CRS Racing's Robert Foster-Jones took his first ever win in the Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship after leading from lights to flag in Round 16 of the 2010 season at Knockhill. In his ever visit to the Scottish track, the youngster secured his maiden pole position in the series, before converting it to the win, becoming the eighth different winner in the series this season.
The 19 year old lined up on the front row next to Round 15 winner Tom Blomqvist, with championship leader Tama's Pa'l Kiss next up. Graduate Cup class leader Alex Lynn joined him on row two after his best ever qualifying performance, with Manor Competition pair Ollie Millroy and Lewis Williamson making up row three. Their team mate and championship front runner Will Stevens endured another poor qualifying session, starting the race in a lowly twelfth.
Foster-Jones got a good getaway as the lights went out, leading the pack into Duffus Dip for the first time. Blomqvist slotted into second, but ran wide later in the lap, dropping him to sixth. This promoted Pa'l Kiss into second, with Lynn up to third, though he soon lost that place to Millroy on lap three.
Foster-Jones quickly got his head down and began to edge away at the front, though his hard work was soon ruined, with the safety car deployed after a spin by Scorpio Motorsport's Joe Crook. The youngster handled his first ever restart in the lead well, though was unable to shake off the attentions of Atech GP's Pa'l Kiss behind.
Pa'l Kiss got one sniff of the lead, getting alongside at the Hairpin on lap 10, but Foster-Jones defended well to keep his lead. Third placed Millroy capitalised on this to sneak into second, but Pa'l Kiss snatched it back as they headed into Duffus Dip for the eleventh time. Lower down the order, Harry Tincknell was slowly working his way up the field after a poor qualifying session saw him start 10th. The CRS racer got past Atech GP's Nick Yelloly for ninth on lap 11, before dispatching Riki Christodoulou four laps later for eighth.
At the front, Foster-Jones saw his lead at the front wiped out once again, with the safety car coming out on track again after contact between Mark Burdett Motorsport's Fabio Gamberini and Fortec Motorsport's David McDonald saw the Brazilian driver going off circuit for the second time in the weekend.
Foster-Jones performed a perfect restart once again and held on for the final three laps to take the win. Pa'l Kiss defended hard from Millroy over the remaining laps to keep second, for his eighth podium of the season. Williamson finished fourth ahead of Blomqvist and Lynn, the youngster picking up another Graduate Cup class win in sixth. Tincknell was next up, ahead of Atech GP pair Marlon Stockinger and Yelloy. McDonald finished tenth on the road, but was later excluded for his part in the incident with Gamberini, gifting the position to Stevens.
Foster-Jones' win has seen him join the elite group of 2010 Formula Renault race winners. So far this season, Pa'l Kiss, Blomqvist and Williamson have each picked up three wins each, with Stevens and Tincknell getting two each and Millroy, Stockinger and now Foster-Jones winning one.
Second place in Round 16 has helped Pa'l Kiss to maintain his lead at the top of the standings as they leave Scotland, with Blomqvist moving into second place in the championship thanks to his Round 15 win. In the Graduate Cup, two wins for Lynn has seen him edge closer to title glory.
Next up for the single seater stars is their annual World Series by Renault meeting, with the series returning to Silverstone for Rounds 17 and 18 around the new Grand Prix Circuit.
2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship provisional drivers' standings – rd 16:
1st | Tama's Pa'l Kiss | HUN | Atech GP | 390 pts |
2nd | Tom Blomqvist | GBR | Fortec Motorsport | 378 pts |
3rd | Lewis Williamson | GBR | Manor Competition | 363 pts |
4th | Will Stevens | GBR | Manor Competition | 355 pts |
5th | Harry Tincknell | GBR | CRS Racing | 325 pts |
6th | Ollie Millroy | GBR | Manor Competition | 262 pts |
Graduate Cup:
1st | Alex Lynn | GBR | Fortec Motorsport | 160 pts |
2nd | Fabio Gamberini | BRA | Mark Burdett Motorsport | 107 pts |
Photo credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography