Wanganui motor-racing driver Earl Bamber was competitive in his European debut at the Mugello round of the 2008 Italian Formula Master championship during the weekend. The 18-year-old from Wanganui qualified third and finished fourth in both races after running as high as second.

In the first race Bamber spent several laps dicing for second position before being squeezed wide and onto the grass on the final turn, losing a couple of seconds - and third place - in the process.

Then in the second he was running with the leading bunch in third place when his car's front wing assembly came loose and he was slowed by the resultant lack of downforce.

Having originally only flown to Italy to test with the ADM Motorsport team, Bamber said that being able to compete in the weekend's race meeting was a bonus - particularly at such a special circuit (the 5.2km Mugello circuit is the Ferrari F1 team's test track) - and that though he would have liked a spot on the podium he was "fairly happy" with the way everything panned out.

"Because of all the support I've had it would have been good to get a place on the podium but, in saying that, it's a fairly big step for someone in my position just going to Europe to race for a new team in a new car on a circuit that is completely different to anything I have raced on before, so from that point of view I' have to say the weekend went quite well."

It also brought home to Bamber just how high the standard is in Europe, something he suspected but says had to see with his own eyes to believe.

Bamber will remain in Italy this week to try and negotiate a drive in this weekend' round of the European Formula Master championship at Imola and, if possible, the final round of that series Monza over the October 4-5 weekend.

If successful, there will be two New Zealand drivers on the grid, with this year's championship points chase currently being led by Chris van der Drift.

Bamber also leads the Formula V6 Asia Series points standings after a clean sweep at the most recent round at Sentul in Indonesia.