Thomas Hylkema heads to the ninth and tenth rounds of the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship this weekend in a positive mood after a positive test session at Croft last month saw him finish eighth fastest, just two tenths of a second off the pace of the lead pack.
The 21-year-old is currently tenth in the driver standings after a mixed season so far and is looking to Croft to provide him with the perfect opportunity to build up some points.
He said: “I enjoy Croft, there are some good high-speed and medium speed corners and it's the sort of track where it's critical to get the corners absolutely right. It can be easy to crash if you push too hard, especially at Sunny In and Sunny Out and the left-hander into the complex. You really need to use your mind at Croft – it's very easy to be greedy and to then end up going off.
“We went well in testing at Croft last month but I know there is time to be gained so I'll be working hard with the team to maximise my pace. I really hope we can have a decent and stable weekend at Croft with a good qualifying, two solid races and a lot of points. If I can take a couple of top five or top six starts and convert them into similar results I'll be very pleased.”
The last round at Oulton Park saw the Dutchman finish eleventh and thirteenth after a tough weekend and will be looking for his first trouble free weekend of the year.
Following pre-event practice on Friday, 18 June, qualifying for rounds nine and 10 of the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship is scheduled to take place at 10.20 and 13.55 respectively on Saturday, 19 June, with the first of the weekend's races set to begin at 17.30. Round 10 will follow at 13.50 on Sunday, 20 June.
Photo credit: Vince Pettit Photography
