|
Formula Renault
UK with Michelin Championship leader Adam Christodoulou (Lichfield) made
a stunning return to form with two pole positions, for rounds seven at eight, at
Thruxton on Saturday, 17th May. The CR Scuderia Formula Renault
driver set a time of 1min 10.009s (121.14mph) to take a dominant pole for round
seven, then a 1min 10.367s (120.53mph) in the second session for his fifth pole
of the season.
In the first
session, Fortec Motorsport’s James Calado (Cropthorne) came closest to
Christodoulou but was still 0.406s adrift, a relatively large margin in the
ultra competitive one-make single-seater championship. Calado is the quickest
Graduate Cup driver, the competition for rookie drivers. Adam’s older cousin,
Riki Christodoulou (Sutton Coldfield) took third ahead of Fortec team-mate
Adriano Buzaid (Oxford).
Round six winner
Dean Stoneman (Southampton), racing at his local circuit, lines up on row three
alongside Eurotek Motorsport’s Jordan Oakes (Hopton). Row four consists of CR
Scuderia’s Ryuji Yamamoto (Northampton) and Manor Competition’s Kris Loane
(Kesh). The top 10 is completed by Manor’s Alexander Sims (Peterborough), who
was quickest in testing at Thruxton earlier in the year, and Graduate Cup driver
Oli Webb (Knutsford).
In the second
session, the Christodoulou cousins were split by a mere 0.053s with Adam just
clinging on to pole position. Oakes had his best qualifying session of the
season in third ahead of Calado, with Stoneman, Manor’s Henry Surtees
(Lingfield) and Apotex Scorpio Motorsport’s Josh Scott (Loughborough) completing
a line of four Graduate Cup drivers.
The eighth
placed driver, Ryuji Yamamoto, lies eighth and is 0.400s behind the pole time,
as the field closed up to more familiarly narrow margins. Fortec’s Oli is ninth,
while Loane rounds out the top 10.
Commenting on
his double pole-setting performance, Adam Christodoulou said: “After a slightly
disappointing weekend at Donington we had to get back to the front so I’m very
happy with how it’s gone today. The car felt great even though there was more
wind in the second session that made it difficult to judge the braking point for
the final chicane. I just missed out on a win here last season but I’m confident
in myself and the car that I can change that this time.”
Rounds seven and
eight take place on Sunday, 18th May. Round seven is scheduled to
start at 11.35 with round eight at 16.00, both races of 16 laps.
|
News 
