round 1 Results:

1 Oliver Jarvis         GBR    DHG TOM’S F307 Time: 24’30.4972

Hiroaki Ishiura      JPN     TDP TOM’S F307 Time: 24’34.4703

Round 2 Results:

1 Kazuya Oshima  JPN    DHG TOM’S F307 Time: 34’24.467 (21 laps)

2 Roberto Streit     BRA   INGING F306         Time: 34’29.377 (21 laps)

It is off to Suzuka (13-15 April) for Rounds 3 and 4 of the All Japan F3 Championship.