Archive for 2005
Riki Christodoulou, the 2005 Renault B4 Group Formula A British Karting Championship runner-up, has flown out to Macau for the last meeting of his 2005 calendar.
The highly-rated British driver, who competed in the CIK Asian Championship in Japan last month, has made another trip east to race on the impressive 1.2 km Coloane Island circuit inside the Macau Kartodrome.
After setting the 2nd fastest time in practice and qualification the rest of Riki’s endeavours can be found out by visiting his website at: www.rikichristo.com
Riki Christodoulou was forced to retire from the final of the FIA CIK World Championships yesterday at the Braga circuit in Portugal when an engine failure caused the Formula A British Championship runner-up to coast to a halt on lap eleven of twenty-four.
The sixteen year old had gained numerous plaudits in the local media after Saturday’s qualification performance that saw him win three from four heats. Unfortunately a clean sweep was denied when his main engine packed-up in the fourth outing and the bad luck would serve as an undesirable preview of what would occur on Sunday.
Swapping the power unit for a spare motor the driver from Sutton Coldfield lined up in ninth place for the pre-final sprint and scored a solid fourth position meaning the same standing on the grid for the main event. The Kart was not running well from the green light in hot and sunny conditions and although ‘Christo’ was driving very well to hold a place inside the top ten the engine finally died before half-race distance.
“This was not the result I wanted but there is not much we can do about engine problems, they just happen sometimes,” he said. “I felt good through timed practice and the heats. I was 100% focussed and I know a good result would have been possible.”
Britain’s Oliver Oakes actually won the biggest Karting race of the year and gave the team a compliment by remarking that Christodoulou had been his only worry. Riki may not have left Portugal last night with the silverware he desired but his stock has risen further and he is now firmly established as one of the best Karters in Great Britain despite only leaving school several months ago.
Riki is considering an entry in the CIK Asian Cup that will take place in Japan but an entry and the support of Birel/TM have yet to be confirmed for the eastern series.
Christo set for debut World Championship shot
22nd Sep 2005
2005 Renault B4 Group Formula A Karting British Championship runner-up Riki Christodoulou has travelled to Portugal for his first crack at the biggest race of the international Karting calendar, the FIA World Championships being held this weekend at the Braga circuit in Portugal.
The sixteen year old from Sutton Coldfield grabbed the vice-champion spot in Britain’s premier racing series two weeks ago at Sheningon and has been preparing for the FIA event that will see 81 drivers representing 18 nations, five of which from outside Europe.
The Birel/TM full-time race driver is rated as one of Britain’s best prospects for success alongside Oliver Oakes, John Lancaster and Mark Litchfield.
“I have tested at Braga a few times before,” he commented from his base in Portugal. “It is a hard and bumpy track that is quite good fun to drive. Pretty much all the best racers from around the world are here and it feels good to be here among them. There are a lot of familiar faces from the European series but it is still a little daunting to finally be at the World Championship. I was training in the gym everyday before I flew out and I am as prepared as I can be.”
‘Christo’ heads to the circuit today for technical control before six testing sessions begin on Friday. Timed Practice and heats will occur on Saturday with the finals taking place Sunday.
Karting is one of only four disciplines to have a World Championship organised by the FIA, the others being Formula One, Rallying and Touring Car. More information can be found at: www.cikfia.com
News of Riki’s progress in qualification will be posted on his website Saturday evening.
Christo error sees title slip away
11th Sep 2005
Riki Christodoulou has finished runner-up in the premier 2005 Renault B4 Group Formula A Karting British Championship after taking 5th and 1st positions in the two finals this afternoon at Shenington for the sixth and final round of the series.
Christo came within a whisker of sealing his second national title and winning the top Karting competition in the country but a mistake while fighting for the lead on the last lap of the first final saw the sixteen year old slip back to fifth and lose precious points.
It had not been a straightforward weekend despite the Sutton Coldfield resident clearly enjoying a mean streak of pace at his home circuit. ‘Christo’ set the pole position time during practice and qualification on Saturday and then won the initial heat race. His second heat was more fraught as the teenager had to retire with a blown engine meaning that his grid position for the first of the two finals was a lowly 13th.
A brilliant drive through the pack in the formative stages of Final 1 saw the Birel pilot soon dicing for the lead with Gary Catt and setting the fastest circulation of the race in the process. Christo lined up his rival for a final lap attack and in pushing for the victory instead of an assured second spot made an error by choosing a wide line on the last curve and was relegated by three Karts that clung to the inside of the track.
