Jakob Ebrey Photography
Official testing in the 2009 Formula Renault UK Championship at the Snetterton race circuit in Norfolk produced a surprising result, with Graduate Cup racer Matias Laine ending the two days on top of the timesheets.
The CRS Racing driver saw off championship leader Oli Webb and pre-season title favourites, James Calado and Dean Stoneman, to post a time of 1m.04.512s. Day one of two began in glorious sunshine and it was Calado for Fortec Motorsport and Dean Smith for Manor Competition who led the way at the end of the first two 50 minute morning session, recording times in the mid 1m.05s.
Lewis Williamson showed consistent pace throughout the two-day test and managed to post the quickest time in the first of the two 45 minute afternoon sessions on Wednesday (24th June), ahead of Will Stevens, Webb and Jordan Oakes.
But in the final session of day one it was Laine, who is currently lying second in the Graduate Cup behind his team-mate Harry Tincknell, who produced,what was to be the quickest time overall.
During the second day of testing at a sunny Snetterton, the FRUK racers shared the circuit with competitors from the sister Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship. Webb topped the times in the single morning session and Laine, who scored a career best sixth place finish at the last race meeting at Croft, continued to impress by posting the quickest time in the afternoon session ahead of Smith and Tincknell.
Laine’s encouraging performance won’t worry the more experienced guys who head up the championship table, but I would imagine Tincknell’s vision will be firmly fixed on his mirrors from now on.
The Formula Renault UK circus will now move on to Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit on 4th and 5th July for Rounds 11 and 12 of the season.
