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Provisional Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 19 (including dropped scores)
1 Duncan Tappy GBR Fortec Motorsport 485 pts 3 Will Bratt GBR Apotex Scorpio Motorsport 402 pts 4 Adam Christodoulou GBR AKA Cobra 356 pts 5 Jeremy Metcalfe GBR AKA Cobra 317 pts 6 Richard Singleton GBR Hillspeed Racing 302 pts
7 Riki Christodoulou GBR Fortec Motorsport 292 pts
Provisional Graduate Cup Standings after Round 19 (including dropped scores)
1 Adam Christodoulou GBR AKA Cobra 310 pts
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Formula Renault UK with Michelin
TAPPY TARGETS HAMILTON AFTER STORMING TO TITLE Duncan Tappy is the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Champion after winning the penultimate round 19 at Thruxton circuit on Sunday, 14th October. The 23-year-old Fortec Motorsport ace clinched his first single-seater title, which was won by Formula One superstars Lewis Hamilton in 2003 and Kimi Raikkonen in 2000. Commenting after the race, Tappy, who won nine races in 2007, said: “Formula One is every drivers ultimate target and to win this Championship means so much knowing what Lewis and Kimi have done. If they have reached the top I don’t see any reason why I can’t do the same and that’s what I will be concentrating on.” Knowing winning the race and scoring the two bonus points on offer for setting the fastest lap would secure the title, Tappy was lying third for much of the race behind cousins Adam Christodoulou and Riki Christodoulou. Adam led away from pole position, while Riki passed Duncan as the field entered the Complex for the first time. Dean Smith, the only other driver who could win the title coming into the final weekend of the season, had a disastrous opening lap from fourth on the grid and came through in eighth place. Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims took fourth ahead of AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe, who climbed from ninth on the grid to fifth, and Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes in sixth. As Tappy and Fortec team-mate Riki Christodoulou swapped places on successive laps, Adam Christodoulou was able to build a one-second lead by the end of lap three as he chased a maiden single-seater win. Meanwhile, Smith passed AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti (London) and gained another place on lap four as Oakes ran very wide at Church before rejoining in last place, Caratti following him off and into retirement. Caratti’s incident brought out the Safety Car at the end of lap five, increasing the race distance by three laps to 19. Having started from the pit lane, Ryuji Yamamoto was driving a fantastic race and was up to 11th, while Carlin Motorsport’s series debutant Henry Surteeswas keeping pace with the more experience David Epton in 15th.
After three laps behind the Safety Car, racing resumed with the top three making a slight break from Sims in fourth as fifth-placed Metcalfe came under pressure from Smith, who overtook on lap 11. The same lap saw Riki Christodoulou make a bid for the lead at Club chicane, going through on the inside of the first right-hander before Adam fought back through the left-hander to retain the lead. The following lap saw a repeat of the move but would ultimately affect the title race. As Riki moved to the inside once again, he clipped the kerb to run wide through the middle part of the chicane. Adam, attempting to hold his line round the outside, was left with no room and T-boned his cousin out of the race, damaging his own car in the process as he went on to finish 12th. The incident handed Tappy the lead and he had already set what proved to be the fastest lap of the race on lap 10 at 1min 10.923s (119.58mph), meaning the title was his if the position remained the same. Smith was now up to third and as he challenged Alexander Sims for second, Tappy was able to steadily increase his lead to more than two seconds with three laps to go. As at Donington Park in round 17, the racing between Sims and Smith was some of the best of the season with both drivers showing exceptional skill and courage and speeds approaching 150mph. Smith used the slipstream to pass Sims up Woodham Hill, but the rookie driver switched to the outside around Club chicane to regain the place in style. Yamamoto’s incredible rise at the high-speed Hampshire circuit saw him reach sixth place after the Christodoulou cousins’ incident, before he passed Metcalfe on the penultimate lap to lie fifth behind Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt. However, the final lap saw the Japanese slip back to eighth behind Manor Competition’s Kris Loane and Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid. The Brazilian was later excluded for technical non-compliance after his car was found to be underweight. At the head of the field, Tappy was unchallenged as he drove within himself in the closing laps to ensure he finished, starting the last lap with a four-second cushion. Saluting his team as he took the chequered flag, Tappy took his ninth win of the season and seventh in succession on the road to take an unassailable lead in the drivers’ standings. Sims held off the charging Smith to take second, his third podium appearance of the season. Riki Christodoulou’s non-finish also ensures Adam Christodoulou wins the Graduate Cup, the competition for rookie drivers, and the prize of a free registration for the 2008 Formula Renault UK Championship. Commenting on his victory, Tappy said: “I had a decent start but Riki just managed to get in front of me. I was just trying to keep out of trouble and could see that Riki and Adam’s battle could end in tears. When they went off I was able to pick up the pieces and it was just a case of getting my head down and building a lead. “It hasn’t sunk in at all yet but I have to thank Fortec Motorsport for all their work this season and all my sponsors, family and friends who have helped me through the year. We’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do at the start of the season and it feels fantastic to win such a prestigious Championship.” Second placed Sims commented: “That was a really good race and I had fun in that battle with Dean. Obviously I’m always aiming for the win but to come through from fifth on the grid to second is a good result and it’s great to be back on the podium again.” Third placed Smith, who saw his title chances ended by Tappy’s performance, commented: “I got a good start but was really struggling through the faster corners today. Fortec has done a brilliant job for me all season and given me the chance to win the championship, but today it just wasn’t quite there for me. I can still be happy with my season overall and congratulations to Duncan.” TAPPY REGAINS LEAD IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWDDuncan Tappy reclaimed the lead of the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship with his second win of the day in front of 80,000 fans at Donington Park Grand Prix circuit. The Fortec Motorsport ace clinched his eighth win of the season ahead of team-mates Riki Christodoulou and Dean Smith as the single-seater series made its annual appearance on the support bill of World Series by Renault at the Derbyshire venue on Sunday, 9th September. Once again starting from pole position, Tappy got away cleanly to lead from Christodoulou as Smith and Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims tussled for third place. Running side by side through Redgate corner, Sims edged ahead but his left rear wheel was clipped by Smith’s front wing causing a puncture. Smith’s aerodynamics were compromised for the rest of the race, while Sims was forced to pit. AKA Cobra team-mates Adam Christodoulou and Nathan Caratti each enjoyed a great opening lap, gaining six and four places from 14th and 15th on the grid respectively. Meanwhile, Hillspeed Racing’s Richard Singleton moved from eighth on the grid to lie fifth. A Safety Car period to remove the cars of Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson, who collided while avoiding the slow-moving Sims, allowed Sims to rejoin on the lead lap. When racing resumed on lap five, Manor’s Kris Loane looked to have the best chance of gaining a place immediately as he closed on Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s David Epton but he instead ended up conceding a place to Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes. Hampered by his damaged front wing, Smith was coming under pressure from Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt but as he attempted to pass round the outside at the Melborne Hairpin, Singleton took advantage to overtake on the inside. Further down the field, Adam Christodoulou set the fastest lap to that point to close on Manor Competition’s Alex Morgan. The closest battle on the track saw Oakes pressuring AKA’s Chris Holmes who was struggling with the rear end of his car. After three laps of running nose-to-tail, Oakes got past at the exit of McLeans but misjudged the next corner, Coppice, ending his race in the gravel trap. Meanwhile, Singleton ran wide at the Old Hairpin, losing grip off the racing line allowing Bratt to take fourth place. With three laps to go, the midfield battle was as close as ever with Holmes, Loane, Epton and Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto all almost overlapping as they exited Goddards hairpin. Race leader Tappy showed he still had the pace to easily hold off Riki Christodoulou, extending his lead by four-tenths of a second to 1.5s on lap 12. Tappy then set the fastest lap of the race on lap 13 of 1min 29.949s (100.06mph), securing two bonus championship points by doing so. Singleton fought back from his earlier mistake by passing Adam Christodoulou at Goddards but on the last lap he was again caught out at the Old Hairpin, this time ending his race in the gravel trap leaving Christodoulou free to take seventh place. AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet) held off late pressure from Alex Morgan to seal his seventh top-five finish of the season. The race, however, belonged to Tappy and he won by 1.326s to take a seven-point lead in the drivers’ standings when dropped scores are taken into account. Tappy is 32 points ahead of Smith, but each driver must drop his two worst scores, with Tappy forced to count his round 16 exclusion as one of his best 18 scores of the campaign. Commenting on his second victory of the day, which also earned him the Donington Park RAC trophy as the highest-scoring British driver over the four races held at the circuit in 2007, Tappy said: “It has been almost the perfect weekend, with only the fastest lap in the first race getting away from me. I came here trying to keep my championship hopes alive and that’s what I’ve done so now I can look forward to Thruxton where it will be all to play for.”
