Christo frustrated by technical problems at Shenington

Riki Christodoulou lost his lead in the 2006 Formula A Renault Elf B4 Super 1 British Championship last Sunday after a luckless outing at his home circuit Shenington for the second round of the series.

After qualifying on pole position, the 17 year old experienced engine problems in both of the preliminary heats. He had to fight his way through from a grid position of 17th in the first of the two finals to 7th but was hit off the circuit in the second race and was lucky to escape injury.

It was a bitter blow for the 2005 Formula A runner-up from Sutton Coldfield who won the first two finals in Wigan last month.

“It was really close for the pole position and everybody was pushing hard,” he said. “My weekend started on the wrong foot when the engine seized in the first heat. We then had further problems in the second heat and it put me down in 17th on the grid for the finals. I fought through to about 4th or 5th but I found that people were driving erratically. There was a lot of defensive driving going on from the second lap and it made for rubbish racing. I knew that the Renault bosses were there watching and I think it made people nervous. It was like bumper cars out there.”
“I set off from 7th for the second final and was in 3rd or 4th until I was smacked from behind and ran into Gary Catt,” he continued. “We both went off the track and onto a grass bank. He hit another driver in front of him and I ended up under his kart with his wheels spinning on my hands and arms; that was the end of the weekend.”

“It was frustrating because we had been fastest again but the problems in the heats meant that we had to start far back and even the best driver in the world is going to have problems carving through traffic like that,” the former national junior Champion added. “I just have to look forward to next weekend now.”

‘Christo’ lies a provisional second in the standings behind Mark Litchfield with the worst results being dropped in the Championship points system. On Wednesday he will head to Italy and the La Conca circuit for the first meeting in the European Championships. The third round of the British series will take place in three weeks time at PF.

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