Podium finish for King on weekend of frustrated potential

Jordan King had to draw upon all of his skill, determination and racecraft in the second round of the 2012 Formula Renault Northern European Cup (NEC) at the Nürburgring, as he grittily overcame electrical issues to battle his way brilliantly to a podium finish that has kept him firmly in the title hunt.

After defying persistent tyre-warming woes to snatch the runner-up spoils in the Hockenheim curtain-raiser, Jordan travelled to the Nürburgring – picturesquely nestled deep in Germany’s Eifel Mountains – eyeing further rostrums, and buoyed by having displayed strong pace there in the FIA Formula Two Championship just under a year earlier, yielding an eye-catching fifth place.

“It’s a circuit I really enjoy,” affirmed the talented young Warwickshire single-seater ace. “I love the heavy-braking zones, and there’s always a great atmosphere. The goal was to come away with a couple of podium finishes and move up the championship table, and having been quick there in Formula Two, I fully expected to be on the pace right from the start.”

That much was corroborated by storming to the fastest time of any of the 36 contenders – representing no fewer than 19 different nationalities from all around the globe – during Friday’s practice sessions, but it was not, Jordan revealed, entirely plain sailing...

“That was a great start to the weekend and gave me an early boost,” acknowledged the highly-rated Stoneleigh-based speed demon. “The car felt good and my confidence was up, but then I broke down with an electrical fault. We were unable to trace it in time for qualifying, and that really hampered my performance as the engine kept cutting out. It was hugely frustrating, since we could easily have claimed two front row starts.”

As it was, Jordan wound up fourth on the grid for race one – albeit still comfortably top Brit – and a lowly 12th for race two in his Manor MP Motorsport machine, unaccustomed territory indeed for a gifted competitor who is both a British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star and MSA Academy member. Impressively, he refused to let it hold him back.

“I knew we had the speed to make progress, so I was hoping for a solid podium finish in race one,” he went on. “I got a great start to move immediately up to third, and then a few laps in, I overtook the driver ahead in second.

“Unfortunately, our electrical problems later reared their head again and slowed me down considerably. I worked out that if I stayed away from the kerbs and didn’t brake too hard, I could control the situation, and by doing that, I managed to hold onto my position – but without the electrical issue, I’m convinced I could have fought for the win.”

The next day – on a drier, sunnier and all-round grippier track – Jordan set about salvaging a respectable result from his lower-than-expected grid slot. He did so in considerable style.

“I just wanted to climb as far through the field as I could,” recalled the 18-year-old Princethorpe College student. “I knew we had the speed for another podium, but given where we were starting, it was always going to be more a case of damage limitation.

“I gained one position at the start, and took a few more into a very busy and tight first corner. I was eighth when the race was temporarily stopped to clear up an accident, and then after the re-start, I made up another place when someone ahead went off. Later on, there were yellow flags for a while, after which I passed a couple more cars to finish fifth. It was just a shame the yellows were out for so long, as I reckon we could have got third with the pace we had.”

Barely a second adrift at the chequered flag and lapping as fast as the race-winner, Jordan’s inspired charge was sufficient to vault him from fourth to third in the drivers’ standings, a single marker shy of second. As he prepares to return to Germany for the next NEC outing at Oschersleben, the Hugo Boss brand ambassador confessed that the target has to be to maintain his consistent run – and hopefully, in a fortnight’s time, to enjoy a trouble-free weekend at last.

“I was pleased with our speed at the Nürburgring,” he concluded, “and we left with some good points, but I was annoyed that the car’s problems prevented us from displaying our true potential. At Oschersleben, I hope we can have a faultless weekend – with the focus on more points and podiums, as at the end of the day, that is what will win the championship.”