Christo Suffers Major Disappointment at Rockingham
31st May 2009
- West Midlander endures highs and lows in qualifying and races
- Riki vows to bounce back in Germany next weekend
Riki Christodoulou slipped two places to fifth in the 2009 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series after a sixth place finish in round five before being excluded in the second race at Rockingham today (31 May).
“Christo”, from Sutton Coldfield, heads for the next rounds of the 20-race single-seater category in Germany on Wednesday (3 Jun) now lying 31-points behind series leader Daniel Ricciardo after today’s 30-minute races around the 1.940-mile Rockingham Motor Speedway track near Corby.
The 20-year-old Fortec Motorsport driver had endured contrasting fortunes in the previous day’s two, 30-minute qualifying sessions to line-up his Alpinestars and British Car Registrations sponsored Dallara-Mercedes in eighth and second positions on the 21-car grids – his worst and best qualifying positions respectively of his maiden F3 season – and only denied pole-position by a scant 0.072secs.
“Christo” recorded sixth place in the opening 25-lap race – his fifth consecutive top-six finish from the opening five races – but overtook the pole-starting Marcus Ericsson in to the first corner and completed the opening lap of the second race in the lead before the Safety Car appeared following an accident.
But race officials then deemed Christodoulou had been in the incorrect position on the grid at the start and instructed him to serve a drive-through penalty. The Sutton Coldfield youngster continued to lead for the opening 12-laps as the Fortec team pleaded its case to officials.
Riki duly drove through the pit-lane at regulation speed on the completion of lap 12 and resumed in 11th place but officials immediately excluded him due to the delay in “Christo” serving the penalty.
“I’m hugely disappointed,” reflected Riki. “I had accidentally stopped the car slightly over the white line on the grid after completing the warm-up lap. I tried to reverse but couldn’t get it into gear. The red lights then came on so I knew the race was about to start and then lights went to green so I had to go.
“I got into the lead at the first corner and was pulling away on lap two when the Safety Car came out. My team was talking to race officials as I continued to lead the race. I received the black flag after I’d rejoined the race because it was deemed I should have served my penalty earlier. I must now refocus and do the business by bouncing back after this setback and produce two good points hauls next weekend in Germany.
“I’ve never raced at Hockenheim and only attended the track for the first time earlier this month to watch a DTM event. While it’s obviously my first Formula Three race in Germany, I won my first ever Formula Renault race in Germany at Oschersleben in 2007 having won kart races over there too earlier in my career.”
Next weekend’s two, 30-minute races are staged on Saturday (6 Jun) and Sunday (7 Jun).
Rockingham Motor Speedway nr Corby, Northamptonshire. Rounds 5 & 6
Race 1
Qualifying Pos: 8th (1min 12.770secs) Dry/Sunny. Race Result: 6th (Dry/Sunny).
Race 2
Qualifying Pos: 2nd (1m 12.515s) Dry/Sunny. Race Result: Excluded (Dry/Sunny).
2009 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series
1 D. Ricciardo (Aus) 76points; 2 N. Tandy (GB) 61; 3 Nakajima (JAP) 56; 4 M. Chilton (GB) 46; 5 R. Christodoulou (GB) 45; 6 Grubmuller 42. (Provisional standings).
Next races
Hockenheim nr Mannheim, Germany Rds 7 & 8 (6 & 7 Jun).
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.
