Max Coates enjoyed the best possible start to his 2019 Renault UK Clio Cup campaign as he scored maximum points after converting two pole positions into victories at Brands Hatch.
The Team HARD man dominated the damp qualifying conditions to back up the strong testing pace that he had shown pre-season. All that needed to be done was turning the front row starts into podium toppers.
In race one the only challenge Max faced was through Paddock Hill Bend on the first lap. With that danger long since passed, the twenty-five year old soaked up the pressure of his nearest rival, Jack Young, with relative ease in the closing laps to cross the line 0.351 seconds ahead at the flag.
With points for the race win, fastest lap and leading a lap, Max scored the maximum score possible in a single race.
It was to be tougher in race two as his closest rival of Jack Young managed to jump the pole sitting Team HARD Clio at the start. Despite all his best attempts, where he even momentarily took the lead for a brief moment on lap fourteen, Max couldn’t pass the Northern Irish driver and crossed the line with a strong second place finish.
However, after the event. Race stewards found Young guilty of breaking a safety car regulation and gave him a one second time penalty, dropping him behind Coates in the final race standings. This meant that for the second race in a row, Max scored the maximum points possible due to again setting the fastest lap and crossing the line in his brief foray as leader on lap fourteen.
After the event a beaming Coates said, “This is the best start to the season possible, a double pole, double win and double fastest lap weekend is what we strive for and to achieve it at round one is awesome.
“That said I’d like to achieve it again this year by winning both races on the road, Jack drove excellently in both and didn’t make it easy for me so I have no doubt we will have close battles in just about every race this season and I hope that my team mates will join me in those battles.”