Second placed Riki Christodoulou said: “It’s good to be back on the podium again as I’ve had a pretty rough time in the last few races. I was determined to make Duncan work for his win this time and kept telling myself not to let him get too far ahead. The car felt great again and I think I improved my driving as well so I’m very happy.” Third placed Dean Smith added: “This hasn’t been the best weekend for me and losing part of my front wing in the second race meant I had less grip all through the race. Thruxton will be a very important weekend but when we raced there earlier this year I had two wins with two fastest laps. It will come down to whoever can produce the goods on the day will be the winner.” Riki Christodoulou’s double podium this weekend also brings him into contention for the Graduate Cup, a competition for rookie drivers. He trails cousin Adam Christodoulou by 36 points in the standings with two races left.
Rounds 19 and 20 take place at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit on 13th/14th October.
TAPPY CLOSES GAP WITH DOMINANT DONINGTON WINDuncan Tappy converted his fifth pole position of the season into his seventh victory in round 17 of the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship on Sunday, 9th September. The Fortec Motorsport ace held off pressure at the start from team-mate Riki Christodoulou to win by 4.731s with a third Fortec car of Dean Smith in third. Fortec Motorsport has now retained its Entrants Championship title with three races left. Tappy’s win came on the most prestigious weekend of the season for Formula Renault UK drivers as they race in support of the World Series by Renault with a crowd of more than 100,000 present during the weekend. As the race began, Tappy covered the inside line to Redgate corner forcing Christodoulou to slot into second place. Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims was able to pass championship leader Dean Smith on the opening tour to take third place. AKA Cobra duo Jeremy Metcalfe and Riki’s cousin Adam Christodoulou both enjoyed excellent first laps, gaining six and five places from 13th and 16th on the grid respectively. Manor Competition’s Alex Morgan took advantage of his team-mate Joe D’Agostino and Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt running wide at Goddards Chicane to take fifth place. Smith fought back on lap two as Sims defended, while Hillspeed Racing’s Richard Singleton surged through on the inside of D’Agostino at Redgate. Adam Christodoulou gained a further place by passing Manor’s Kris Loane, while Tappy began to edge away from Riki Christodoulou at the head of the field. Lap three saw Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Paul Rees retire with a gearbox problem, joining first lap retirees Adriano Buzaid and Nathan Caratti after the pair tangled at McLeans. Sims and Smith then exchanged fastest laps as the battle for the final podium spot thrilled the tens of thousands of spectators. Tappy then showed he was not holding back by setting the fastest lap to that point, knowing the two bonus points on offer could be crucial in the championship standings. In midfield, Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto was making steady progress and passed Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick for 15th on lap six. As the race entered its second half, Adam Christodoulou caught and passed Apotex Scorpio’s David Epton to move into the top 10. Smith then took third place after some of the best racing of the season with Alexander Sims over an entire tour of the 2.5-mile Grand Prix circuit. Smith dived through on the inside at the first corner, Redgate, before Sims brilliantly and bravely fought back through the daunting Craner Curves. Holding the car on the circuit as it twitched on the kerb, Sims held the racing line through to McLeans and down to Goddards where Smith pressured him again as Sims locked a wheel under braking. Smith then passed again at the Melbourne Hairpin to take third and start to close the four-second gap to second placed Riki Christodoulou. The battle for fifth place continued throughout the race with Alex Morgan holding off Will Bratt, a winner four times in 2007. Although Bratt kept the pressure on with less than half a second between the pair for much of the race, Morgan continued the good form he showed in official testing to maintain his position. Lap 10 saw AKA’s Chris Holmes retire after damage to his right rear wheel, as Smith lapped faster and faster until he caught Christodoulou at the start of the final tour. Although he was just unable to force a way past his team-mate, Smith did secure the two bonus points with a lap of 1min 29.659s (100.38mph). For Tappy, it was a fourth win in the last five races and closes the gap on Smith to just two points after dropped scores are taken into account. Commenting on the race, Tappy said: “The start was tight and I didn’t want to squeeze Riki too much but held my line and the lead. I was pushing all the time to try to get the fastest lap but with around five laps to go I eased off to make sure I didn’t make a mistake. There’s one more race today so hopefully I can get the lead of the Championship.” Second placed Riki Christodoulou said: “I got a good start but the rear of the car was sliding all the time and I really struggled to stay with Duncan. I got caught out at the chicane and had a bit of mud on my tyres that didn’t help and then Dean caught me really quickly at the end, which I wasn’t expecting. I was glad to hold onto second place in the end.” Third place Dean Smith added: “I just got held up behind Alexander early on and that cost me the chance of going for the win. The car felt brilliant and I knew I had the pace, but at least I got the points for fastest lap. There’s always the second race to try to get the win so I’ll see what happens then.”
