Protyre Formula Renault Champion and McLaren Autosport BRDC Award finalist Chris Middlehurst (St. Helens) thoroughly enjoyed his first taste of Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 machinery during his prize test outing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain on Monday, 21st October.
Invited to take part in the day’s running at the famous Barcelona track as a reward for claiming this year’s Protyre Formula Renault title, the 18-year-old joined top team Manor MP Motorsport for his maiden experience of the 2013-specification car from the blue riband European category.
Improving his lap times by roughly one second between the morning and afternoon sessions, the British racer gained confidence throughout the test which was attended by more than 30 drivers from across the globe.
“It’s been a great experience, quite eye-opening really”, said Middlehurst, “There’s quite a big step from the BARC [Protyre Formula Renault] car to the new Eurocup car, you can’t underestimate the difference – there’s a lot more grip, more power.
“I just built my pace throughout the day and, considering a lot of guys had done five to 10 days testing already in the Eurocup car, I don’t think I could have expected to do more. It’s a new car to me, a new track and a new environment so overall I’m really pleased.”
While the track itself was obviously new to the 2013 Protyre Formula Renault Champion, he also had to adapt to some notable differences between the Tatuus he raced in the UK this year and the latest generation of FR 2.0 – not least the brakes, extra grip and increased power.
“The tyres come in really quick, once you’ve done an out lap you need to be on it straight away as the next lap is when you need to do your time”, he added, “The brakes are absolutely tremendous, they give you a lot of confidence and I spent time working on the braking all day. I got on really well with the team, they’re very well organised and it was great working with the guys there.
“It’s a completely different ball game, extremely competitive and a whole different level and having this test has really inspired me to work as hard as possible to try and get on the [Formula Renault 2.0] NEC grid next year. It was a great day, big thanks to Renault for the opportunity.”
Along with headline sponsor Protyre, Formula Renault is additionally supported by Michelin, The Lubricant Consultancy, Petronas Syntium and NGK Spark Plugs.
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