Slick Lynn Takes Saturday Win At Thruxton
Alex Lynn took victory once again in the Formula Renault UK championship at Thruxton on Saturday.
The Fortec Motorsport racer took the win by over 1.5 seconds from rival Tio Ellinas in his Atech Reid GP car, with team-mate Oliver Rowland taking third after a last lap move on Ollie Millroy.
Lynn dominated the Saturday race with rival Ellinas following in his wheel tracks. The pair exchanged times throughout, and Lynn set a new lap record on lap two, breaking Lewis Williamson’s previous 2010 record by three tenths of a second.
“We’ve been fast all weekend,” said Lynn. “Fortec have given me a great car and I enjoyed the drive home. The race was pretty straightforward and hopefully it’ll be the same tomorrow.”
Ellinas tried hard to track down Lynn, setting times equal too or faster than the leader for a majority of the race. “I’m very happy,” said points leader Ellinas. “I could see Alex ahead and tried to stay focused and keep up with him, but we were on a similar pace and I couldn’t close the gap. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, but I’m starting seventh, so have to try to recover.”
In the opening laps, Ellinas had an early battle with Manor Competition driver Tio Ellinas, which resulted in the young Brit being forced onto the grass.
“I got a good start and was alongside Lynn,” said King. “I knew it would be hard around the outside at the complex so I almost wanted him to have a better start so I could just slot in behind him. Heading down the straight Tio turned towards me and put me on the grass. The next thing I knew I had the whole field coming towards me.”
A third place finish for Oliver Rowland meant he took the lead of the Graduate Cup, and made amends for his difficult qualifying result by passing Jack Hawksworth on lap eight and then Ollie Millroy on the final lap to take a well earned podium finish.
“That definitely made up for qualifying,” he said. “That was a mega race, I think I was down in eight at one point, but got up to third. There were cars everywhere. Dan Wells and Jordan King both span in front of me. The car came to me as the race went on, and I was able to make up places.”
There was contact between Manor Competition team mates Josh Hill and Alice Powell in the opening laps, after a move by Hill was ill judged. The contact put Powell out of the race and made Hill pit for a new nose at the end of the lap.
“I made up places and caught up with Alice,” said Hill. “Going into the chicane I misjudged my braking. We were going side by side – which isn’t a great situation going into there. I tried to slow down, but couldn’t. I had to go somewhere and I hoped that she’d nicked through. But in the end it ruined both our races.”
Race one top ten results
1. Alex Lynn Fortec Motorsport 15 laps
2. Tio Elinas Atech Reid GP +1.606s
3. Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsport +11.855s G
4. Ollie Millroy Manor Competition +12.292s
5. Mitchell Gilbert Fortec Motorsport +13.552 G
6. Jack Hawksworth Mark Burdett Motorsport +13.630s
7. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte Fortec Motorsport +17.350s
8. Dan Wells Atech Reid GP +21.692s
9. Oscar King Atech Reid GP +27.207s G
10. Jordan King Manor Competition +49.570s G
Saturday qualifying
Race one top ten qualifying times
1. Alex Lynn Fortec Motorsport 1:08.736s
2. Jordan King Manor Competition 1:08.797s G
3. Tio Ellinas Atech Reid GP 1:09.203s
4. Jack Hawksworth Mark Burdett Motorsport 1:09.217s
5. Alice Powell Manor Competition 1:09.267s G
6. Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsport 1:09.286s G
7. Ollie Millroy Manor Competition 1:09.522s
8. Josh Hill Manor Competition 1:09.548s
9. Dan Wells Atech Reid GP 1:09.644s
10. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte Fortec Motorsport 1:09.689s
Race two top ten qualifying times
1. Alex Lynn Fortec Motorsport 1:08.911s
2. Alice Powell Manor Competition 1:09.307s G
3. Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsport 1:09.311s G
4. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte Fortec Motorsport 1:09.407s
5. Jordan King Manor Competition 1:09.544s G
6. Ollie Millroy Manor Competition 1:09.587s
7. Tio Ellinas Atech Reid GP 1:09.625s
8. Mitchell Gilbert Fortec Motorsport 1:09.665s G
9. Josh Hill Manor Competition 1:09.698
10. Jack Hawksworth Mark Burdett Motorsport 1:09.700
Mike Trusler
