Racing does not get much better than the Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin this weekend, when drivers provided an overtaking bonanza for crowds of more than 50,000 at Donington Park.
The two race winners, Yelmer Buurman (Ubbergen, Holland) and Oliver Jarvis (Burwell, Cambs), both benefited from battles down the field, allowing them to build up a comfortable margin.
“People were starting to doubt me,” said an elated Jarvis, who has not been on the podium since Croft. “I’ve had a few bad rounds but I think it proves character to deliver when the pressure is on. People thought I’d lost my way but I can come back from a couple of difficult rounds and now I aim to finish the season with a bang.”
In round 15 the most notable tussle was between title-hopefuls Sean McIntosh (Vancouver, Canada) and James Jakes (Cullingworth, Yorks) who qualified 10th and 11th on the grid respectively. McIntosh started well, leaping up to sixth at the expense of Bradley Ellis (Croydon, Surrey), Stephen Simpson (Aldeburgh, Suffolk) and Tom Kimber-Smith (Shiplake, Oxfordshire) off the start line and then team-mate Richard Keen (Amersham, Bucks) at the Old Hairpin. Jakes followed McIntosh’s progress and then made his move on the 20-year-old into McLeans.
“He didn’t like it,” said Jakes who won Driver of the Day for defending against the subsequent McIntosh onslaught. “If you know how to defend it’s fairly easy. It depends on where he attacks you from but I was so much quicker than him round the back where it was wet but when it came to the dry stuff he just ate me alive.”
McIntosh’s frustration grew in round 16 when the Team Firstair driver, who was just nine points behind championship leader Jarvis before Donington, beached his car in the gravel at Coppice. “I don’t really know what happened,” he said. “The marshal says the left tyre touched the kerb and it just whipped me around. I’ve made things harder for myself but we’ve still got four races left and I won’t give up.”
After round 16 McIntosh lost his second-place championship position to Jakes who drove another stunning race, at one point passing two cars between Fogarty’s and Goddard’s to earn himself his second Driver of the Day award of the weekend. “Donington’s not too bad for over-taking,” said the 18-year-old Team AKA driver, who started the race in fourth, but was knocked back to seventh after a bad start. “People have said you can’t overtake in single-seaters anymore but if you want the position you can get it. Now I’m one step away from winning the championship and I think we’ve shown everyone that we have the pace.”
Renault rookie, Joe D’Agostino, astonished the paddock by setting the fastest lap in round 16. “It’s definitely a consolation prize,” said the 20-year-old, who finished dead last after a spin at the Old Hairpin in only his second ever Formula Renault race. “I really had confidence in myself and to be right there against guys with experience is a nice feeling and I’m glad I was able to show I’ve go the pace.”
Provisional race results:
Round 15: 1. Y. Buurman; 2. S. Hohenthal; 3. O. Jarvis; 4. J. Jakes; 5. S. McIntosh; 6. R. Keen
Round 16: 1. O. Jarvis; 2. J. Jakes; 3. S. Hall; 4. Y. Buurman; 5. S. Simpson; 6. R. Keen
Provisional championship standings:
1. O. Jarvis – 386; 2. J. Jakes – 360; 3. S. McIntosh – 340; 4. S. Hohenthal – 328; 5. Y. Buurman – 283; 6. S. Hall – 281
For full reports on each race plus qualifying and testing visit the Renault Sport UK website at www.renaultsport.co.uk built by Racecar