Disappointed with the result the 2003 JICA Champion regrouped to win the second race without drama.
With the worst points dropped under the series’ scoring system Christodoulou has finished as runner-up to Mark Litchfield in the Championship by just four points; frustratingly second position in the first final would have been enough for the crown.
“It is a disappointment especially when we knew what ‘could have been’ after that second race,” he said. “I knew I should not have dived in and taken that line but I also wanted to push for the win and that was the only way could see it happening. It was an error of judgement. It had been a hard race and I was happy with how I came from 13th to 1st. The second final was a good victory but the overall outcome is a shame.”
The team now start preparations for their first shot at the World Championships at Braga in Portugal in two weeks time.
Final 1
1. GARY CAT
2. MARK LITCHFIEL
3. JASON PARROTT
4. CHRIS ROGERS
5. RIKI CHRISTODOULOU
6. CRAIG COPELAND
7. MICHAEL RYALL
8. DAVID GREGORY
9. CHRIS BROWN
10. JASON EDGAR
Final 2
1. RIKI CHRISTODOULOU
2. MARK LITCHFIELD
3. GARY CATT
4. JASON PARROTT
5. CHRIS ROGERS
6. CRAIG COPELAND
7. MICHAEL RYALL
8. CHRIS NASH
9. JASON EDGAR
10. CHRIS BROWN
Provision final standings
1. MARK LITCHFIELD 467
2. RIKI CHRISTODOU 463
3. GARY CATT 463
4. JASON PARROTT 463
5. CHRIS ROGERS 446
Riki Christodoulou will enter the sixth and final round of the Renault B4 Group Formula A Karting British Championship this weekend at his local circuit of Shenington knowing that a good set of drives in the last two finals of the season will deliver his second national crown.
The 16 year old from Sutton Coldfield won the 2003 Junior ICA Championship and currently heads the standings of the premier Formula A class; the highest level of Karting competition in the country.
After recovering from a broken right shoulder sustained early July at Mariembourg, Belgium, the teenager hit the top of the points table at Rowrah for round five despite being handicapped by a batch of faulty tyres.
‘Christo’ needs to finish the races ahead of his two main rivals for the title so that when the participant’s worst results are dropped in accordance with the final scoring system he still remains in the lead on points.
Having tested at Shenington regularly in the last three years since he began to emerge as a leading name on the domestic Karting scene, Christo has come to know every bump and twist of the circuit near Banbury. Last year he dominated both races at the venue in the ICA division before moving up again to Formula A during the winter.
“I’ve got most of my strength back and I am feeling really confident for this weekend,” he said. “I have been to the gym everyday for the last two or three weeks and I have been picturing myself first over the finish line; I want that winning feeling again! I now I am capable of taking both finals this Sunday and that’s all I am thinking about. The Championship will then takes care of itself.”
Full results will be posted on Riki’s website on Monday. The team’s next major outing will be the World Championships at Braga, Portugal on Sunday 25th September.
Current Standings
1 RIKI CHRISTODOULOU 453. 2 MARK LITCHFIELD 441. 3 JASON PARROTT 430. 4 CHRIS ROGERS 427. 5 GARY CATT 425. 6 JASON EDGAR 377. 7 MICHAEL SLEIN 376. 8 MICHAEL RYALL 376. 9 CRAIG COPELAND 373. 10 TIFFANY CHITTEN 369
Christo leading the Championship after podium brace
31st Jul 2005
Riki Christodoulou scored two third positions today at a dry and warm Rowrah and now leads the country’s premier Karting series, the Renault B4 Group Formula A British Championship, with one round remaining.
The 2003 Junior national Champ was third in a wet qualification but then won both of his heats comfortably despite still healing from a broken right shoulder.
Tyre problems prevented the sixteen year old from Sutton Coldfield being able to establish the same kind of form in the two finals and he could only lead each outing briefly.
From the last six finals Christo has taken five podium results and his recent form has elevated him to the position of Championship leader with a marginal points difference between the first four drivers.
“All weekend the shoulder felt fine,” he commented. “It was really aching in the morning when I got up, but after some physio it was OK. The heats were not a problem and I felt really quick although I was only racing for ten laps. The finals were twenty laps long and for the last five or six I had a lot of pain and would take my hand off the wheel when I could to try and rest my arm. I had to ramp some of the curbs and the shock was going straight to my shoulder.”