BRATT INHERITS WIN AS TAPPY IS EXCLUDED
Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt won round 16 of the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship after Championship leader Duncan Tappy was excluded having taken the chequered flag in first place. Apotex Scorpio Motorsport protested the race-winner’s car in relation to the fixation of the floor. Upon investigation by the Series Eligibility/Safety Scrutineer, the car was found to be non-compliant with Championship regulations leading to Tappy’s exclusion. As the winner of round 15 at Brands Hatch Indy circuit earlier on Sunday, 19th August, Tappy was favourite to complete his double starting from pole position for the second time that day. Although he came under pressure from Bratt at the first corner, the pair narrowly avoided contact through Paddock Hill Bend and Tappy maintained first place. AKA Cobra’s Chris Holmes made the best start among the front-runners, surging through from seventh on the grid to fifth behind team-mates Adam Christodoulou and Jeremy Metcalfe. With overtaking difficult at the tight 1.20-mile circuit, the 20-year-old’s start was crucial in helping him to his best result of the season. Meanwhile, Manor Competition’s Kris Loane dropped from his season-high fifth on the grid to lie ninth at the end of lap one. In a repeat of his round 15 performance, Tappy set the fastest lap of the race on lap four as he opened up a clear lead at the head of the field, although fastest lap would be awarded to Bratt for his time of 44.899s (96.10mph) following Tappy’s exclusion. In midfield, Loane moved up to 10th having lost further places to Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid and Hillspeed Racing’s Richard Singleton. Buzaid was then forced to serve a drive through penalty for a false start, also serving a stop-go penalty for ignoring the initial order. Lap 11 saw AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti run wide at Paddock Hill Bend and into the tyre wall. This brought out the Safety Car and wiped out Tappy’s 1.2s lead as the remaining 19 cars bunched together. At the restart, Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s David Epton passed Singleton before the start line so the 10th and 11th placed cars were racing in the incorrect order. Epton was later issued a one-second penalty, dropping him behind Singleton in the race classification. Singleton then came under pressure from Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes as the two drivers who battled for the Formula Renault BARC Championship title in 2006 raced wheel-to-wheel once again. Despite repeated attempts, notably at Paddock Hill Bend, Oakes was unable to find a way past the Welshman. The top two drivers soon opened up a comfortable gap after the restart, lapping within hundredths of a second of each other for much of the 24-lap race, which became 27 laps due to the Safety Car period. Championship contender Dean Smith, who would return to the top of the drivers’ standings after Tappy’s exclusion, was struggling to improve on his sixth place grid slot as he followed Holmes for the full race distance. On lap 23, Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims clipped the kerb at Surtees,crashing head-on in to the tyre barrier although he was unharmed. This promoted Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou into seventh place, having started 10th on the grid after a below-par qualifying performance. (Sims later discovered a slow puncture that caused his spin at Surtees on lap 23. Manor Competition Team Manager Tony Shaw said: "At first we couldn't see any damage to the car apart from that caused by the impact with the tyre wall. When we came to unload the car from our truck on Monday morning the tyre was completely flat, which would have impacted on Alexander's performance. He had been pressuring Dean Smith before the Safety Car period and after the restart was when his pace dropped off. The spin was certainly uncharacteristic.") As the chequered flag dropped, Tappy celebrated his second win of the day. However, the margin of victory was only 0.364s due to Tappy locking his wheels in celebration as he crossed the line and Bratt almost passing him. The potentially dangerous manoeuvre by Tappy saw him fined £250 and his licence endorsed with three points, although worse was to follow with his exclusion from round 16. Commenting after the race, Will Bratt said: “To start second on the grid and finish in second is really the best you can do unless you make a brilliant start because overtaking is so difficult. We could almost match Duncan’s pace so overall I’m happy with how things went. To then get the win later on just makes the day even better and also helps me in the title race.” Promoted to second place, Adam Christodoulou said: “It’s a great feeling to be on the podium having just missed out by one place in round 15. There isn’t really any way to pick up a slipstream to help anyone overtake so keeping Jeremy behind me wasn’t too difficult as long as I kept my concentration, although he was always pushing me.” Third placed Jeremy Metcalfe commented: “It’s a surprise to be in third place but a nice one and I did have a good race after a much better qualifying session. I think I was quicker than Adam on some parts of the track but wasn’t ever close enough to attempt an overtaking move and he never made a mistake.” Duncan Tappy commented: “I’m gutted about what’s happened but we’re not going to appeal as we risk a harsher punishment. As it is, I’m only seven points behind Dean and I can still win this championship and that’s what I intend to do. I’ve won the last four races and there’s no reason why that run can’t continue.” The Formula Renault UK Championship leaves the British Touring Car Championship support package for its next race meeting, which takes place alongside World Series by Renault at Donington Park on 8th/9th September. More than 250,000 free tickets have been issued by Renault for the event.
DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR TAPPY AT SNETTERTON Duncan Tappy completed a wonderful double victory by beating Fortec Motorsport team-mate and title rival Dean Smith in round 14 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship at Snetterton on Sunday, 29th July. AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet) was third, with Tappy now leading the drivers’ standings by 11 points. Starting from pole position, Tappy immediately came under threat from the fast starting Adam Christodoulou, moving across to defend as Christodoulou took to the grass in avoidance. Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou took advantage to lead into Riches corner, while Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt and Smith battled for fourth place. On the Revett straight for the first time, contact at high speed between Tappy and Riki Christodoulou, then Bratt and Christodoulou as a knock-on effect, saw Christodoulou forced into retirement for the second time in the day, frustratingly through no fault of his own. Tappy assumed the lead ahead of Smith and Bratt. Further down the field, Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto (Northampton) had a great opening lap to climb from 14th on the grid to ninth. Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims fared less well, stalling on the grid and dropping to last place at the end of lap one. Lap three saw a shake-up in third place as Adam Christodoulou passed Bratt at the Esses, only to run wide through the Bomb Hole allowing Bratt and RS Racing’s Richard Singleton to pass him. This gave Tappy and Smith a 2.5s lead over the rest of the field, which lasted for the remainder of the 18-lap race. In midfield, Manor Competition’s Alex Morgan and Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s David Epton both passed Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes on lap four, while Adam Christodoulou spun at the Esses but retained sixth place ahead of team-mate Chris Holmes. Oakes regained the lost places over the next two laps to lie ninth. As the race approached half distance, Metcalfe and Bratt closed slightly on the leading duo. Seventh placed Holmes led a pack of around nine cars, doing his best to hold them off despite a damaged front wing. Yamamoto was first to find his way past with a great move around the outside at Riches that continued through Sear and down to the Esses where Oakes was also able to get past. The same lap saw Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Paul Rees (Oxford) and AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti clash, with Rees’ front wheel tagging Caratti’s rear wheel on the entrance to Sear corner. Rees was launched into the air and across the cockpit of Caratti, although both escaped unharmed. On lap 12 the cluster was split when Morgan went past Holmes at Riches, then contact between Holmes and Borthwick at the Esses saw both cars retire. The end result saw Morgan in eighth ahead of Sims, Manor’s Kris Loane, Epton and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa. Three laps later, Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson passed Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid, who was struggling with a damaged front wing, a the Esses for 13th place. The Swede then undid his good work by missing the Russell chicane and spinning on the grass to drop to last place. As the race drew to a close and with Tappy’s win now seeming secure with a one-second lead, Smith grabbed a potentially crucial two bonus championship points with the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap