Formula Renault UKOpen Wheel

Winter Series Champion Tops Formula Renault Test

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2010 Winter Series Champion Alex Lynn led a Fortec Motorsport one-two on day one of the official Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship test at Croft in North Yorkshire. The 17-year-old set the quickest time of anyone around the 2.1250-mile circuit in the last of the day's three 55 minute sessions.

Lynn, who returns to the series for a second year after winning the Graduate Cup class in 2010, took advantage of the day's dry, sunny conditions to top the timesheets. Improving throughout the day, he became the only driver to beat the 1min 16s barrier with a lap of 1min 15.813s, beating his closest rival by 0.459 seconds. 

Second fastest overall and the top Graduate Cup runner was Lynn's Fortec team mate Oliver Rowland. The 18 year old, backed by the Racing Steps Foundation, was consistently quick throughout the day as he builds up to his first full season in Formula Renault after winning a race during last year's Winter Series.

The early pacesetter was series race winner Ollie Millroy, who set the quickest time of 1min 17.050s in the day's first session. Problems forced him to miss the whole of the second session, but the 20 year old returned in the third to set a time just 0.049 seconds slower than Rowland, becoming the fastest of the Manor Competition drivers in the process.   

This season sees a couple of 2010 Formula Ford UK race winners making the step up to the series, with Cypriot Tio Ellinas coming out on top over rival Josh Hill. Driving for Atech Reid GP, 19 year old Ellinas was the only driver in the top eight not to drive for big guns Fortec or Manor, finishing 0.164 seconds ahead of Manor Competition's Hill.

Slotting in between Ellinas and Hill in the timesheets was 2010 Formula Renault BARC Champion Alice Powell, who is returning to the series she competed in during 2009. The Manor driver set the quickest time in the second session, becoming the first to break the 1min 17s barrier, before ending the day second fastest of the Graduate Cup runners.

Finishing behind his Manor team mates Powell and Hill was series rookie Jordan King, the 17 year old looking quick throughout the day. After setting the third fastest time in the second session, he ended the day just 0.112s behind Hill. Just behind King was 16 year old Australian Mitchell Gilbert, the Fortec Motorsport driver setting a best time of 1min 16.956s.

One driver who wasn't able to fulfil his potential on the day was Mark Burdett Motorsport's Jack Hawksworth. Having impressed in the opening session, setting the third fastest time, the 19 year old missed the final session in which all his rivals set their fastest times, leaving him ninth on the timesheets with a time of 1min 17.738s.

Fastest of the Antel Motorsport runners was Salisbury-based Dan Wells, who rounded off the top ten with a time of 1min 18.101s. Completing the runners were Atech Reid GP racer Oscar King and Wells' Antel team mate Shahaan Engineer.

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Simon is an experienced journalist and PR officer, who has worked in the national motorsport paddocks for over a decade, primarily on the BTCC support package.
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