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Questionable Exclusion Ruins Metcalfes Championship |
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Tuesday, 01 August 2006 |
Formula Renault UK front-runner Jeremy Metcalfe is today considering his future involvement in the 2006 championship after a tumultuous 12th round which saw the 18-year-old excluded from the race results for allegedly ‘driving in a manner incompatible with general safety’ despite clear video evidence to the contrary.
Along with the exclusion, which is currently subject to an appeal to
the Motor Sports Association (MSA) the Fleet-based teenager also saw
his licence endorsed with four penalty points following a racing
incident involving Fortec Motorsport’s Sam Bird on the opening lap of
the category’s second race at Donington Park on Sunday.
Having qualified sixth on the grid, Jeremy made a great start and at
Redgate Corner he rounded the outside of a number of cars including
fourth-placed Bird. As the pair ran wheel-to-wheel towards Hollywood
the Fortec driver unexpectedly moved left before taking the right hand
turn, his left rear wheel coming into contact with Jeremy’s right front
wheel and Bird spun off the track into the tyre wall.
With no apparent damage to his car, Jeremy recovered into 11th position
but the Safety Car was deployed on lap two to clear away Bird’s
seriously damaged FR 2.0. After the re-start on lap six Jeremy mounted
a terrific recovery and made up a number of places.
The aftermath of the race saw the Clerk of the Course act to exclude
Jeremy from the results due to the incident involving Bird. Attempts to
reverse the decision at the circuit were unsuccessful, leaving both
driver and team with no option but to refer the matter to an MSA
tribunal.
“We are absolutely disgusted with the treatment we have received this
weekend”, said an extremely disgruntled Robert Metcalfe (Jeremy’s
father) following the judicial decision, “Actually, it’s the latest in
a long line of questionable decisions from those who manage the series
with a penalty completely inappropriate for what the raceday
commentator described as a ‘racing incident’.
“I sat watching the replays of the incident in question over and over
again and you can clearly see Sam Bird move over on Jeremy even though
he had nowhere to go. Nobody likes to see a driver crash, and we are
all glad to hear Sam has escaped serious injury, but in no way was
Jeremy to blame for what happened.”
Robert added: “This weekend has made us seriously consider our position
in Formula Renault UK and with decisions like this we now have to think
long and hard as to whether it is worth continuing in the championship.
“It’s a possibility we could go and race in another category, either
here or abroad, so it remains to be seen if we’ll still be in Formula
Renault UK at Snetterton in a fortnight’s time. To say we’re very
disappointed is an understatement.”
Regardless of the outcome to the appeal Jeremy will remain fifth
overall in the championship standings. If his exclusion stands though,
he will not be permitted to count it as one of his two ‘drop scores’ at
the end of the season which would have serious implications for his
eventual points total.
Robert continued: “The whole Renault experience is turning out to be a
poor one for us and, if my understanding of the current feeling in the
paddock is correct, we are not the only ones who feel this way”.
Formula Renault UK Championship Provisional Driver Standings (after rounds 11&12)
| Pos. |
Driver |
Points |
| 1st |
Patrick Hogan |
286 |
| 2nd |
Sebastian Hohenthal |
284 |
| 3rd |
Cheng Cong Fu |
229 |
| 5th |
Jeremy Metcalfe |
196 |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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