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Tappy regains lead in front of record crowd |
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Monday, 10 September 2007 |
Duncan Tappy (West Ewell) 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 (Sutton Coldfield) and Dean Smith (Wolverhampton) 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 (Peterborough) 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 (Lichfield) and Nathan Caratti (London) 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 (Conwy) moved from eighth on the grid to lie fifth.
A Safety Car period to remove the cars of Borthwick Motorsport’s Ryan Borthwick (Hawick) and Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Daniel Ivarsson (Skegness), 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 (Kesh) looked to have the best chance of gaining a place immediately as he closed on Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s David Epton (Fleet) but he instead ended up conceding a place to Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes (Hopton).
Hampered by his damaged front wing, Smith was coming under pressure from Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt (Banbury) 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 (Bridgend).
The closest battle on the track saw Oakes pressuring AKA’s Chris Holmes (Akeley) 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 (Northampton) 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.
Provisional Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 18 (including dropped scores)
1 Duncan Tappy GBR Fortec Motorsport 451 pts
2 Dean Smith GBR Fortec Motorsport 444 pts
3 Will Bratt GBR Apotex Scorpio Motorsport 380 pts
4 Adam Christodoulou GBR AKA Cobra 344 pts
5 Jeremy Metcalfe GBR AKA Cobra 297 pts
6 Riki Christodoulou GBR Fortec Motorsport 292 pts
7 Richard Singleton GBR Hillspeed Racing 290 pts
8 Alexander Sims GBR Manor Competition 226 pts
9 Chris Holmes GBR AKA Cobra 176 pts
10 Alex Morgan GBR Manor Competition 175 pts
Provisional Graduate Cup Standings after Round 18 (including dropped scores)
1 Adam Christodoulou GBR AKA Cobra 328 pts
2 Richard Singleton GBR Hillspeed Racing 292 pts
3 Riki Christodoulou GBR Fortec Motorsport 276 pts
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