of 1min 05.554s (107.19mph). Although it closed the gap on Tappy to 0.7s, the 23-year-old kept cool to record a fifth victory of 2007. Commenting on the win, Tappy said: “Dean pushed me the whole way and I had to hold him off a few times early on. Once I got the gap I tried to push and push but it’s a shame I just missed out on the fastest lap. I’m back in the lead in the championship now but I know the next race at Brands Hatch is likely to be even closer than today.” Second placed Smith said: “This morning’s race was bad with the start I made so I’m happy to come back and get second with the fastest lap. Drivers make mistakes and mine came this morning but if I can get a few more results like this one, there are plenty of races still left for me to catch up.” Third placed Metcalfe said: “There were a few crashes ahead of me but I got a great start and had an awesome first lap. I got on the inside at Coram curve to gain a couple of places and then it was just a case of staying there. At one point I was catching up to Duncan and Dean but then the gap stabilised so I had to settle for third.” Rounds 15 and 16 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship take place at Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 18th/19th August. Prior to that the drivers have official testing at Thruxton on Wednesday, 8th August in preparation for the final round of the series in October. Tappy Dominates Round 15 Duncan Tappy drove a perfect race to win round 15 of the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship on Sunday, 19th August. The Fortec Motorsport ace led all 24 laps from pole position at Brnads Hatch Indy circuit and now leads the drivers’ standings by 13 points with dropped scores taken into account. On a damp track, Tappy made a good start from pole with Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims slotting into second place. Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid moved into third ahead of Hillspeed Racing’s Richard Singleton, while Fortec’s Dean Smith moved from ninth on the grid to lie sixth. Singleton was soon passed by AKA Cobra’s Adam Christodoulou (Lichfield) at Clearways and his car was well set-up in the early stages allowing him to challenge Buzaid at Graham Hill Bend at Paddock Hill Bend. Within six laps, Tappy had opened a 1.5s lead over Sims who was a further 4.5s clear of Buzaid, such a relatively large lead proving the advantage of not having to contend with spray from the car in front. On lap eight, as the rain started to fall a little heavier, Buzaid began to edge away from Christodoulou, who fell back to come under pressure from Singleton. In midfield, Manor’s Kris Loane had climbed from 14th to eighth, with AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe up from 14th to 12th. Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou a regular front-runner starting 19th after a spin in qualifying, moved through to 13th by the halfway point of the race. On lap 11, Smith spun at Paddock Hill Bend after touching the slippery white painted line on the edge of the circuit. Second overall in the drivers’ standings, the 19-year-old now found himself losing even more ground to title rival Tappy. The race leader had already claimed what turned out to be the fastest lap of the race of 47.905s (90.07mph) and earn two bonus championship points. Lap 14 saw a change in midfield as Manor’s Alex Morgan passed Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson for ninth place, the Swede going on to finish 10th and record his best result of the season so far. Smith then lost another place as his Fortec team-mate Riki Christodoulou overtook at Druids. With the leaders 10 seconds clear of the rest of the field, fourth-placed Adam Christodoulou found himself coming under increasing pressure from Singleton and was forced to defend on several occasions. Meanwhile, Smith was passed by another team-mate Ryuji Yamamoto who repeated Riki Christodoulou’s move up the inside at Paddock Hill Bend. On the penultimate lap, Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick passed AKA Cobra’s Chris Holmes for 16th place, Holmes having fallen back from a high of 14th place. Meanwhile, Tappy was cruising to his sixth win of the season to put the pressure on Dean Smith in the title race. Commenting on the race, Tappy said: “The track was quite slippery at the start because we were the first race of the day but once I got going I just had to keep my concentration. The car felt brilliant and I have to thank Fortec Motorsport for all their hard work today and this season.” Second placed Alexander Sims said: “I’ve been as fast as anyone else this weekend and second place is a reward for that work. My consistency of lap times was good during the race and that’s a pleasing aspect. I was pushing hard in the first part of the race but once Duncan had got clear I just kept lapping comfortably.” Third placed Adriano Buzaid, scoring his second podium of the season, commented: “The first five laps were a bit difficult and Adam was really chasing me. Then the car started to work a bit better and I pulled away and it’s really good to get on the podium again.”
OPPORTUNISTIC TAPPY POUNCES TO TAKE LEAD Fortec Motorsport’s Duncan Tappy took full advantage of a startline mistake by his main title rival Dean Smith to win round 13 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship and take a nine-point lead in the drivers’ standings. AKA Cobra’s Adam Christodoulou finished second for the second time this season, with Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt (Banbury) in third at Snetterton on Sunday, 29th July. Championship leader Smith earned pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session but bogged down on the start line, dropping to last place when he eventually got going. Tappy took the lead with Christodoulou darting around Smith to take second ahead of his cousin Riki Christodoulou, with Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims and Bratt fourth and fifth respectively. Bratt soon found a way past Sims for fourth place, moving to the inside at the Esses as Sims braked too late to make the corner and took to the grass. Meanwhile, Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s David Epton pitted with a damaged front wing after relatively low-speed contact with Manor’s Alex Morgan. At the end of lap two the Safety Car was brought out so marshals could retrieve the stricken car of Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson who went off at Riches on the opening lap. When racing resumed on lap six, Smith began making his way back through the field passing AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti for 14th place. Tappy built his lead over Adam Christodoulou to 0.75s just two laps after the restart but he was unable to stretch any further away from the Graduate Cup leader. On lap eight, Smith passed his Fortec team-mate Ryuji Yamamoto (Northampton) for 13th, the duo both moving up the order two laps later when AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet) made a small error to drop back. Bratt continued an excellent race by closing onto the rear of Riki Christodoulou, pressuring the first-year driver into running wide at Sear corner. This gave Bratt better momentum down the Revett straight and he completed the pass at the Bomb Hole, with Sims alert enough to follow Bratt through to take fourth. Smith undid his earlier good work on lap 11 by running wide at Sear and falling back behind Caratti in 15th place. Tappy’s lead now stood at 1.5s with a further 3.5s gap to Bratt. In seventh, Manor Competition’s Kris Loane was enjoying his best race of the season but coming under increasing pressure from Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid. On lap 17, Riki Christodoulou made amends for his earlier error at Sear by diving through on the inside of Sims at the same corner. With Sims losing momentum, Singleton looked to capitalise but it was Sims who attempted the overtaking move on Christodoulou at the Esses. Contact saw Sims spin in the chicane, with Christodoulou hugely unfortunate to suffer a puncture causing him to retire at the Bomb Hole as Singleton inherited fourth. Sims later had his licence endorsed with two points. On lap 19 of what was now a 21-lap race after the Safety Car period, Buzaid attempted an overtaking move on Loane at the Esses but was unable to make it cleanly through. The contact resulted in Buzaid stopping in the chicane and the red flag to be deployed to stop the race. Buzaid did restart but the race was declared a result at the end of lap 18. Commenting on his fourth win of the season, Tappy said: “The start was unfortunate for Dean but great for me. I didn’t have much of a lead and Adam was pushing me the whole way so I had to concentrate on setting good lap times. To get the fastest lap as well is brilliant and it sets me up well in the championship.” Second placed Adam Christodoulou said: “It was close with Dean at the start because you don’t expect to have to move around someone so quickly. Fortec have been really strong this year so I was pleased to be able to keep in touch with Duncan and even though I never got close enough I was always looking for the win.” Third placed Bratt said: “Snetterton has traditionally been one of my weaker circuits so to come through from sixth to third is good. I had a great start and then to get past Alexander and Riki put me up with the leaders. I closed for a couple of laps but could never get in the tow to get right with them, but I can’t complain about third place.”
