BRITISH Formula 3 ace Mike Conway showed his world class credentials by being the top British racing driver in Sunday's blue-riband Macau Grand Prix event in China.

Conway, 22, was hoping for a top six finish in the classic event against the world's best F3 drivers only for an incident in the final to thwart his chances.

Conway, 22, had been running strongly all weekend having adapted brilliantly to his new Manor Motorsport-run Dallara-Mercedes F3 car.

The Kent man impressed by finishing eighth and fourth in the qualifying sessions which put him in third place on the grid for race one.

In the qualifying race, Conway only narrowly missed out on a podium finish, with Brazilian Lucas di Grassi passing him off the grid into the first corner.

Although he harried di Grassi, Conway could not find a way past on the tight and twisty street course.

In the longer feature race, Conway was running strongly at the front of the pack before Karl Reindler squeezed past him, and then a puncture saw him drop down the order, eventually claiming 14th spot ahead of assorted Macanese runners.

Conway said: "It was a real shame to drop down the order after running so strongly. But the Macau GP is all about staying on the track. I felt I could challenge for the podium so it is disappointing to finish 14th.

"It is a fantastic event and I enjoyed taking part. With luck I'll get a chance to have another crack at it next year."