Archive for 2003

After just two seasons scrapping with the best young racing talent in Britain Riki Christodoulou is now one of the hottest driving prospects in the UK thanks to a series of comprehensive performances and his first Karting National Championship win during 2003.

The 15 year old from the Midlands hails from a family with a strong Karting background and with only two years experience competing at National and European level has already emerged as a promising star of tomorrow.
From the 12 races as part of the JICA National Championship the Tony Kart backed driver won 5, finished second in 2, third in 2, and crossed the line fourth in just one final. Riki topped the overall classification by two points after his two worst results were dropped according to the scoring system. He was also victorious in a round of the Belgian Championships held at Spa Francorchamps and now, despite his tender years, plans to move up the ICA senior class and branch out further to participate in more European Internationals such as the respected Belgian and French competitions.

Now starting to gain recognition for his achievements and skills, the team’s press office have issued the following interview for people to become more acquainted with ‘Christo’, hopefully a name they will be hearing a lot more of in the not too distant future.

Q: Riki, what have you won this year and what does your new status mean in the Karting World?

RC: Well, the first thing is the British Championship. It took place over six rounds, with two races each and at circuits across the country. I won five finals and was on the podium nine times from 12.
Winning at Spa in Belgium was exciting because I knew I was quick at home but to also show some good speed on the continent was important for my confidence and for the morale of the team. The European Championship event in Italy was not so good but I placed 10th from the qualification events.
I guess the British Championship and what we have achieved this year has increased my profile in what is a very competitive field with a lot of drivers trying to show what they can do.

Q: Did you have any idea that a British Championship was on the cards at the start of the year?

RC: I have been karting since I was eight years old but last year was my first real season with the standard of equipment and high level of competition. I finished 5th, so I knew that at the start of 2003 I had improved and learned more; it was a possibility. After the first race at Larkhall went well, I would have been disappointed if I had not gone all the way.

Q: In what areas do you think you progressed as a driver that allowed you to step up to this level?

RC: I think it was down to having more confidence, more experience and better knowledge of the tracks and how the Kart reacts. Experience is the biggest factor because I guess it involves all those things. I felt that I knew a lot more about the Kart and how to set it up. 2002 was a learning year and I still managed to win a Final and take four second positions, this season I applied what I knew from that 5th place overall and tried to make it better. Race craft was one of the areas in which I supposed I jumped up. I found it easier to quickly get into the lead, forget what was behind me and pull away.

It is always a bit easier, and more exciting, when you are chasing someone and having a good battle but I could fall into a rhythm, like a trance, at the front and win races that way. When you are on your own you can push too much, lose your lines and concentration but that hardly happened to me at all this season.

I think the best example of winning from the front must have been the first final at Rissington for the British Championships, that same meeting I won the second final in a very different way by cutting through the pack. That was a great day because Rissington is a tricky circuit but I was very in tune with it.

Like I said, understanding the equipment helped. I knew how far I could push with the tyres and how to get the most out of the engine. We did so much testing over the winter at the end of 2002 that I felt myself getting faster and faster as part of the package.

Q: Obviously you are still at school. Does your racing ever clash and what kind of timetable do you have with regards to these two parts of your life?

RC: Luckily the head teacher is fine with me missing some time off school if we have to travel abroad to some races. I think I have shown that I want to make a career from what I am doing and they support me, which is good. I am right in the middle of my GCSEs and I do miss some important lessons that sets me back. I always seem to be catching up and that can be difficult when I have coursework.

I go to the gym quite a lot afterwards with some friends. I work on the rowing machine and treadmills and like to play a lot of football; I am too young to work on weights at the moment. I don’t really get bored at the gym because I find that time goes very fast.

I spend a lot of time thinking about my driving. If a track is complicated or we were having trouble getting some really quick times while testing I will go there in my head and try to imagine a perfect lap. I find that this does help.

Q: What steps are you looking at for your career?

RC: There is ICA next year then Formula A Karting. I hope within two years I can be racing as part of the Formula Renault series. Formula 1 is my ambition and there is a long way to go yet.

Q: A lot of F1 drivers have a Karting background. Why is the sport a good grounding for racers?