SMITH RETURNS TO PODIUM SUMMIT WITH DONINGTON PARK WINFortec Motorsport’s Dean Smith took his first win since May with victory in round 12 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship at Donington Park National circuit on Sunday, 15th July. He extends his lead in the drivers’ standings to 15 points over team-mate Duncan Tappy , who finished third and picked up two bonus points for setting the race’s fastest lap. Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt finished second to climb to third overall. With rain clouds overhead but a dry racing line at the start of the race, Smith made a brilliant start from pole position. RS Racing’s Richard Singleton held the outside line at Redgate corner as Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou moved to the inside, Christodoulou taking second place. Bratt moved from fifth on the grid to take third and Tappy also passed Singleton for fourth. Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto was a first lap retirement as several cars struggled with the slippery conditions off line. AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti retired at the start of lap two after running side-by-side down the pit straight with Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes before running off the circuit and into an advertising board. AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe, who started seventh, dropped to the rear of the field after being tagged by team-mate Adam Christodoulou. Christodoulou was dicing with Oakes and as they attempted to out-brake each other, Metcalfe was collected as he negotiated Goddards chicane. Singleton, the reigning Formula Renault BARC champion, looked to make amends for his start and carried momentum through Goddards at the start of lap three but could not find a way past either Bratt or Tappy. Bratt then pulled away from Tappy by setting the fastest lap to that point, closing on Riki Christodoulou. On lap four, Adam Christodoulou out-braked Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Richard Keen into Goddards to climb to eighth place. On the following lap, Christodoulou moved to the inside of Manor Competition’s Alex Morgan at Redgate to claim another place. Meanwhile, AKA’s Chris Holmes, who had started last after a problem in qualifying, had made it into the top 10 after reaching 14th at the end of lap one and ninth at the end of the following lap before being passed by team-mate Adam Christodoulou. By the midway point of the 16-lap race, Smith had built a lead of 3.4s over Riki Christodoulou, who was maintaining a gap of around one second to Bratt. Sims, winner of Round 11 earlier in the day, was looking for a way past Singleton for fifth place, the Welshman just managing to defend the inside line into Redgate as the two talented teenagers provided thrilling action. With two points going to the drivers setting the fastest lap, the top four drivers were all desperate to boost their championship ambitions by achieving this and all four took turns in setting the best time. On lap 10, Tappy set a mark of 1min 07.581s (104.26mph) around the 1.96-mile circuit to claim the bonus points. On lap 11, a fascinating midfield battle saw a change with Holmes and Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid both passing ninth-placed Alex Morgan. However, at the end of the lap, Buzaid ran wide at Coppice corner as isolated rain caused problems for drivers, who were all using slick tyres. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Paul Rees had already gone off at the corner as had stopped just a few metres from the circuit. Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick, who had gone off at Craner Curves on lap one, also ran wide at Coppice. Dramatically, second-placed Riki Christodoulou also fell foul of the conditions, sliding wide and hitting the stationary car of Rees to retire and promote Bratt to second and Tappy to third place. Due to the change in the conditions, the red flag was deployed to end the race and prevent any further incidents, with the result being declared at the end of lap 11 and Smith claiming his third win of the season. Commenting on the victory, Smith said: “I made a perfect start – it felt and sounded fantastic and I didn’t even need to defend into the first corner. Once I got ahead I just had to get my head down and build a lead. Coppice nearly caught me out on the last lap but I was going slowly enough to stop myself going off. It’s been another good weekend as far as my championship is concerned and I just need to keep it going.” Second placed Bratt commented: “To go from fifth on the grid to finish second is fantastic and it also puts me up to third in the championship. The car set-up was great and I was able to close the gap on Riki every lap. It was good fun out there and in the second half of the season I think I can be strong.” Third-placed Tappy said: “Although I’m on the podium I think this weekend could have been better for me and Dean’s now got a bit of a lead in the championship. Having been quickest in testing I was hopeful for the weekend but it hasn’t worked out that way, which is disappointing.”
SIMS SCORES FIRST WIN IN SHORTENED RACE AT DONINGTON PARK
Alexander Sims took his maiden Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship victory in a rain-affected round 11 at Donington Park National circuit. The race began with heavy rain falling and after a two-lap Safety Car period the red flag was deployed during lap five. Results are taken from the end of lap four with Manor Competition’s Sims winning from Fortec Motorsport’s Dean Smith and Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou. Starting from the outside of the front row, 19-year-old Sims ran side by side with pole-sitter Smith as the pair rounded Redgate corner. Sims kept to the outside line through Hollywood and into the Craner Curves, passing Smith for the lead. Despite the conditions, only Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Paul Rees failed to complete the first lap as all the drivers displayed tremendous car control. Riki Christodoulou also gained ground on lap one by passing team-mate Duncan Tappy for third place, while AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe overtook Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa for seventh after getting good traction off the rain-soaked grid. Metcalfe’s team-mate Adam Christodoulou, who led the Graduate Cup standings for rookie drivers coming into the weekend, had a disappointing start dropping from ninth to 12th. Meanwhile, Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes spun and recovered on the run up to McLeans. With Sims benefiting from a clear track in front of him, the Manor Competition ace stretched his lead over Smith and Riki Christodoulou. At the end of lap three his lead was up to 3.3s but the Safety Car was deployed due to the amount of standing water on the circuit, which was causing the cars to aquaplane. After two laps behind the Safety Car, conditions were deemed bad enough to stop the race and Sims’ official winning margin is 0.827s. Full championship points are awarded. Commenting on the race, Sims said: “I wasn’t complaining about the conditions because I could see more than everyone else. To go to the outside was the natural choice for me because I knew the inside of the circuit was going to be more slippery. As soon as I saw Dean wasn’t going to move across to the outside I went for the space and it paid off. It may not be the ideal way to win a race but I’m very happy to win and hope I can build on this in the second half of the season.”
