Silverstone - 10/11th April 2010 - Rounds 1 and 2

At last the season had started after a long winter. Even though I had already tested twice it still felt a long time.

Practice
It was a dry day and we had two sets of tyres to try out and find the best set up. After the first practice session I had gone fastest and was feeling really pleased with the balance and handling of the car. I had set a time of 55.4 secs which was enough to put me on the front row of the grid for last years race and nearly 2 seconds quicker than I had ever gone around the Silverstone National circuit. The second and third sessions we decided to put on a brand new set of Avon tyres to see if I could go any quicker. We could not find any more in the car and after making a few changes we were not making any difference and decided to put the car back to the original settings.

Qualifying
I was out to qualify for the first 2 races of the season. It was a 25 minute session and I knew it was going to be tough to reproduce that special lap. My times and grid positions were being shown to me by pit boards and I was trying to push as fast as I could. The lap times were not really improving so the ”IN” board came out and the following lap I was in and another set of tyres were fitted. Unfortunately the tyres were getting up to temperature at the end of qualifying which left me with a 6th for the first race and 7th for the second race

Race 1
We formed up on the grid for the start of the first race and left the grid to start the warm up lap. I was trying to get as much heat into the tyres and brakes as possible and as I came up to the start finish straight I started to spin the rear wheels. What I didn’t realise was that I also got the clutch hot. As the green lights went out I initially got off the line really quick but then noticed the clutch was slipping due to me getting it too hot. I just managed to hold onto my 6th position whilst the clutch came back and allowed me to start pushing again. Alex Craven who was on pole had spun which promoted me to 5th. I caught John Gray and passed him going into Brooklands corner which got me up to 4th. I then started to aim for Mark Harrison but in the mean time John Gray hadn’t given up and was trying to get his 5th place back again. But to my relief John had pulled off with an electrical fault. I caught Mark Harrison up on the last lap and as we came down the back straight I was right behind him in his slip stream and with a late brake going into Brooklands corner I squeezed down the inside to take 3rd.

Race 2
I made sure I didn’t over heat the clutch this time and starting from 7th on the grid I had made another good start and got up to 5th on the first lap. I got up to John Gray and tried a couple of times to pass him but could not find a way. Coming out of Copse corner I had a big slide which aloud a gap to open up. John then caught Mark Harrison and passed him around the outside going through Becketts corner. I then caught Mark again an spent much of the race trying to pass him. I tried out braking him, going up the inside of Becketts corner and even round the outside of Brooklands. There did not seem a way pass and that’s where I finished. In 5th place just behind Mark Harrison. With a 3rd and 5th this has put me in 2nd place in the Championship.