Oliver Rowland Took His Maiden Formula Renault UK Win - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Fortec Motorsport team-mates Oliver Rowland and Alex Lynn shared the wins during Rounds Fifteen and Sixteen of the CERTINA Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship at Rockingham, with both drivers taking lights to flag wins. Lynn's win was notable as it meant he equaled the seventeen year old record of eleven victories in a season.
A dramatic qualifying session for race one saw championship leader Lynn slide off into the gravel, meaning he would start the race from last. Rowland started from pole, with team-mate Mitchell Gilbert alongside him, and the front row got good starts to lead the field through the opening lap.
After an early challenge from Australian Gilbert and a brief safety car period, caused by contact between Jack Hawksworth and Josh Hill, ending both their races, Rowland was able to get his head down and pull away to a ten second win, his first ever Formula Renault success.
Lynn began a good drive through the field, working his way past team-mate Alex Walker and Mark Burdett Motorsport's Daniel Cammish, to reach fifth. However pushing so hard to reach his next target, Lynn spun himself off the circuit, dropping him to an eventual finish of tenth.
As Rowland drove into the distance, Gilbert was left in the sights of Atech Reid GP's Tio Ellinas, but was able to hold on for a second place finish, his fourth podium of the season, with Ellinas left disappointed in third, the championship challenger unable to take fully capatalise in Lynn's woes.
Following him across the line for his best result of the season was Atech team-mate Dan Wells, who resisted pressure from Lynn and Cammish to take fourth, with the latter taking fifth ahead of debutant Walker, the Intersteps regular running with Fortec for the weekend. Alice Powell, Oscar King and Jordan King were next up, the latter spinning around mid-distance, with Lynn completing the finishers.
Qualifying for race two saw Lynn redeem himself with a pole position, which he duly converted into a first lap lead. Lynn was unable to break free though, with Racing Steps Foundation backed Rowland proving to be a thorn in Lynn's side throughout the race. The duo exchanged fastest laps throughout, but Rowland was unable to find a way past, Lynn taking his eleventh win of the season by under a second.
Once again rounding out the podium was Ellinas, the double podium for the weekend moving him slightly closer to Lynn at the top of the points with four races remaining. He was once again followed by a team-mate, with Hawksworth taking fourth, a welcome points finish after his earlier disappointment.
Cammish took another fifth place finish, with Gilbert sixth ahead of Jordan King. Powell, Walker and Wells completed the finishers, with Oscar King and Hill retiring after contact on the second lap, a disappointing end to the race for both, particularly King who had qualified a seasons best fourth.
Race one winner Rowland commented: “A first and a second is my best result of the year. I'm really happy and it needed to come; getting towards the end of the season is when rookies start to blossom. I'd like to dedicate my win today to Martin Hines who recently passed away. He did a lot for me and my career.”