“I was OK with the third positions and was far ahead of fourth in the first final to be able to relax,” he continued. “The new tyres we used today frustrated me. We must have had a dodgy batch because the Kart felt very weird and handled different; not good.
I was leading the second final for about a lap and a half but got nudged out and lost a few positions. I had some rubbish on my tyres which caused another guy to slip past so I put my mad-cap on and went for it! By the time I was back to third the others were too far away. I think today two thirds was the best I could do with the tyres but I am disappointed because I wanted to win and felt like I could have; it wasn’t a bad first race back from injury I suppose.”
“I am leading the Championship but there are five drivers in contention and it is going to be an awesome last race,” he concluded. “Luckily for me it will be at Shenington; my home circuit!”
Full results will be posted on Riki’s website this week. The sixth and final round takes place at Shenington on September 10th and 11th.
Christo on the mend after large Belgian shunt
19th Jul 2005
Riki Christoudoulou is winning his battle to be fit for the fifth round of the premier Renault B4 Group Formula A British Karting Championship after breaking his right shoulder in a dramatic smash in Mariembourg, Belgium at the second round of the CIK-FIA European series earlier this month.
The sixteen year old from Sutton Coldfield has been undergoing laser and magnetic pulse treatment for the last fortnight and is now hopeful of being able to test this week (Thursday) in preparation for the meeting at Rowrah.
The crash occurred when ‘Christo’ had been challenging for 8th position at the Belgian venue and had his line cut by another Kart. Catching his front wheel on the other vehicle’s sidepod, the 2003 British Junior Champion was flipped over and sent sliding off the circuit; the fracture was sustained in the impact.
After being diagnosed with a broken shoulder in the medical centre he flew home and underwent further examination in Birmingham before beginning laser treatment in Ipswich. He is due for his final session tomorrow (Wednesday) and another check-up from which he is reasonably confident to be given the all-clear to begin driving again.
“I am not in too much pain now and I am aiming to start testing again this week but we will find out for sure tomorrow,” he said. “I can do some exercises and I’m having constant physio. My wrist and forearm is pretty strong but the muscle on my bicep and around the shoulder is not 100% yet.”
Christo triumphed at Larkhall for the fourth round of the British series in mid-June and is firmly on course as a title contender.
Christo rules the roost with 2-1 at Larkhall
19th Jun 2005
Riki Christodoulou placed himself firmly in contention for the Renault B4 Group Formula A British Karting Championship with an excellent win and runner-up spot from the two finals contested today at Larkhall for round four of six in the premier national Karting competition.
The sixteen year old began the weekend in good form by setting pole position in timed practice. He adjusted a number of settings on the car and placed 3rd and 1st in the two qualifying heats in damp and then dry track conditions, giving him a slot of 2nd for the finals.
The 2003 JICA British Champion was not decisive enough in the first final and lost the chance to seize the lead after having slipped back to third place. Once he overtook Mark Litchfield to regain second he pressurised Jason Parrot just ahead but eventually crossed the finish line just 0.5 of a second behind.
Christo blasted away with intent in the second sprint and kept Parrot close at hand until the latter made a mistake and ran off the track. The teenager, competing in the senior Formula A category for the first time after moving up from the ICA competition last year, pushed onwards to win by three seconds and celebrate his second final success of the season. Christo also set the fastest lap-time in both races.
“I felt great right from the off and knew I had a chance of winning right away from time practice,” he said. “We changed the seat and a few other things on the kart but it was mostly fine. In the first final I was overtaken by Mark and really shouldn’t have let that happen. We were all running at more or less the same times and that let Jason get away while I concentrated on getting back into second place. It is a small track and you can’t afford to give the leader a moment to breathe. I started better in the second final and needed to. The back end was sliding around a lot but once I sorted that it became much easier to stick with Jason. He then went straight off the track past the pits, so I got my head down and pulled away.”
Christo has now registered two final wins, a second, a third, three sixths and one seventh place in four rounds.
The team head to Belgium this week for the second round of the European Championship that will occur at Mariembourg on June 26th with the third and final meeting taking place at La Conca in Italy on August 21st. Christo was 11th at Angerville, France for the opening race after experiencing mechanical problems.
2005 Formula A calendar
5th/6th March Three Sisters
16th/17th April PF International
30th April/1st May Clay Pigeon
18th/19th June Larkhall
30th/31st July Rowrah
10th/11th September Shenington
Riki Christodoulou claimed a best finish of 11th position in the first round of the Formula A European Championship at Angerville, France last weekend.
