Donington 25/26th September 2004

Official Race Report

Report:Renault Sport

Race 1

Canadian ace Sean McIntosh sealed the 2004 Formula Renault UK with Michelin ‘Graduate Cup’ at Donington Park this morning, after netting his third outright podium finish of the season during the penultimate race of the year. The Team Firstair driver, who is in his maiden season of circuit racing in Britain, has been a revelation throughout the year and has now earned a further £10,000 towards his budget for the 2005 Formula Renault UK Championship - which he now says he aims to win! “It was a simple race really, I started in fourth position and then picked up a couple of places and then it was just a case of finishing the race - but I’m delighted to have won the Graduate Cup”, commented McIntosh. “From the start of the year we’ve been trying for outright race wins but the goal at the beginning of the season was to win the Graduate Cup and now along with winning it I’ve managed three podiums and a race victory so it’s been a great year for me and the team. “I think I’m going to use all the experience I’ve gained this year to good effect in 2005 as I want to come back and win the main Formula Renault UK title. I’m confident we’ll be able to challenge strongly next year.” While Comtec Racing’s Westley Barber (Wimbish, Saffron Walden) controlled the race from the outset to take his sixth victory of the season, round 19 was also notable for the stunning performance of Paston Racing’s Craig Dolby (Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire) who, at 16-years of age, is the youngest ever driver to finish on a Formula Renault UK podium. At the start of the race, Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Alex Storckenfeldt initially made a good getaway from second in the grid but it was pole-sitter Barber who managed to hold the lead as the cars passed through Redgate Corner for the first time, with Dolby in second position ahead of Team JLR’s Stephen Simpson (Enfield, Middlesex) and Storckenfeldt. However, following a brace of incidents on the opening lap, the Clio Renaultsport V6 255 Safety Car was deployed in time for the start of lap two. The race got back underway on lap five and with Barber continuing to lead at the front, Dolby lost his second place to McIntosh who made a good pass at Redgate on lap six. Further back, Comtec Racing’s Susie Stoddart (Northampton) was busy applying serious pressure to Fortec’s Charles Hollings (Norwood, West Yorkshire) in a spirited battle for seventh position and on lap nine Susie had the pace coming out of Coppice Corner to mount a true challenge to pass Hollings. The Yorkshireman, however, forced Stoddart onto the grass at high speed along Starkey’s Straight, as the pair were side-by-side, and only superb car control from the Comtec starlet allowed her to recover back onto the circuit. Hollings’ over-defensive tactics were later deemed by the Clerk of the Course to have been completely unacceptable and he was excluded from his sixth position finish, thus promoting Stoddart up one place from her seventh position at the chequered flag. Barber, meanwhile, was in a class of his own at the front of the pack and on lap 19 he took the win by more than six and a half seconds. McIntosh finished in second place to seal the ‘Graduate Cup’ while Dolby was delighted to take by far his, and Paston Racing’s, best finish of the season. Storckenfeldt crossed the line in fourth place ahead of Manor Motorsport’s Paul Di Resta (Bathgate, West Lothian) in fifth, the Scottish teenager having driven very well indeed from 10th on the grid, and Stoddart was given sixth place following Hollings’ exclusion. Fortec’s Stuart Hall (Halstead, Essex) was seventh, Team aka’s James Jakes (Cullingworth, West Yorkshire) finished eighth, the returning Stefan Soderberg was ninth for Team JLR and Motaworld Racing’s Oliver Jarvis (Burwell, Cambridgeshire) rounded out the top 10. Race winner Westley Barber, who needs a single point from this afternoon’s final round to become Vice-Champion, said: “I just had to keep pushing to build as big a lead as possible and it was tricky as the track was quite slippery. It was a big shock for the first couple of laps as I tried to find grip but it got better as the race went on. “This afternoon’s race is going to be very important and we’re going to have our work cut out as I’m 20th on the grid. Qualifying for the second race didn’t go very well at all and unfortunately our wet set-up didn’t work for us. Nonetheless, I’ll be looking to make as many places as I can and hopefully finish as high as possible.” Third-placed Craig Dolby said: “All year we’ve been getting more and more confident and now we’ve come to Donington Park, my home track, and it’s clicked for us. I was hoping for a top 10 finish with all my local support here this weekend but we weren’t sure how things would go, as the test last Thursday was the first time I’d ever driven on the track. “Qualifying was fantastic and to be third on the grid I knew I had a great chance of being on the podium - to actually finish in third position is amazing. I want to thank all my family and sponsors and I’m also delighted for Paston Racing as it’s their last weekend in Formula Renault UK.” nway once again starts from NGK Laser Platinum Pole Position with Stuart Hall alongside him on the front row. Manor’s Patrick Hogan (Whitfield, Northants) will start from third position with team-mate Paul Di Resta fourth on the grid.

