Further misfortune for Riki after penultimate Brands meeting
22nd Aug 2007
Promising ‘Formula Renault UK with Michelin’ series driver Riki Christodoulou has had a brace of unlucky races within the popular and competitive championship. He suffered two DNFs recently at Snetterton, while last weekend at Brands Hatch a spin in damp testing meant that 12th and 7th were his results after two lowly positions on the starting grid.
The nineteen year old from Sutton Coldfield was fastest around the Kent venue in humid conditions during testing but overstepped the mark and spun out at the tight Druids corner. He then struggled in the second qualification session to place 10th meaning a hefty handicap for the two races in his Fortec machine.
“I was confident and comfortable in testing but the losing the rear end of the car just shook me up a little bit and I couldn’t get in the same groove or get the same feeling with the car afterwards,” he recalls. “I was so far back on the grid for the first race that the marshal asked me if I could see the lights! I looked at him and saw that he wasn’t joking.”
“It was wet for the first one and I had a good start but it was tough to pass,” he continued. “I wanted to show what I could do but it was far from easy. In the second race I started from 10th position, which was slightly better, and then really enjoyed myself. I made two positions around the outside of Druids and kept a consistent pace and was passing quite a few people. The car’s performance went a bit off when the safety car came out but then the tyres warmed up again and I was able to take seventh.”
“It was far from a good weekend and after being hit at Snetterton and also having a mechanical problem in the second race it has been two meetings in a row now without much luck.”
Former British Junior Karting Champion ‘Christo’ has dropped to seventh in the championship standings in his first year single-seater racing. The final round takes place at Thruxton (where he scored his best result to-date with second position) on October 13th/14th but first is the World Series event at Donington Park on September 8th/9th.
“The championship is gone now but I will keep plugging away because I want my first win before the end of the season,” he added.
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.
