News Article
King secures second row start for both races at Brands Hatch
Jordan King will start both Formula Renault 2.0 UK races at Brands Hatch from the second row of the grid after another impressive effort during qualifying on Saturday.
The 17-year-old, fresh from a fantastic triple podium at Monza in the Formula Renault 2.0 North European Cup at Monza last weekend, continued his good form by setting the fourth quickest time in testing yesterday. But with his Manor Competition squad seemingly struggling to match the same pace as Fortec Motorsport, Jordan embarked on a huge challenge during qualifying. The opening session took up its normal routine of drivers choosing to save rubber in the early stages, but when the cars came out in anger there was a frenzy of activity.
Jordan left it until his penultimate lap to clock a 1:22.971s, which Cypriot driver Eftihios Ellinas pipped by just 0.046s. King then set then the fastest first sector of the entire field on his last lap and a front row position seemed possible. He was unfortunately unable to match his speed in the second sector and with the Fortec duo of Oliver Rowland and Alex Lynn more than half a second quicker than the rest of the field, Jordan’s effort eventually placed him fourth on the grid for race one tomorrow.
King was once again the leading Manor driver, nearly a second quicker than Alice Powell and Josh Hill, which merely highlights that the talented youngster dragged everything from his Formula Renault machine during the session.
“I think second was definitely possible,” said King. “I left a few tenths out there so I don’t think we have anything to worry about. It is a good position to be in but I hope to go even better this afternoon.”
The Hugo Boss Brand Ambassador could only repeat the trick in qualifying two. The scorching weather across the country has put Kent in the headlines, with the County recording the highest ever temperature for an October day in the UK. The unbearable conditions proved difficult for both the drivers and Michelin tyres, that are strained to their maximum in the heat. Therefore the second session was always going to be a little slower and produced the exact same order in the top four as the monring’s early running.
It was a productive day for King however, with two second row grid slots giving him ample opportunity to fight for a podium on Sunday. Tomorrow’s double-header of 15 lap races takes place at 10:00 and 15:35 respectively. The official Jordan King website will keep you up to date throughout the weekend.
