Will Bratt embarked on his first full season of single-seater racing at the start of 2005 knowing he had selected one of the world’s most competitive junior classes, Formula Renault UK, but by the end of the recent Winter Championship he had underlined his arrival as a true front-runner.
The 17-year-old driver from Adderbury, near Banbury, made his official Formula Renault UK debut last winter, having already secured a superb title victory in the BRSCC T-Car Championship with 14 wins from 18 race starts, together with six new lap records.
But come the start of the 2005, Will’s first full year of Formula Renault UK action, both he and his Scorpio Motorsport team were realistic in their aim to progress steadily towards the sharp end of the grid by the end of the year – and this they achieved.
The four-round Winter Championship set the scene for Will’s best ever qualifying performance and race result, fifth on the grid leading to fifth position at the chequered flag following a terrific performance and a highly competitive run.
After such a glowing conclusion to his maiden year of Formula Renault UK racing, Will now has to focus on his continuing A-level studies at Bloxham School, near Banbury, before returning to the cockpit early next year in preparation for the 2006 season.
“I want to be back out in the car as soon as possible”, said Will, “But I know school is just as important as my racing and I have to focus on my studies. It’s frustrating when you’re not on track, nothing can match the adrenalin and excitement of racing wheel-to-wheel.”
His 2005 season started at Donington Park in Leicestershire, Will achieving a creditable 17th position on the grid for the first two races of the year and taking a best result of 14th place from the second of the weekend’s outings.
Thruxton, the UK’s fastest circuit, was next on the calendar where Will matched his best finish of 14th place and then the series moved on to Brands Hatch in Kent before one of his most successful weekends of the year at Oulton Park in Cheshire.
After qualifying in 16th position for round seven he went on to record a competitive 12th place finish at the chequered flag. Then, from 15th on the grid, he battled to a richly-deserved season-best 11th place in round eight.
“The tyres really started to come in for me during the last third of the second race at Oulton Park and we were then one of the fastest cars on the track”, explained Will, “So if we’d had another couple of laps I really do think we could have finished even higher – Oulton was a high point of the season for sure.”
Croft in North Yorkshire rounded off the first half of the season in July and, after a three-week break, the series resumed at Snetterton in Norfolk. The longest trip of the year then faced the majority of competitors with a visit to Knockhill in Scotland for rounds 13 and 14 – the championship’s annual visit north of the border.
Conditions were atrocious, rain absolutely lashing down and wind battering the Fife circuit for almost the entire weekend. In the first race, Will achieved a top 13 finish but a similarly pleasing result in round 14 was taken from his grasp after Matt Shawyer forced the Scorpio ace into retirement as Will was attempting to overtake the RSR driver.Donington Park’s Grand Prix Circuit was next, offering Will the chance to race in front of an incredible 50,000 spectators with Formula Renault UK supporting the British round of the World Series by Renault Championship.
During testing, he had shown tremendous pace to run well inside the top six but qualifying was a near disaster when his suspension collapsed while travelling at 140mph. However, he fought hard to achieve a top 12 finish in the first race of the weekend having started in 18th position on the grid.
Just a week later, rounds 17 and 18 took place at Silverstone National with Will equalling his best result of the season after taking 11th place from 17th position on the grid in the first of the weekend’s races. “Considering where we started on the grid, 11th position in the first Silverstone race was a great result”, commented Will.
The final two races of the season saw the championship return to Brands Hatch, but this time on the challenging Grand Prix configuration. A heart-breaking retirement forced Will out of the running in round 19 but the final race of the season saw him cruelly robbed of a potential top eight finish after being forced into a spin by Patrick Hogan.
Nonetheless, Will ended the season 15th overall in the driver standings and also secured the Vice-Champion’s position in the ‘Graduate Cup’ class for inexperienced drivers.
After choosing to continue with Scorpio for the 2005 Winter Championship, Will shone instantly and achieved his best ever qualifying position of eighth on the grid for round two; for round one he would start in 11th place.
A terrific drive in the opening race saw Will claim a richly deserved top six finish, some excellent passing dispelling the theory overtaking at the short Indy Circuit is almost impossible. Sadly, Will had to retire from round two after suffering damage to his car during an altercation at Graham Hill Bend.
Croft was the venue for the winter series finale and after struggling for grip in round three qualifying, Will more than made amends in the race after battling up the order from 16th on the grid to seventh place. His remarkable performance, which featured yet more inspired overtaking, also saw Will given the Motorsport News ‘Star Drive’ accolade.
Round four then saw Will record a career-best result of fifth position after a similarly good performance in qualifying, enabling him to move into joint-eighth position in the driver standings, a superb fillip ahead of the 2006 Formula Renault UK season.
“That was a great race”, said Will, “I was a bit disappointed not to have been higher as I really wanted at least fourth place but we’ve got to be pleased with a top five result. My start was incredible, if I can do that every time we race from now on I’ll be happy.
“Breaking into the top eight in the championship was great and we can build on this during winter testing, hopefully heading into next season with a lot of confidence and the opportunity of making a real impression on the established front-runners.”
