Team Firstair’s Sean McIntosh gained a psychological boost over his rivals ahead of the opening two rounds of the 2005 Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin, by setting the fastest time during pre-race testing at Donington Park yesterday morning.

The 19-year-old Canadian posted several impressive laps towards the end of the two hour 55 minute session, the track having progressively dried throughout the morning following overnight rain, and his final tour of the 1.95 mile National Circuit resulted in a best lap of 1m 06.140 seconds (106.53mph).

A new tyre from Michelin has helped provide much quicker lap times for the Formula Renault UK cars throughout pre-season testing this year and McIntosh’s best time today underlined the fact - the Canadian obliterating Robert Bell’s three-year-old National Circuit lap record by well over a second.

McIntosh’s time was over two 10ths quicker than Fortec Motorsport’s Swedish driver Sebastian Hohenthal, while Team AKA’s James Jakes (Leeds) looked comfortable in third place overall with a time of 1m 06.482 seconds.

Irishman Patrick Hogan (Killiney, Co. Dublin) was fourth fastest for Manor Motorsport, Team JLR’s Tom Kimber-Smith (Wokingham, Berkshire) was fifth overall and team-mate Stephen Simpson (Enfield, Middlesex) set the sixth quickest time.

Stuart Hall (Halstead, Essex), tipped by many as favourite to lift the 2005 Formula Renault UK title, ended the session in seventh place for Fortec with Oliver Jarvis (Burwell, Cambridgeshire) eighth for Manor, Swede Alex Storckenfeldt ninth for Team AKA and Team JLR’s Jody Firth (Wakefield, West Yorkshire) a surprise 10th overall.

Scorpio Motorsport’s Will Bratt (Adderbury, Oxon) was the fastest of the B4 Group Graduate Cup runners with a best time of 1m 07.137 seconds, his quickest lap placing him less than a second behind reigning Graduate Cup Champion and testing pace-setter McIntosh.

The opening qualifying session of the season, to determine the grid for round one, is scheduled to commence at 10.35 on Saturday, 9th April, with round two qualifying set to begin at 15.10. Both races then take place on Sunday, 10th April, with round one starting at 09.50 and round two expected to get underway at 15.35.

Full testing times attached or available at msttiming.com

For all the latest Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin news visit the official Renault Sport UK website www.renaultsport.co.uk built by Racecar