METCALFE HOLDS ON FOR SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe held off intense pressure from Fortec Motorsport’s Duncan Tappy to claim his second win of the season in round 10 of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship at Oulton Park Island circuit on Sunday, 24th June. Metcalfe’s team-mate Adam Christodoulou came third to replicate the podium from round one at Brands Hatch. Pole-sitter Dean Smith made a poor start and dropped to seventh on the opening lap as cars swarmed past. Fellow front row starter Metcalfe took full advantage to edge out Tappy on the run to the first corner, Old Hall, on lap one. Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid remained in third place with Adam Christodoulou rising from seventh on the grid to take fourth. On cold tyres, Buzaid made a mistake at Knickerbrook chicane, spinning and falling to the rear of the field as Adam Christodoulou took third place. RS Racing’s Richard Singleton held fourth ahead of AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti who had passed round nine winner Will Bratt off the start line. Christodoulou kept the pressure on the leaders with the fastest lap on lap two, while Bratt recovered some ground by passing Caratti for fifth at Knickerbrook. Smith was also looking to make amends but failed to pass Caratti around the outside at Island Hairpin. He did take sixth place on lap three with a late-braking move at Knickerbrook. In midfield, Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick) and Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Richard Keen ran side by side through Druids, Borthwick just holding onto 10th place. Meanwhile, now clear of Caratti, Will Bratt was closing in on fourth-placed Singleton. Before he had a chance to overtake, however, Bratt was caught by the charging Dean Smith. The new Championship leader after round nine on Saturday, Smith wasted little time in taking fifth place with a sweeping pass at Old Hall at the start of lap six. In midfield, Caratti locked his brakes as he came under pressure from Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims and Fortec’s Riki Christodoulou. On the same lap, Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto thought about a move on the inside of Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa at Old Hall but decided to back out as Hanawa covered the overtaking line. Smith was now setting a new fastest lap on each successive tour, lowering his time even when passing Singleton for fourth place at Lodge corner. On lap nine, Borthwick became the only retirement of the race by spinning at Druids while battling with Keen. As the race entered its closing stages, Metcalfe and Tappy opened a gap to third-placed Adam Christodoulou, who was being caught rapidly by Smith. On lap 11, Tappy set a new fastest lap only to see it beaten by Smith as he followed a few seconds behind. Smith eventually took the two bonus championship points with a time of 1min 20.112s (100.02mph). The final three laps saw two absorbing battles with the AKA Cobra cars of Metcalfe and Adam Christodoulou leading the Fortec Motorsport cars of Tappy and Smith respectively. While Metcalfe looked secure in his lead, Christodoulou came under pressure, especially on the penultimate lap as he missed a gear exiting Druids allowing Smith to draw alongside on the run into Old Hall before falling back again. On the run to the chequered flag, Metcalfe took victory by 0.2s, while Christodoulou took third by the incredibly close margin of 0.051s. Commenting on his victory, Metcalfe said: “I’m really pleased to get the second win and it’s been a long time coming since Brands Hatch. I made a good start and managed to block Duncan out at the first corner. After that it was a case of not making a mistake and defending when I needed to.” Second-placed Tappy said: “I was getting very close to the back of Jeremy but I knew Dean was further back so there was no point risking a strong finish with the Championship in mind. My starts have been poor the last few rounds but today was really good and I think I’ve worked out what was wrong. The start is crucial so hopefully now I can get back on track at Donington Park.” Third-placed Adam Christodoulou said: “I knew Dean was going to be right with me on the last lap but it didn’t help when I made the mistake with two laps to go. I had to fight hard to fend him off and I’m still shaking now! From about halfway I was counting down the laps and I’m really happy to get back on the podium.” Smith now leads the drivers’ standings by four points from Tappy. Rounds 11 and 12 take place at Donington Park National circuit on 14th/15th July. Before the next race meeting there is a one-day official Formula Renault UK test at Brands Hatch on Tuesday, 3rd July.
BRATT KEEPS MOMENTUM WITH THIRD SUCCESSIVE WIN Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt won his third race in a row in round nine of the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship at Oulton Park Island circuit on Saturday, 23rd June. Fortec Motorsport’s Dean Smith finished second with Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid earning his first podium finish of the season in third. Smith now leads the drivers’ standings by eight points. Qualifying saw Smith take pole position by 0.44s ahead of Fortec team-mate Duncan Tappy. Buzaid and Bratt lined up on the second row, with AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe and RS Racing’s Richard Singleton on row three. Tappy made a poor start from the outside of the front row and was swamped by the time he reached the first corner, Old Hall, ending up seventh at the end of lap one. By contrast, his team-mate Riki Christodoulou made up two places on the opening lap to lie sixth, just behind his cousin, Adam Christodoulou of AKA Cobra. Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa and Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims both went off the circuit at Knickerbrook chicane on lap one, with Sims dropping to the back of the field. Meanwhile, Fortec’ s Ryuji Yamamoto who started last after a spin in qualifying, made up three places on the opening lap to lie 17th between Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson and Formula Renault UK debutant Paul Rees. On lap two, Smith set the first of three successive fastest laps, ultimately halving the deficit to Bratt by the end of lap five. The leading duo opened a clear advantage over Jeremy Metcalfe and Adriano Buzaid, who himself was well ahead of the next group of cars led by Richard Singleton. Singleton, running as an independent driver after starting the season with Manor Competition, held fifth place ahead of Riki Christodoulou, Tappy and Adam Christodoulou. On lap four, Sims suffered another spin, briefly halting his attempt to catch Rees. News came through on lap five of a drive-through penalty for third-placed Metcalfe, caused by a false start. However, before he even got a chance to serve the penalty, a problem with his gear lever ended his race as he retired in the pit lane, promoting Buzaid to third. By the midway point of the 15-lap race, Smith had reduced Bratt’s lead to just 0.3s but was finding it difficult to pass as Bratt kept his speed high where necessary, preventing his pursuer from challenging at the overtaking zones. Bratt’s team-mate, Richard Keen was pressurising Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick, closing up under braking for Old Hall on each lap. Entering the second half of the race, Riki Christodoulou began to edge away from Tappy and reduce the gap to fourth-placed Singleton. His good work was undone by an error on lap nine when he spun at Cascades and fell to 14th place. In the confusion caused by Christodoulou’s spin, Borthwick passed AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti. Once he found a clear track ahead of him, Tappy increased his pace at set his fastest laps of the race in quick succession, reeling in fourth-placed Singleton by several tenths of a second per lap. Meanwhile, Smith crossed the start/finish line just 0.26s behind Bratt, the closest margin of the race, forcing the leader to defend into both Old Hall and Cascades. Smith’s overtaking attempts failed to materialise and he lost momentum allowing Bratt some breathing space. At the start of the final lap, first and fourth positions were both in the balance but Bratt and Singleton responded to the pressure and held on to their places. For Singleton, the reigning Formula Renault BARC champion, it was his best result of the season. Commenting on his victory, Will Bratt said: “To win from pole position at Croft was great but to do it from fourth on the grid is even better. I just stayed relaxed at the start and went to the outside of Dean at Old Hall. I knew I had to hold my position strongly and managed to get the lead. My car was great in the first half of the race but became more difficult to drive later on so I’m very happy to take the win.” New Championship leader Dean Smith said: “It’s frustrating to finish second because I know we had the pace in the car to win the race. I qualified 0.4s ahead of everyone else but once you are behind another car it’s difficult to pass. The good thing for me is that Duncan finished behind me so I’ve got the lead in the championship.” Adriano Buzaid said: “I learned a lot in the first races of this season but wasn’t doing very well in the championship. Now I need to score more points for the championship and this is a good way to begin. The start at Oulton Park is very difficult because the cars are closer together on the grid but I got away cleanly and the car was set-up really well for me.”
