ParcFerme.Com

With the ever-improving Sims in thoroughly dominant form during both of the day’s sessions, regular Formula Renault UK team-mates Kris Loane and Alex Morgan also produced sparkling performances with the former ending the day third overall and the latter posting the fourth fastest lap of the day on official timings.

 

Manor also ran its fourth car for newly crowned Formula Renault BARC Champion Hywel Lloyd, the Welshman making his debut in a 2007-specification FR 2.0 and having a big impact on the established order immediately with the sixth fastest time.

 

Sims, who is currently eighth overall in the Formula Renault UK standings, posted a lap of 1m 05.030 seconds (108.05mph) to head the four hour morning session before improving by almost four 10ths of a second in the afternoon to set an overall fastest time of 1m 04.691 seconds (108.62mph).

 

The 19-year-old did actually lap even quicker during the second session although those times were set on special ‘Thruxton’ tyres as the team used much of the day to prepare for the final two rounds of the season at Thruxton on 13th/14th October. Therefore, those laps did not count on the official timings.

 

Loane recorded the fifth quickest time this morning with a lap of 1m 05.463 seconds (107.34mph) before knocking three 10ths of a second off his best in the afternoon, the Northern Irishman posting an impressive time of 1m 05.157 seconds (107.84mph).

 

For Morgan, who was very equally matched with his young team-mate, the opening session saw him produce his best lap of the day with a time of 1m 05.326 seconds (107.56mph). In the afternoon, a consistently strong 1m 05.429 seconds (107.40mph) placed the Welshman sixth in that session.

 

BARC Champion Lloyd, who was engineered to his title success and six race victories by Manor Competition co-owner Sarah Shaw, showed great promise on his Formula Renault UK test debut. Incidentally, Lloyd’s championship win was the second in succession for Sarah having engineered Richard Singleton to the BARC crown in 2006.

 

After posting a best time of 1m 05.927 seconds (106.58mph) in the morning, Lloyd improved markedly in session two to climb into the top five after lapping in 1m 05.423 seconds (107.41mph) – good enough for sixth overall on combined times.

 

“We’re very, very happy with today’s performance from all four drivers”, said delighted team owner Tony Shaw at the end of today’s test, “It’s been very hard work as we’ve worked on a lot of things for the final two rounds at Thruxton but it all turned out brilliantly, we couldn’t have hoped for much more.

“Alexander was in superb form, quickest in the morning by a decent margin and then during the afternoon he was quickest again by three 10ths of a second on the regular tyres. Of the guys running Thruxton tyres later in the session he was about four 10ths of a second clear, an absolutely outstanding job.”

 

Shaw added: “Hywel did a fantastic job today. We were delighted to have him in our car and to end the test inside the top six was excellent. Obviously we’ve worked closely with him throughout the year, and last season too, as Sarah has engineered his Formula Renault BARC car so we’re hopeful he’ll be back in Manor colours soon!

 

“Kris and Alex did a great job too, both were very quick, Kris in the top three during the afternoon and Alex in the top four during the morning. We’re chuffed to bits with their continual improvements. All went very well today and we’re really looking forward to Thruxton now, we’re feeling very confident for the last two races of the season.”

 

Rounds 19 and 20 of the 2007 Formula Renault UK Championship will take place less than a fortnight from now on 13th/14th October at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire.