Jordan King completed his three-round venture into the FIA Formula Two Championship with another top ten finish at Brands Hatch.
Saturday's race proved to be short-lived for King, when he was caught out by the pack concertinaing ahead of him at Graham Hill Bend on the opening lap. He took to the grass on the inside in avoidance, only to collect another car when he rejoined the track.
Race 2 on Saturday proved to be a much better experience.
“I had a terrible start and dropped down to 17th, but we had good speed and were able to come through the field,” he recalled. “I picked off quite a few drivers and we ended up finishing tenth. Given where I had been at the end of the opening lap, I was pretty happy with that – it was a good way to finish my last race in Formula Two.”
The point scored for finishing tenth also secured tenth place in the championship standings, a fine achievement for the 17-year-old having only entered six of the ten races so far this season.
“I was on a steep learning curve right from the start,” he said, reflecting on his short spell in the series. “Formula Two and Formula Renault are just completely different cars – practically everything about them is different to each other. The Formula Two car is bigger, heavier and more powerful than the Formula Renault, with totally different handling characteristics.
“That meant there was a lot to take on-board at the beginning, and the top ten drivers in Formula Two are all of a good calibre – they've all achieved something in the sport – so it certainly wasn't easy going up against them. I didn't find it that difficult to be fast in the car, though – and I actually surprised myself by how quickly I got up-to-speed, especially in the first two rounds at Spa-Francorchamps and the Nurburgring.
“Getting into third position at the start of the race at Spa was definitely a highlight, as was finishing fifth at the Nurburgring on outright pace – that had been our aim for the three meetings, so it was good to accomplish it.
“I really enjoyed racing around Spa and the Nurburgring – they're both proper current F1 circuits – and I'll be returning to Brands Hatch GP later in the year in Formula Renault UK, so it was a bit of a boost ahead of that and might even give us a couple more tenths than we would otherwise have had there.
King during a signing session for the fans at Brands Hatch. Photo Credit: Xynamic Motorsport Photography
“In hindsight, I think we could probably have achieved slightly more, but then you always think that afterwards – about how you could have done certain things differently – even when you win. Overall, it was a really good experience and I think I surprised quite a few people. It will definitely stand me in good stead for the future.”
King will return to concentrating on his Formula Renault UK campaign when the second half of the season gets underway at Snetterton, but first he has one final international appearance to make. He will contest a one-off round of the Formula Renault North European Cup this weekend at Oschersleben in Germany, where the series will support the World Touring Car Championship.
“I don't know what the opposition will be like and I've never been to Oschersleben before, but it's a good opportunity to learn another new circuit,” he said. “The goal really has to be to just enjoy the weekend and keep adding to my experience – and if we can be up at the sharp end again, all the better.”