The sixteen year suffered a mechanical problem while holding 8th place in the first of the two finals and had to start from 31st spot for the second race, producing a decent drive to come through to 11th.
Despite the bad luck ‘Christo’ finished as second highest Brit in the gathering of Europe’s best and his performance offered encouraging signs that he has the speed to be very competitive in his first stab at the series.
“The result wasn’t great for points and the Championship overall, but the weekend was pretty satisfying and I was happy with my driving in the second final considering that I was so far back,” said the Birel powered and SHIFT backed Karter.
Riki currently holds 15th place in the early standings with two more rounds to run. The second event will occur at Mariembourg in Belgium on June 26th while the series-closer will be at La Conca in Italy on August 21st.
Please check out www.rikichristo.com for more news, results and photos on a weekly basis.
Angerville Results:
Final 1
1. Convers, Armand
2. Waldschmidt, Henk
3. Alfano, Floriano
4. Martin-Dye, Freddie
5. Gatto, Salvatore
6. Estre, Kevin
7. Mortara, Edoardo
8. Thonon, Jonathan
9. Renaudie, Manuel
10. Cuoco, Kévin
31. Christodoulou, Riki
Final 2
1. Ardigo, Marco
2. Kozlinski, Arnaud
3. Thonon, Jonathan
4. Convers, Armand
5. Gatto, Salvatore
6. Alfano, Floriano
7. Molina, Miguel
8. Waldschmidt, Henk
9. Martin-Dye, Freddie
10. Bianchi, Jules
11. Christodoulou, Riki
Championship standings
1. Convers, Armand 38
2. Ardigo, Marco 29
3. Waldschmidt, Henk 28
4. Alfano, Floriano 26
5. Thonon, Jonathan 24
6. Gatto, Salvatore 22
7. Kozlinski, Arnaud 20
8. Martin-Dye, F. 20
9. Molina, Miguel 14
10. Mortara, Edoardo 12
11. Estre, Kevin 10
12. Renaudie, M. 7
13. Bianchi, Jules 6
14. Cuoco, Kévin 6
15. Christodoulou, R. 5
Riki registers another podium finish
2nd May 2005
2003 JICA British Champion Riki Christodoulou scored 3rd and 6th positions at Clay Pigeon last weekend for the third round of the Renault B4 Group Formula A British Karting Championship; the premier Karting series in the UK.
Christo set a decent time to place 2nd fastest in qualification and drove to 2nd and 4th positions in the two heats, despite some brief showers that played havoc with the track conditions and tyres.
Starting in 2nd spot on the grid for the first of two finals, the sixteen year old from Sutton Coldfield was nudged on the opening bend and rounded the turn in a lowly 13th. A decent comeback amounted to a hard-fought 6th position by the chequered flag. Frustrated but undeterred ‘Christo’ set off from 6th in the second main event and made his way up to 3rd where he was unable to shutdown Tiffany Chrittenden in 2nd.
A poor day for Championship rival Gary Catt means that Riki has moved up to second in the points standings and although he gained another podium the weekend could have been better. “I was pushed out on the first corner and that basically lost me the race because I went from second to thirteenth and just tried to get as many points as possible. We were pushing a fast pace in the second race and I couldn’t find way through to runner-up. Overall it was a reasonably good weekend but I know I can do better.”
The team will head to Italy and France for races in the respective national competitions in a busy May programme of events. The fourth round of six in the MSA British Championship takes place at Larkhall in Scotland on June 18th/19th.
Final 1
1 Jason Parrott 10:56.21
2 Tiffany Chittenden 10:57.66
3 Chris Rogers 10:58.35
4 Mark Litchfield 10:59.57
5 Freddie Martin-dye 11:00.47
6 Riki Christodoulou 11:02.98
7 Craig Copeland 11:03.84
8 Chris Brown 11:05.33
9 Michael Ryall 11:06.05
10 Jason Edgar 11:07.71
Final 2
1 Jason Parrott 10:56.83
2 Tiffany Chittenden 10:57.44
3 Riki Christodoulou 10:58.39
4 Mark Litchfield 10:58.88
5 Gary Catt 11:02.10
6 Chris Brown 11:02.69
7 Chris Rogers 11:03.25
8 Craig Copeland 11:03.91
9 Freddie Martin-dye 11:04.15
10 Minty Ward 11:04.68
2005 Formula A calendar
5th/6th March Three Sisters
16th/17th April PF International
30th April/1st May Clay Pigeon
18th/19th June Larkhall
30th/31st July Rowrah
10th/11th September Shenington
Riki takes home precious points at PF
8th Apr 2005
Riki Christodoulou scored a brace of sixth positions at the PF circuit on Sunday for the second round of the Renault B4 Group Formula A British Karting Championship; the top Karting competition in the country.