Race 2

Paul Di Resta (Bathgate, West Lothian) was delighted to claim his fourth victory of the Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin season at Donington Park this afternoon, signing off an impressive debut year in style with a dominant victory during the final race of the year. The Manor Motorsport ace, who has been in tremendous form during the second half of the season, led from lights to flag during round 20 to claim an excellent victory and net a major psychological boost as he looks forward to a possible graduation to Formula 3 in 2005. After seeing his hopes of taking the Vice-Champion’s position disintegrate during round 19 following Westley Barber’s (Wimbish, Saffron Walden) victory, Di Resta wasn’t demoralized and focused on nothing less than the win in the last race of the year, which he achieved from NGK Laser Platinum Pole Position. Di Resta commented: “To get the victory this afternoon is awesome. We did struggle with the car in round 19 but we all put our heads down and got things sorted for this race. Over a race distance I’d say this is the best the car has felt all year. All you ever want to do is win races, no matter what the gap, and we managed to do this today by a big margin. “It was a bit unfortunate the Safety Car came out as I had to build my lead all over again but it was quite easy after a few laps as I managed to pull away. I’m delighted to win and I’m looking forward to some Formula 3 tests next month before we decide what to do in 2005.” At the start, the Scotsman got away well and into a comfortable lead while behind him, Mark Burdett Motorsport’s Alex Storckenfeldt began to come under pressure from Fortec Motorsport’s Stuart Hall (Halstead, Essex) for second position. On lap four, however, the Clio Renaultsport V6 255 Safety Car appeared on circuit as marshals attempted to recover the stricken car of Team JVA’s Pippa Mann (Saxmundham, Suffolk). The re-start came on lap 10 with Di Resta leading and new Vice-Champion Barber up to 12th position having started a lowly 19th on the grid after a dreadful qualifying session. On Lap 13, Hall managed to take second position away from Storckenfeldt with an excellent move at Redgate before things got worse for the Swede three corners later when Team Firstair’s ‘Graduate Cup’ winner Sean McIntosh, who qualified seventh, moved up into third position with a good pass at the Old Hairpin. With the race extended by three laps due to the Safety Car period, Di Resta took the chequered flag on lap 19 by five seconds with Hall in second position and McIntosh, securing a Donington Park double-podium, in third place. Motaworld Racing’s Brazilian star Gustavo Sondermann (Rochester, Kent) was fourth with Storckenfeldt pushed back to fifth place, the Swede having looked set for a podium earlier in the race, and Fortec’s Charles Hollings (Norwood, West Yorkshire) in sixth position. Team JLR’s Stefan Soderberg enjoyed another good run in seventh place, Team aka’s Peruvian driver Juan Manuel Polar finished in eighth position and a hard-charging Westley Barber managed to finish the race a highly creditable ninth, two 10ths of a second ahead of Motaworld’s Oliver Jarvis (Burwell, Cambridegshire). Special mention must also go to Team aka’s James Jakes (Cullingworth, West Yorkshire) who finished a superb 12th during the final round, having qualified only 21st. The 17-year old has shown some superb performances this year and has enjoyed a solid Formula Renault UK debut season. Second place finisher Stuart Hall commented: “Coming into this race I knew we’d be quick as the earlier was blighted because we had a few problems with the set-up of the car - I knew we’d made the right changes for this one though. I managed to pass Alex with quite a good move into the first corner and then I was able to pull away. “I hoped to chase Paul down but he was just too far up the road. It’s great to end the season with another podium and I’m really fired up now for the Winter Championship which we’ll hopefully contest ahead of a major crack at the full championship next year.” Speaking on his second podium of the weekend, Sean McIntosh said: “It’s great to end the season with two podiums and I’m delighted to have won the ‘Graduate Cup’ which was always the aim throughout the year. “This was quite a good race and I never really expected a podium after qualifying in seventh position so it was a nice surprise to have got such a good start and to have made in-roads on the guys at the front. We’re looking ahead to next year now as we hope to put up a big fight for full Formula Renault UK honours in 2005.”

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