AFTER HELP FROM ALONSOS TRAINER!
Scottish teenager Gregor Ramsay bounced back from injury to finish seventh on his debut in the ultra-competitive Formula Renault ALPS seriesthanks in part to help from Fernando Alonsos personal trainer!With under four weeks remaining before the opening race at Vallelunga near Rome, 16-year-old Ramsay was testing at the Mugello circuit when he dislocated his wrist and fractured two fingers when they got caught in the steering wheel in a minor impact with the barriers.Thanks to the expertise of Alonsos trainer Fabrizio Borra, Ramsaywhose career has been followed by Ferraribounced back with the Euronova Racing team of former international racing star Vincenzo Sospiri.On the same Vallelunga circuit where he took his maiden win in car racing last September (in the Formula Abarth European Series), Ramsay qualified his Euronova Formula Renault machine on the sixth row.From this starting position, he was eighth by the end of lap two before overtaking Estonian Hans Villemi for seventh. By the finish he was challenging Brazilian Guilherme Silvawho like Villemi is already an experienced FRenault racerbefore settling for seventh position.Unfortunately, Ramsay was given a grid penalty for race two due to being slightly out of position from his grid box at the start of the first race. He lost his front wing in a collision after the start, but returned after a pit-stop to be one of the fastest drivers in the race.I am delighted to finish seventh on my Formula Renault debut, said East Kilbride racer Gregor, especially with the injury to my wrist and fingers. A big thankyou to Fabrizio Borra and Vincenzo Sospiri for their help in my very fast recovery.In the last quarter of the race I settled for seventh and took no risk with Silva, although Im sure I was quicker! I was disappointed with my grid penalty for race two, but Im happy to get strong points first time out.It was an intensely competitive field at Vallelunga, with 36 driversincluding McLaren protg Nyck de Vriesin the field. Ramsay ran strongly despite his injury meaning he had to sit out official test sessions both at this track and at the Barcelona circuit. He ended the weekend in one of the top-10 championship positions, and was one of several of last years Formula Abarth front-runners to be ultra-competitive in the Formula Renault field, along with Brazilian Bruno Bonifacio and Italian Luca Ghiotto.Like the Formula Abarth, the Formula Renault uses a carbon-composite monocoque chassis built by the Italian Tatuus company, but is regarded as a step up as it uses a two-litre 210bhp engine and seven-speed sequential gearbox.The next round is at the former San Marino Grand Prix circuit of Imola on May 11th/12th, although in the meantime there will be testing, with Gregor out at Misano this week and at Austrias Red Bull Ring next week.