BRATT COMPLETES PERFECT WEEKEND AT THE DOUBLE
Will Bratt made it a 100 per cent weekend at North Yorkshire’s Croft circuit with victory in round eight of the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship on Sunday, 3rd June. The Apotex Scorpio Motorsport driver sealed his second lights-to-flag win in as many days to climb to fifth in the drivers’ standings. Fortec Motorsport duo Dean Smith and Riki Christodoulou completed the podium with fourth-placed Duncan Tappy retaining the championship lead by two points ahead of Smith. Starting from pole position, Bratt made an excellent start to lead Smith into the first corner, Clervaux, for the first time. The second row pairing of Tappy and Riki Christodoulou were side by side, with Christodoulou carrying greater speed through the chicane and passing Tappy for third place on the run to Tower Bend. Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes made up two places on lap one by passing both Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa and Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick to take 14th place. Hanawa’s team-mate Daniel Ivarsson’s attempt to gain ground saw him run wide and through the gravel before rejoining in 18th. As the front four cars settled into a rhythm, Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims led the chasing pack ahead of AKA Cobra’s Adam Christodoulou AKA’s Jeremy Metcalfe (Fleet) was quickly on the pace and was side by side with Adam Christodoulou at the hairpin on lap two but just unable to find a way past. Oakes’ good start was undone by a small error at Sunny Out that allowed Borthwick through into 14th and the pair would swap positions twice more until Borthwick ran wide at Clervaux, damaging the rear of his car and forcing him into retirement. At the head of the field, Bratt was driving a solid race and although unable to open a gap of more than half a second, his lead was not under threat from Smith. Meanwhile, Adam Christodoulou set the fastest lap to that point to pull away from Metcalfe who was coming under pressure from Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid. On lap six, AKA’s Nathan Caratti spun out of ninth place at Clervaux, but recovered to rejoin in 14th behind Oakes. This promoted Manor’s Kris Loane into ninth with team-mate Richard Singleton close behind. The pair ran in formation until the penultimate lap when Singleton dived through on the inside at the hairpin. With the top six drivers swapping fastest laps, it was Dean Smith who took the two bonus points for the NGK Laser Platinum Fastest Lap with a time of 1min 19.411s (96.33mph) on lap 10. At the same time, Sims ran slightly wide at Clervaux to allow Adam Christodoulou up to fifth. The AKA driver then made the same mistake on the following lap as Sims regained his position and his best result of a frustrating season so far. Also on lap 11, Buzaid suffered damage to his rear suspension and was unable to complete the turn at Clervaux, the Brazilian’s race ending in the tyre wall. Meanwhile, Bratt’s lead at the end of lap 12 was just 0.525s – exactly the same as it had been at the end of the first lap showing how evenly matched the leading duo were. In the closing laps, Riki Christodoulou’s third place came under greater threat from Tappy as the championship leader mounted a final charge but the teenager held on for his third podium finish of the year. Leader Bratt, who did not put a wheel wrong in either of the weekend’s races, also held firm to clinch a double victory. Commenting on the win, Bratt said: “I guess that’s pretty good! We made some changes from yesterday’s race and maybe we could have got even better pace from the car but we won the race and that’s the main thing. I feel we’ve always had the pace to win races this year and this is the weekend it’s all come together.” Second-placed Dean Smith said: “Will was quick this weekend and even if I had got past I don’t think I had much more pace. As it was I couldn’t get close enough to overtake but I’m still pleased to get two more podium finishes and close the gap on Duncan in the championship.” Third-placed Riki Christodoulou commented: “I’m very happy to get on the podium after just missing out yesterday. I thought I might pass Duncan at the first corner but he had the inside line so I backed off and waited for my chance on the straight. We’re team-mates and friends so it was a good clean race after that.”
SEASON’S FIRST WIN FOR FLAWLESS BRATT
Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt led from start to finish to clinch his first victory in the 2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship. The 19-year-old had earlier secured his first-ever pole position in the series and took full advantage to win by just 0.535s from Fortec Motorsport’s Dean Smith (Wolverhampton). Smith’s team-mate and Championship leader Duncan Tappy was third in a race shortened from 15 laps to 11 after Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Sho Hanawa retired on lap 11 with Hanawa’s car in a dangerous position on the circuit.
Having claimed both his and his team’s first pole position, Bratt led Smith into the first corner, Clervaux, on lap one and was unchallenged to retain the lead. Tappy and Riki Christodoulou completed a trio of Fortec cars in formation, while AKA Cobra’s Adam Christodoulou and Jeremy Metcalfe moved up to fifth and sixth respectively ahead of Manor Competition’s Alexander Sims. After dropping a further place to Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid, Sims’ race ended on lap three when he hit the back of the Brazilian’s car on the entry to Clervaux and ran into the gravel trap. On the same lap, Yamamoto passed AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti to take ninth place behind Manor’s Richard Singleton. Singleton then passed Buzaid, who had suffered damage to his rear wing, to take seventh place and immediately pulled away from the Brazilian. The Welsh driver then inherited sixth place as Jeremy Metcalfe pulled off the circuit on lap five. By this time, after starting from the back of the grid because he missed qualifying to sit a University exam, Manor’s Alex Morgan had climbed to 14th place. At the head of the field, Bratt’s lead was stable at around one second, with third-placed Tappy closing on Smith by setting the NGK Laser Platinum Fastest Lap on lap six with a time of 1min 18.525s (97.42mph). Despite his mis-handling car, Buzaid was able to keep a train of eight other cars behind him thanks to some excellent defensive driving. On lap eight, Buzaid’s resistance ended as a spin at the Jim Clark Esses relegated him to 14th place, releasing Yamamoto in seventh. On the same lap, Dean Smith made significant inroads into Bratt’s lead by lapping 0.327s quicker and reducing the Apotex Scorpio driver’s lead to just over half a second. Bratt kept the charging Smith at bay although the lead remained just a car length with the Fortec man drawing closer under braking, particularly at Tower Bend. On lap 10, Yamamoto ran wide at Clervaux although he managed to recover back onto the track. This promoted Caratti up into seventh place and his best result of the season. The top three of Bratt, Smith and Tappy were now pulling away from fourth-placed Riki Christodoulou, with the leader coming under increasing pressure. With four laps to go, Morgan completed his rise through the field to 12th place by passing Sho Hanawa. But an incident at Sunny In that left the Japanese pair of Hanawa and Yamamoto out of the race on lap 12 forced the Clerk of the Course to deploy the red flag and end the race. With results taken from the end of lap 11, Bratt took his first Formula Renault UK victory since round four of the 2006 season. Bratt commented: “The car was fantastic in the first six laps and enabled me to open a lead but by the end I was struggling to avoid having to use opposite lock on almost every corner. It was nerve-wracking and I wished the laps would count down quicker but I managed to hold on. It’s a great result for the whole team and they fully deserve it.” Second-placed Smith said: “It’s another podium in the bag for me and that’s good news as far as the championship is concerned. I just missed out on the fastest lap, which was a shame and I felt I had the pace to get past Will towards the end but running so close behind him I had some oversteer and in the end, the red flag didn’t give me the chance.” Third-placed Tappy commented: “I couldn’t see how I was going to pass Dean so my main aim was to get the two bonus points for the fastest lap and I did that. I was close to Dean but never close enough to try to pass him so it was a question of scoring solid points and protecting the championship lead. Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 7 - provisional 1 Duncan Tappy GBR Fortec Motorsport 208 pts 2 Dean Smith GBR Fortec Motorsport 198 pts 3 Adam Christodoulou GBR AKA Cobra 153 pts 4 Riki Christodoulou GBR Fortec Motorsport 140 pts 5 Jeremy Metcalfe GBR AKA Cobra 121 pts 6 Will Bratt GBR Apotex Scorpio Motorsport 121 pts 7 Richard Singleton GBR Manor Competition 116 pts 8 Jordan Oakes GBR Eurotek Motorsport 71 pts 9 Chris Holmes GBR AKA Cobra 69 pts 10 Nathan Caratti AUS AKA Cobra 61 pts