RC: I started Karting when I was very young so I think it allows you to learn a lot about racing and the skills that you need at an early age. Then you build up experience and speed with the machinery getting better and faster. Karting is a great way to start out. It is not that expensive at first but you need to invest money the faster you want to go. It is a popular sport and for that reason there is always a lot of competition and valuable racecraft to be learned, like pulling your lines and slipstreaming. Just looking around and watching other people you can see and take-in a lot of things. I have some good friends from Karting and it is like another life away from school.

Q: How do you think the sport is viewed in Britain compared to other countries?

RC: Tough question! Karting has a good base in Britain but like many other small sports lacks a big push of publicity. It is well supported though. The World and European Championships are pretty big things. In Belgium, France and especially Italy the sport is very popular. The Italians have the big Tony Kart factory teams and a lot of good tracks. There are probably more people on the street who know about the Karting guys than in any other country.

Q: What excites you about Karting and what is it that separates the best drivers from the rest?

RC: Simple really, I love the speed. I also see Karting as the first part of a career so it is important that I practice and practice. My Dad and my uncle both raced to a decent standard and their experience really helps me. I think with any kind of sport if you are good at it and have people behind you then it is easier to enjoy. No question that my Dad’s knowledge in terms of setting up the Kart is an advantage for me. Each driver’s engine can be better at certain tracks. Braking, overtaking and general ability as a driver separates many of us but the equipment plays an important role. We test so much and we put a lot of effort into getting the Kart to handle right that it does pay off.

I think that Shenington is my favourite track. It suits my style because it is fast and flowing; I really enjoy it.

Q: How do you rate the facilities and opportunities for people to take up Karting in the Midlands?

RC: It could be better. There are not really that many good tracks around. My cousin, Adam, and I used to test a lot at a place called Chasewater, that has now been closed down and we have to drive at least an hour to places like Shenington and PF.

Q: What are your immediate plans for next season?

RC: To move up to the ICA class. It’s a definite step-up and is very fast. We did a meeting in Belgium last week and the drivers are physically bigger and races tougher. The Karts are quicker both in acceleration and top end. I will have to be in better shape because the tyres are stickier and it is tiring, the corners are more demanding. It will again be another learning year but I am hoping for a top five finish. I will always go for the win but lack of experience might count against me.

Q: Who are the main people supporting you?

RC: My Dad does more than I can say. He drives me all over the country and Europe and is the boss of the team. My family are very supportive along with one sponsor I have called Roman Originals. We are looking all the time for more people to back us no matter how big or small.

Q: You were tipped to do well in the European Championship this year. What went wrong?

RC: I won a heat last year and was confident of getting in the top five at the very least but we just struggled to get the Kart working right. In practice we were quick but that pace increased for the heats and we could not live with it no matter what we tried. I was nervous that weekend because it was a big meeting, also very hot being in Italy, which was affecting the rubber and track grip. It was disappointing not to get through to the finals and the only low point of what has been a good season.

Q: Who were your main rivals this year and will you be competing against them next season?

RC: A driver called Freddy Martin-Dye was chasing me all year along with another, Jon Lancaster. I am not sure of their plans for next season but I imagine they might be moving to ICA also. Freddy is a very good racer but he had one meeting at Shenington where he was driving dangerously and at a pace where he was trying to draw the pack together. He can be like that and we are not really friends. He doesn’t really talk to anyone and comes across as a bit ignorant, not really respecting other people; that might be his personality, I’m not sure. He beat me in 2002 and I beat him this year so I think I have a slight psychological edge for next season and I can do it again.

Category: News

Riki Christodoulou is the 2003 Elf Hill House Hammond MSA Formula JICA British Champion after two points scoring drives at the PF International circuit last weekend in Grantham.

Entering the final round of six ‘Christo’ only had to finish one place behind main rival Freddie Martin-Dye in the first of the two finals to be sure of his first crown and status of Britain’s top young racer.

The 15 year old was seventh fastest in qualifying but then completed a mature drive in the opening race to finish fourth, right behind Martin-Dye, and secure the Junior ICA title.

