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BRDC Rising Star Adrian Quaife-Hobbs kicked off his 2008 racing campaign with a
stunning second place in the second round of the Formula Renault 2.0 Italia at
Vallelunga on Sunday. The 17 year-old
from Tonbridge, Kent, topped Friday’s free practice times on only his second
ever visit to the circuit but then battled with a slipping clutch and a problem
with his rear brakes in qualifying to line-up fifth and fourth respectively for
the two races.
The former double T-Cars
champion, who competed in just a handful of Formula Renault races last season,
was unfortunate to suffer with an oil pump problem on the formation lap of race
one. This forced the youngster into the
pits for repair, and caused officials to insist he start the 19-lap race from
the pit lane.
Despite this handicap,
Adrian drove a storming race,
clawing his way through the 29-car field, overtaking 13 cars and setting the
fourth quickest lap en route to a stirring 16th place at the
flag. “That was tough race,” said
Adrian at the finish. “During the formation lap, the oil pressure
light came on indicating a problem with the oil pump. I got to the grid and was hopeful the BVM
Minardi team could resolve the issue there but unfortunately they
couldn’t.”
“That meant the marshals had to
push me off the track and into the pit lane and although the team did an amazing
job, it was just too late and I was forced to start from dead last. I’m very happy with the performance though, I
was able to work my way through the field well overtaking a lot of cars and in
all that traffic was still able to set some quick laps.”
The second race had Adrian start
from the second row and this time there were no problems to hamper his progress
off the line, the youngster holding his place despite a bit of wheelspin. The safety car was deployed when his two
team-mates Cesar Ramos and Daniel Zampieri collided, pitching Ramos into a roll
and instant retirement.
For Zampieri his race too was cut
short, after being adjudged to have jumped the start and awarded a drive-through
penalty, leaving Adrian to uphold
team honours with a superb second place.
“I think this result in the second race shows very much that this weekend
has been about what might have been. I’m
very happy to pick up a second place this early on in the season and it bodes
well for future races.
“All weekend we’ve been there or
thereabouts and the BVM Minardi team has been fantastic. They’ve given me a
great car all weekend and did a super job in making the necessary repairs in
between qualifying and race one. I’m now
really looking forward to the opening round of the Euro championship and I just
hope we can carry that momentum through to that race.”
The teenager will next take to
the track in the opening round of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Championship,
which takes place at Spa Francorchamps in
Belgium over the
weekend of 3/4 May. The second round of
the Italian championship, which can boast F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Robert
Kubica among its past drivers, will take place at the Hungaroring the following
week on May 10/11.
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