Graduate Cup Standings after Round 7 – provisional
1 Adam Christodoulou GBR AKA Cobra 153 pts 2 Riki Christodoulou GBR Fortec Motorsport 140 pts 3 Richard Singleton GBR Manor Competition 116 pts
THRUXTON DOUBLE FOR JUBILANT WINNER SMITH On the day he took his first Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship win, Dean Smith made it two in a row with victory in round six at Thruxton on Sunday, 6th May. The Fortec Motorsport driver also picked up two bonus points for setting the NGK Laser Platinum fastest lap. His team-mate Duncan Tappy finished second with AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe third on his home circuit. AKA Cobra’s Adam Christodoulou made a clean start from pole position and lead through the first half-lap. But fellow front row starter Dean Smith, winner of round five earlier in the day, was applying pressure throughout the first lap and took the lead at Club chicane with Tappy and Metcalfe in third and fourth. Borthwick Motorsports’ Ryan Borthwick made a superb start from 16th to lie 12th at the end of lap one, while Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid gained three places from 11th on the grid. Fortec Motorsport’s Riki Christodoulou had a disastrous first lap, understeering off the circuit at Village and dropping a full 20 seconds behind the last place car. AKA Cobra’s Nathan Caratti, after the best qualifying performance of his season in fifth, came under pressure from Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt. On lap three, Caratti dropped four places to ninth as Bratt took fifth ahead of Manor Competition’s Richard Singleton, Buzaid and Apotex Scorpio’s David Epton This change allowed the top four cars to break clear by four and a half seconds, with Smith gradually extending his lead over Tappy. On lap four, Sims passed Caratti at Club chicane as the Australian’s disappointing race continued. Meanwhile, Buzaid came under pressure from Epton, who was looking strong in just his second race of the season. The pressure finally told on lap seven as Epton used the slipstream from Buzaid to his full advantage up Woodham Hill to claim seventh place. The move was identical to the one used by AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe to pass team-mate Adam Christodoulou on lap five to take the final place on the podium, albeit several seconds behind the two leaders. On lap six, Manor’s Alexander Sims (Peterborough) ran very wide at the high-speed Goodwood corner and lost four laps after recovering to the pitlane for repairs. Although he rejoined the race and finished, he did not complete the required percentage of the leader’s race distance to be classified in the official results. A good battle for 12th place between Borthwick and Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto was disrupted when Manor’s Kris Loane passed them both around the outside at Club chicane. Yamamoto then passed Borthwick but later contact between Loane and Yamamoto ended the race of the Japanese and relegated Loane to last place. With Borthwick struggling after slight damage to a rear wishbone, both Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson and AKA Cobra’s Chris Holmes passed the Scot. At the rear of the field, Riki Christodoulou had made up the time he lost and overtook Borthwick at the Complex as he tried to salvage more championship points. In the battle for sixth place, Singleton had been catching Bratt for several laps and as the race entered its final stages was in position to challenge. With three laps to go, Singleton out-braked Bratt at Club chicane with a brave move round the outside to take sixth place and record his best result of the season. On the penultimate lap, the contact between Loana and Yamamoto left the latter driving slowly through the chicane with a rear puncture as leader Smith reached that part of the circuit. Despite slowing, his lead of more than two and a half seconds gave him enough of a cushion to hold off Tappy on the closing lap and take his second win of the day. Commenting on his victory, Smith said: “Once again the car was fantastic and my engineer has done an amazing job in giving me the right set-up. I knew as soon as we started the Green Flag Lap before the race that it felt good and once I passed Adam I tried to push and gain as much of a lead as possible. Once I broke the slipstream I could get away and it’s been a brilliant weekend all round.” Second-placed Tappy said: “I can’t be disappointed with two podiums this weekend but Dean just had a slight advantage all weekend. His car was quick as soon as we arrived here and although I’ve closed the gap during the weekend it wasn’t quite enough. Dean had one quick lap early in the race but after that it was quite close between us and the team has done well again to claim the top two positions.” Third-placed Metcalfe, making his first podium appearance since winning round one, said: “I had a bad start but made up a couple of places on the first lap. I think Adam did the sensible thing when he saw I was faster and didn’t defend too strongly but I was too far behind to catch the Fortec cars. Hopefully we can do some work during the test at Croft and build on this result.” Rounds seven and eight of the Formula Renault UK Championship take place at North Yorkshire’s Croft circuit on 2nd/3rd June.
SMITH TAKES FIRST FORMULA RENAULT UK VICTORY Dean Smith scored his first-ever victory in the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship in round five at Thruxton on Sunday, 6th May. The 19-year-old, in his second season of the single-seater category, led home a Fortec Motorsport one-two-three with Riki Christodoulou in second and Duncan Tappy third. Drama before the start of the lap saw AKA Cobra’s Chris Holmes start from the pitlane after a water leak and Manor Competition’s Richard Singleton stall on the grid before the green flag lap. Singleton re-took his position on the grid and was issued a drive through penalty, which he served on lap five. Holmes also served a drive through penalty on lap three. As the race began, Smith made a clean start to lead the 19-strong field into the Complex for the first time. AKA Cobra’s Jeremy Metcalfe, racing on his local circuit, initially lost out to Tappy but regained third place at Campbell. Tappy fought back and passed Metcalfe through the high-speed Church corner as both drivers showed incredible bravery. As the duo raced up Woodham Hill, Metcalfe made the slightest contact with the rear of Tappy’s car, causing part of his front-wing to dislodge. This would compromise Metcalfe’s whole race as he struggled with downforce and he would eventually finish eighth. The first man to pass him was Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt who took fourth place and stayed there throughout the 16 laps with another solid performance. At the head of the field, second-placed Riki Christodoulou was the quickest man on lap two and was just 0.8s behind Smith. Meanwhile, his cousin, Adam Christodoulou passed his AKA Cobra team-mate Metcalfe for sixth place despite being under pressure himself from Eucatex’s Adriano Buzaid. On lap six, Metcalfe dropped to seventh place as Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes passed him. Although Oakes was unable to gain ground on Adam Christodoulou, sixth place represents his best finish of the season. At the end of the lap, Fortec’s Ryuji Yamamoto (Northampton) made contact with Buzaid. The Japanese was able to rejoin, albeit down in 18th place, but it saw the end of the Brazilian’s race. As the race reached half distance, Metcalfe was heading a chain of drivers including AKA Cobra team-mate Nathan Caratti and Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick. As Caratti looked to pass his team-mate, Borthwick went around the outside of the Australian at Club chicane to take eighth place. Two laps later, after Caratti had regained the place, he suffered a | |
