Mechanical failure robs Sailesh of assured victory

Sailesh and his teammate Briton Phil Glew had managed to qualify second despite several mechanical hiccups throughout the weekend but a driveshaft failure in the third round robbed the Indian of an assured victory.

"I can't begin to describe the feeling. After all the hard work through the weekend we were finally in a strong position for the race but everything just fell apart, literally," Sailesh said.

Sailesh's Lotus Sport UK squad hadn't experienced the driveshaft failure in their three-year existence but it spelled doom for the team in the third round.

It was the season's first two-hour race and having taken to the wheel in the opening stint, Glew had done a sterling job to keep the chasing Ginettas at bay.

After stopping for fuel and tyres, where the crew once again did an exemplary job