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Rising
British star Adrian Quaife-Hobbs made an impressive debut in the Northern
European Cup (NEC) Formula Renault 2.0 this weekend, storming to fourth and
fifth places in the two races at the Oschersleben track. The 16 year-old, driving for
championship leading Motopark Academy has competed in just two previous
Formula Renault races before stepping into the fray this
weekend.
The
amalgamation last year of the German and Dutch national Formula Renault
championships created the NEC which has attracted some 35 drivers from across
Europe for an eight-round championship. This weekend’s double header was round
six and provided Adrian with useful mileage as he looks ahead to
2008.
Come
rain or shine, the MSA British Race Elite/BRDC Rising Star showed great maturity
which belied his relative inexperience at this level to run with the front
runners in both races. Qualifying
sixth quickest for race one the Tonbridge teenager struggled in his first start
in Formula Renault in the rain and dropped three places into the first
corner.
He
quickly recovered though and was soon in amongst the battle for second place
being contested by championship leader Frank Kechele, Pierre Selander and Tobias
Hegewald, double winner of the last two rounds. Despite the atrocious conditions
and his lack of knowledge of the German track, Adrian drove superbly, pushing Kechele and
Selander all the way to the flag to cross the line fourth and top Briton ahead
of Hegewald and former World Karting Champion Oliver
Oakes.
Race
two was held in dry conditions and had Adrian take up the seventh position on the
grid. A superb start saw him gain
two places into the first corner and another stirring drive saw him hold off the
vastly more experienced Dane Steffen Möller but was just unable to catch fourth
placed Oakes by the flag as he went on to record a superb fifth place.
“I’m
very happy with the whole weekend,” said Adrian. “It was my first time racing at the
circuit and the others had all raced there already this year, so I think it was
a good result. I had to learn it quickly and I was very pleased to have
qualified sixth and seventh quickest in the wet.”
Adrian’s next
race will be the seventh round which takes place at the Spa Francorchamps
circuit high in the Ardennes region of Belgium on October
20th/21st.
Race 1
– 12 laps:
1.
Paul Meijer (Ned, AR Motorsport)
21m28.465s
2.
Frank Kechele (Ger, Motopark Academy) +16.150s
3.
Pierre Selander (Swe, Synsam Racing) +37.632s
4. Adrian
Quaife-Hobbs (GB, Motopark Academy)
+38.831s
5.
Tobias Hegewald (Ger, Motorsport Arena) +39.594s
6.
Oliver Oakes (GB, Motopark Academy) +50.141s
Race 2
– 17 laps:
1.
Frank Kechele (Ger, Motopark Academy) 25m16.034s
2.
Paul Meijer (Ned, AR Motorsport) +7.494s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Fin, Koirainen
Bros.) +8.192s
4.
Oliver Oakes (GB, Motopark Academy) +13.850s
5. Adrian
Quaife-Hobbs (GB, Motopark Academy)
+21.148s
6.
Steffen Möller (Den, Team Formula Sport) +22.815s
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