Three-time Renault UK Clio Cup champion Paul Rivett has described the new fourth-generation Clio racer, which made its debut in the UK series this weekend, as a “real driver’s car.”
Rivett, who won titles in both the two previous generations of the Clio racer, feels the car is more challenging to drive than its predecessor, the third-gen racer that graced the UK Clio Cup from 2007 to 2013.
The 2002, 2004 and 2011 victor enjoyed a strong first weekend in the new car at Brands Hatch, qualifying the car third fastest for both races within a tenth of a second of pole position.
An early spin whilst avoiding a slower rival gave him a lowly race one finish, but he showcased his pace in the car with the fastest lap, before taking second in the live-televised second encounter having been in a race-long battle for the win.
“I love this new car, they keep getting better and this is the best one yet. It’s a real driver’s car, it’s harder to drive than the last one,” he told TCF.
“To find the edge with it, you have to push more and it’s much more challenging, and therefore much more rewarding as a driver. They respond very well to adjustments, and we haven’t even started fine-tuning the set-up with it yet, and it’s generally a great car.”
As well as the new car, Rivett also heaped praise on his new team WDE Motorsport. The 35 year old has joined the team in a new driver/team manager capacity for 2014, and is delighted with how quickly the team has got the new car to the front of the grid.
“We were on the backfoot coming into this weekend with such a last minute deal and limited testing of the new car, but we’ve made it work and I can’t really believe what we’ve achieved already,” he added.
“This means so much to me to be able to step up from what I’ve done before, and take on a new car and a new challenge. The WDE team are certainly rising to the challenge and we’re loving every minute of it.”