From the 12 races contested in this year’s series the Tony Kart backed driver has won 5, finished second in 2, third in 2, and crossed the line fourth in just one final. Christo topped the overall classification by two points after his two worst results were dropping according to the scoring system. One of those was the second final finish at PF where he passed the chequered flag in a relaxed 8th.

“This is a great day and after a long season where we have been getting some decent results I am really happy,” the new number one admitted directly after the meeting. “I wish that I could have some sort of celebration but I’ve got to go to school tomorrow! I have to thank my dad and people who have helped me this year; they could not have done any more.”

“I think one of the clerks summed it up admirably when he said that Riki was a well deserved Champion,” said father and former racer Rick Christodoulou. “He has been exceptional all season and from the feedback we have received he is a popular winner.”

The racing calendar has now relaxed for the team but testing will continue after a break of several weeks as the Christodoulous ponder their next move for 2004.

“We have reached the age limit now where we can move up to the seniors and while it will be significantly tougher it would be good to get a year of experience under our belts,” continued Christo senior. “It would be nice to race with the number one plate but we want to keep on progressing. It is time for a few weekends off now but then we will start to test on the Saturdays and make a decision fairly soon.”

Final 2003 Formula JICA standings after six rounds (provisional):

1. RIKI CHRISTODOU                482
2. FREDDIE MARTIN-DYE        480
3. JON LANCASTER                 457
4. JASON PARROTT                 430
5. DANIEL ROWBOTTO            424
6. JAMES McCARTHY               423
7. VIKTOR JENSEN                   414
8. THOMAS ARMOUR               409
9. ADAM BATCH                        401
10. JONATHAN LEGRIS            393

Category: News

Britain’s top junior Kart racer Riki Christodoulou this weekend is hopeful of taking his first ever Elf Hill House Hammond MSA Formula JICA National Championship title at the final round of the series at the PF International circuit in Grantham.

The 15 year has dominated the competition all season and prior to the penultimate race at Shenington two weeks ago had only dropped 10 points from 400 in the previous four rounds.

The dogged consistency (along with some controversial tactics employed at Shenington) of main rival Freddie Martin-Dye means that Christo’s hefty points lead could still be threatened but the Tony Kart backed driver only has to finish in front of Martin-Dye in the first of the finals to be sure of his deserving award.

Christodoulou has really emerged on the national scene this season and has won the plaudits and acclaim of both his peers and avid Kart fans. He suffered some disappointment in Italy at the European Championships last month when his machinery was not up to the level of the cream of the continent but aims to confirming his rising status with another authoritative display on home soil this Sunday.

Christo needs to cross the finish line ahead or one place behind Martin-Dye to begin the celebrations.

“We have won almost every final this year but Freddie has been close and the Shenington disaster means that we still have some work to do,” commented Father, mentor and former racer Rick Christodoulou.

“As with most of the other guys, Riki knows PF like the back of his hand. It’s not his favourite circuit in terms of layout and he’ll probably say it is even quite boring, although the last time we raced there we won two finals and scored a second place in the third. PF is what I would describe as a straightforward track and I just hope we do not have any more of the little mechanical gremlins that have been plaguing us in the last few weeks and more or less re-occurred when we tested the other weekend.”

“In a sense the pressure is on Riki now,” he continued. “However I would prefer for us to be in out current situation; out front and in the lead, instead of having to take some risks. The onus is on everybody else to raise their game to the level Riki has been driving all season.”

“It is all down to this weekend and Riki will do his best to finally finish the Championship.”

Current ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA Formula JICA series standings:

1. RIKI CHRISTODOU           478
2. FREDDIE MARTIN-DYE             474
3. JON LANCASTER               427
4. JASON PARROTT             416
5. DANIEL ROWBOTTO              409

Category: News

Riki Christodoulou this weekend stands on the precipice of becoming Britain’s Junior Karting Champion and will savour another chance to prove he is the leading light on the junior motorsport scene after his hopes were dashed at the European Championships several days ago in Italy.