The sixteen year old from Sutton Coldfield was quickest in practice using his Birel/TM machine and notched a heat win, taking to the grid third for the first of the two finals. In only his second national Formula A meeting, the 2003 Junior British number one engaged in a close battle for podium positions but was struggling for grip on the greasy PF asphalt. The next final saw a determined charge to second spot but the teenager was unable to make a decisive move on the leader and became embroiled in six Kart tussle of which he was unable to conquer on this occasion.
The team were disappointed not to take a better result having won last time out at Three Sisters for the season-opener and having looked so strong during qualification. However the points in the bag keep Riki firmly in the title hunt for his debut Formula A campaign and he now holds third position with defending number one Mark Litchfield and Gary Catt proving to be the other main protagonists.
“I do feel a little down about Sunday,” ‘Christo’ admitted. “We were looking so good in practice but I think two things cost us. Firstly I won the second heat but only just, as the Kart lost power near the end and the other drivers were closing fast. It seized just afterwards and wasn’t quite the same when we needed a rebuild. The second thing was the track. It was very slippery on Sunday morning, more so than the previous two days and carrying less weight than the other drivers I just could not adapt to it. The final ended up being damage limitation really. We have only had two rounds so there is still some way to go.”
The third stop in the six race series takes place at Clay Pigeon at the end of the month. Team Christo will be testing at the venue this weekend.
Results
Final 1
1 Mark Litchfield 13:38.87
2 Jason Parrott 13:39.33
3 Gary Catt 13:42.91
4 Chris Rogers 13:43.98
5 David Gregory 13:45.85
6 Riki Christodoulou 13:46.21
7 Chris Nash 13:46.44
8 Tiffany Chittenden 13:48.80
9 Michael Ryall 13:50.77
10 Daniel Hart 13:50.83
Final 2
1 Mark Litchfield 13:45.83
2 Gary Catt 13:46.59
3 Jason Parrott 13:46.74
4 Chris Rogers 13:47.41
5 David Gregory 13:48.91
6 Riki Christodoulou 13:49.17
7 Tiffany Chittenden 13:54.13
8 Michael Ryall 13:56.07
9 Alex Sharper 14:01.12
10 Ed Lo Bianco 14:02.21
Christo extremely satisfied with start to ’05
17th Mar 2005
Riki Christodoulou is still buzzing from his debut Formula A success at the first round of the 2005 BTE Lawline/Renault MSA British Championship two weeks ago at the Three sisters circuit in Wigan.
The sixteen year started his ’05 campaign on the right foot by showing some impressive speed at the Italian Winter Garda Cup and taking a podium result at the British Open before winning the second final of the national series one week later.
This season represents the second year in succession that ‘Christo’ has moved up through the categories and is now competing in Karting’s premier Formula A class.
“Three sisters was wicked,” he reflected. “It felt like quite a while since I’d had that winning feeling. Going from the Winter Cup and through the British Open I knew I was driving well and I felt confident. Formula A is a bit harder from what I am used to, but a year in the ICA division helped me to prepare. The engines and Karts are only a little different but the driving standard is good. The others don’t give up the corners easily and the speed is more or less the same across the board.”
Coming towards the end of his schooling Riki is now starting to dedicate more time in the gym and towards realising his intentions of becoming a professional racing driver. The teenager will be using mainly his Birel/TM Kart throughout 2005 including outings in the Italian Open Championship that he contests as part of the MGM team.
“I will be doing more races in Europe this year and the calendar is looking quite busy,” he said. “The Italian Open is an important series and a competitive one. I made some good performances there last season in the ICA class and to get some decent results in Formula A would mean further progression.”
“I have gotten used to the Birel now. Instead of jumping from one Kart to the other we have decided to settle on one set of equipment and see how we get on.”
Riki travels to Lenato for the opening round of the Italian Championship over Easter and stays on the continent to take part in the inaugural French domestic meeting at Salbris the weekend after.
The second round of the British series takes place at PF International on April 16th-17th.
About Riki Christo
Riki Christodoulou has been racing as long as he can remember. Through karts, Formula Renault and now in the British Formula 3 International series. Riki continues to compete in top flight motorsport as one of the UK’s most promising young racing car drivers.
