Scott Malvern produced a measured drive to third place in the penultimate round of the 2012 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, leaving him in control of the championship battle heading into the final race of the season.
Malvern ran directly behind his main championship rival Josh Webster for the majority of Round Thirteen at Silverstone, having gained a place at the expense of Michael Epps on the opening lap.
Although eager to find a way past and challenge for the race victory, Malvern was equally aware that any contact could derail his championship bid, leaving him to settle for the final step on the podium.
“It was a tough call, whether to keep backing off and try and go for the fastest lap, or attack him and hope he made a mistake,” Malvern told thecheckeredflag.co.uk. “I tried for the fastest lap, I was a few hundredths off it, but in the end I thought I’ve got to pressure him, so in the final two laps I showed my nose in his mirrors a few times to see if he cracked.”
Although the result meant Webster cut his advantage slightly at the top of the standings, Malvern sits eleven points ahead on dropped scores heading into the final race, for which he starts ahead of Webster, leaving him the master of his own destiny under the eye of the ITV4 cameras.
“I would have liked to have won it, but to be a champion, it’s not always about winning the races,” he added. “For the next one, I’m starting fourth, Josh is starting seventh, so the focus is to drive my own race and hope I don’t see any purple in my mirrors.”