After a strong showing last season at the annual meeting Christo travelled to southern Europe in searing heat with high expectations. The 15 year rapidly faced an uphill task after the first day of qualification when it transpired that his Tony Kart backed equipment simply was not able to compete with outfits of the other teenage hopefuls from across the continent.
Losing vital tenths of a second a lap during qualification, Christo just failed to force his way through to the final event and was left a frustrated observer.

His rivals back in Britain could well feel the backlash come Saturday. The youngster has only dropped 10 points from a possible 400 in the ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA series all year and another win this weekend at his local track Shenington could see him crowned at the penultimate event of the season.

“We were disappointed to come away from Corridonia with nothing, but technically we just could not compete,” remarked Riki’s father and manager Rick Christodoulou. “We were losing precious tenths in one or two sections and it saw us way down the order in the heats where Riki made up a lot of ground but wasn’t enough to make the cut. Our equipment was not up to the task and other drivers had better packages. Riki always gives 110% but we just could not help him to go any faster. On our form this season and with his performance last year we were rightfully anticipating a good result last weekend, nevertheless it wasn’t to be.”

In fact the large Tony Kart manufacturer were conspicuous by their absence in the Finals and they highest placed driver crossed the line in 23rd. “There is a new model of the Kart coming out in October with some modifications but depending on where we will be heading with regards to class and Championship next season we’ll have to see where the best deal for Riki lies,” added Christodoulou senior.

Team Riki Christo racing has good reason to be optimistic one again this weekend. Shenington is Christo’s local track and on his last visit he notched pole position and two final victories while remaining a second faster than his peers. “I imagine that most of the others will know he’ll definitely be the man to beat,” continued Christodoulou. “Nobody in the junior class in this country can drive Shenington like Riki, and this bodes well for the Championship.”

Shenington is based 10 miles northwest of Banbury.

Formula JICA points (provisional):

1. Riki Christodoulou, 390pts
2. Freddie Martin-Dye, 374pts
3. Jason Parrott, 346pts
4. Jon Lancaster, 338pts
5. Daniel Rowbottom, 323pts
6. Viktor Jensen, 313pts

Category: News

Britain’s top junior Karter Riki Christodoulou this weekend approaches one of the biggest meetings of the season optimistic of an eye-catching result.

The 15 year old today travels to Corridonia, Italy, for the European Junior Championships to pit the skills that have seen him drop only 10 points from 400 in the British series all year against the rest of the hottest talent on the continent.

The Tony Kart backed driver has just returned fresh from holidays and is now pumped to prove that he is one of the emerging stars of the British motorsport scene.

In a hectic schedule for Team Christodoulou official practice gets underway tomorrow (Thursday) with further sessions, qualifying included, taking place on Friday and Saturday. The heats will then determine the entry numbers permitted for the Finals on Sunday and the opportunity to become European Champion.

‘Christo’ placed 10th in the regional qualifier for the event that occurred at St Laurent de Mure, France in the first week of July and should have been higher were it not for a DNF in one of the heats that left him 19th on the grid and a lot of traffic to work his through come the finals.

The youngster was testing at the fast and challenging circuit in Corridonia one month ago and was already setting some impressive lap-times.

This will be Christo’s second attempt at the Euros. Last year he was tipped as an outsider for the podium and grabbed a couple of top five results. He was given the ‘Driver of the Day’ award by Motorsport news.

“We did not have the best of luck in France for the qualifiers but we got through and that was the point of the meeting,” commented mentor and former Karting ace Riki’s father Rick Christodoulou. “Four weeks ago we were testing at the track in Italy; it took around 50 laps before he was down to times that were pretty quick and give us a lot of confidence.

I think there will probably be at least ten really fast drivers who could win this weekend. We do not want to count our chickens before they’ve hatched but I believe Riki will be one of the main contenders and on speed and technique alone he is very capable of taking the Championship.

He’s had three weeks off and now he is raring to go; he cannot wait to get back in the Kart.”

In what will be a vital few weeks for Christodoulou he has the chance to secure his first National title the following weekend at Shenington. He flies home directly after the race on Sunday and has a day testing midweek before heading to the next round of the ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA series.

Category: News

Britain’s brightest Karting talent Riki Christodoulou is starting to attract serious attention during his 2003 campaign that so far sees the 15 year old leading the Formula Junior Intercontinental A category of the ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA British Karting Championship; the premier competition for young Karters in the UK and one of the leading series in Europe.

