Menasheh Idafar returned to the cockpit of his Hillspeed run Formula Renault UK car at Snetterton in Norfolk this week for his latest test outing, just four days after the finale of the 2008 Winter Championship.Driving at the 1.95-mile track alongside a full complement of championship regulars, and potential 2009 rivals, on Wednesday, 12th November, the British-born Bahraini was in excellent form and produced a best lap of 1m 05.2 seconds using unofficial times.Ending the day right at the head of the pecking order, Menasheh was very pleased with his performance on used tyres – especially considering his fastest time was identical to that posted by Dean Stoneman when he was quickest during official Formula Renault UK testing at Snetterton back in early July.“We couldn’t have expected a better performance from Menasheh”, said Hillspeed driver coach and former British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star Matt Shawyer, “He was very quick on Wednesday and produced a really good performance. He’s making a lot of people sit up and take notice which is great, everyone can see what he’s capable of.”Racing in Formula Renault BARC this year, the 17-year-old ended his second season of racing in the UK fourth overall in the headline FR2000 Class with five podium results. Graduating to Formula Renault UK in time for the recently concluded 2008 Winter Championship, he went on to finish a highly creditable 12th overall with a best race result of fifth place.With less than six weeks remaining until Christmas, Menasheh’s 2008 programme is starting to reach a conclusion but further test outings are expected in due course.