The teenager from Sutton Coldfield has been ruthless in the British Championship this year and leads the series by 16 points with only two races remaining having only dropped 10 points from a possible 400 all season.

Having sampled a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of a Renault F1 test with Fernando Alonso at Silverstone in June after being selected by Renault UK in recognition of his emerging status on the racing scene, Christodoulou has again recently been rubbing shoulders with some lofty names in the motorsport world.

The Tony Kart backed driver travelled to local Karting circuit Priory Park in Tamworth to meet new friends Motocross World Champion Jamie Dobb and 125cc MotoGP star Casey Stoner.

After posing for a few shots the trio took to the circuit for a few ‘uncompetitive’ laps where Christodoulou showed off the form that has carried him to the top of the JICA standings and confirmed his expanding reputation as the fastest young driver in the UK.

Australian Stoner, who grabbed second position at Sachsenring for the German road racing Grand Prix several weeks ago and rides a factory Aprilia in the high-profile 125cc MotoGP Championship, is also a keen Karter.
Dobb who is currently racing a works KTM in the world’s premier Motocross World Championship conceded a weight advantage to his junior peers but enjoyed the event nonetheless.
The group were later joined by Dobb’s friend and current 250cc reigning World Champion Marco Melandri who now competes for the factory Yamaha team in the MotoGP series.

“I really enjoyed seeing Jamie again and meeting up with Casey for the first time, who likes Karting,” commented Christodoulou. “He was pretty fast and obviously has raced before. We put in a few quick laps and he wasn’t far away. I am amazed to see what both Jamie and Casey can do on two wheels but I’ll stick to four for now! We have an important month coming up and it will be great to finish the season the way we have started.”

Riki’s next big event is Junior European Championships at Cogis, Corridonia, Italy on 23rd and 24th of August. After successfully negotiating the qualification round in France last month, ‘Christo’ is Britain’s leading entry against a field of the best 72 drivers from all over Europe.

The penultimate round of the MSA series will take place at Shenington, around 10 miles north-west of Banbury on the last weekend of this month, where Christo stands a very good chance of taking his first title.

Category: News

Teenage Karting prodigy Riki Christodoulou was thwarted in his bid to secure his first British Championship in the Formula JICA of the ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA series last weekend at Shenington for the fifth and penultimate event of the 2003 campaign.

‘Christo’, one of Britain’s brightest young stars on the motorsport scene, was barged off the Midlands circuit while leading the first final and 15 seconds from the flag by another driver, who was later excluded on appeal, and eventually crossed the line eighth. Main rival for the title, Freddie Martin-Dye, moved through unhindered to take the chequered flag and a bumper score. Starting in eighth position for the second sprint the 15 year old battled up to second and had to watch Martin-Dye take another victory.

The overall winner later attracted criticism for apparently lapping at a far slower pace than he had recorded in qualifying and the heat races to bring the pack closer together and create more traffic.

Naturally frustrated by the course of events Christo packed up a damaged and dented Tony Kart after Sunday’s proceedings. However the state of his machine was by no means a visual representation of the determined youngster’s confidence and he still holds a four point lead in the standings that can be extended to six if worst results are excluded.

“Riki is still buoyant,” commented father and mentor Rick Christodoulou. “It was not the result we wanted and he was disappointed right after the meeting but we are still leading the series. Scenarios like this are part of racing and have to occasionally be accepted. Nevertheless if Freddie feels that he has to use tactics like that again then we will be lodging a formal complaint.

I thought Riki drove an incredible second final to get into the runner-up spot and several people remarked to me afterwards what an impressive performance it was. The Championship is hotting up right at the final stages but we only have to finish in front of Freddie in the first final at PF to seal it.”

Round six takes place at the PF International circuit in Grantham on September 14th.

ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA Formula JICA series standings:

1. RIKI CHRISTODOU           478
2. FREDDIE MARTIN-DYE             474
3. JON LANCASTER               427
4. JASON PARROTT             416
5. DANIEL ROWBOTTO              409

Category: News