Riki’s Blog

On Friday we were off the pace in testing and it was began to look like it was going to be an uphill battle over the weekend. We made a few changes for qualifying on Saturday morning and straight away I found a new pace and managed to keep it, on both sets of new tyres, for the whole session. It put me 3rd and 4th for the main races and the car felt fantastic to drive.

For the first race started on 3rd and got a really good start straight into second place off the line. I was right on Nasr’s gearbox into turn one but couldn’t quite make it. A few laps in I made a mistake into turn 6 over the bumps and locked up my front tyres, which catapulted the car straight into the gravel. I lost three places and was extremely angry about it, but I was able to get onto the track and pass my team mate for a 5th place finish, which was a slight consolation.

Race 2 was a reversed grid setup. I started 6th and had a good first lap battle, going around the outside of a car in turn 3 sideways, but managing to kept it on the track and pulling a position back.

In Race 3 I started 4th. Again, it wasn’t a good start and was on Magnussen’s gearbox for the first few laps until a safety car slowed the pack down. Nasr backed the whole field up at a really low speed which made it pretty hard not to go into the car in front of you but whilst still trying to keep tyre temperature up to a reasonable level. The race got back underway, and I was able to put a move on Nasr in turn 2, which gave me 3rd place which I kept it until the of the 40 minute race, winning some more good points for both my and Hitech Racing’s championships.

There is now a month-long break until the next race at Brands Hatch GP; another track I really like. In my final F3 races here in 2009 I scored both 2nd and 3rd place on the day, so I can’t wait to be back in the car for the main event.

Category: Riki's Blog

On Friday 15th January I was lucky enough to take part in the annual Racing4Charity Kart race at the Autosport International show in Birmingham.  The event was raising money for ‘Malaria No More’ and the final total was around £60,000!

The race is organised by David Brabham and Bill Williams, and they manage to bring drivers from all over the world to race in this event.

I was in the same team as last year, but we raced under a different name, ”The Loose Cannons” – one I’d dreamt up whilst on the phone to my good friend and team captain Duncan Tappy – it made us laugh, so we went for it!

We managed to win it last year, so with our spot on the podium at stake, we all wanted to make sure we would finish 1st again, obviously…! 

The race was held in the Live Action Arena and was put together in just 20 minutes. The only significant problem was the red and white crash barriers, they didnt have any water or sand in them to weigh them down, and once the first few drivers got in the karts for practice, we were getting red flagged every two minutes with these big lumps of plastic flying up in the air!

Anyway, the race finally began and our team took the lead. Around 20 red flags later we were still out in front, but my cousin Adam Christodoulou was on the tail of our team mate Paul Rees, and so we were hanging over the pit wall screaming and shouting encouragement for him to keep pushing hard to stay in front,.

Adam passed Paul with just five minutes to go, but then Paul managed to re-overtake Adam for the lead again so we had a right race on our hands! The final two miniutes were crazy-intense! Adam pushed Paul out of the way, and with only one-and-a-bit laps to go so we were going mental about what had just happened. But after the next two corners it didn’t matter as there was no track left to race on! The fragile track boundaries had totally fell apart and barriers were flying around three metres up in the air, so the race was red flagged yet again, and as the rules state the result is based on the last full lap meaning we regained the win – which of course was the right decision after some dirty driving ;P

It was like we had won a Formula 1 race (well, sort of)! Bring on next year :)

Category: Riki's Blog

On Friday the 20th I took part in the BBC Children in Need Charity 24 hr Simulator Race at The Race Centre in Southampton.

Including myself, Team Autosport also featured British drivers Adam Christodoulou, James Calado and Harry Tincknell – and very briefly ex-F1 driver and TV presenter Tiff Needell and a BBC News reporter (called Steve – I know no more!) who each did short stints then left the other 23 hours and 15 minutes to us four!

A total of ten teams entered including Team Virgin, Mclaren Racing and Team Porsche to name just a few.

The race was like the real thing – we were driving LMP1 cars around Laguna Seca (in the US) - with pit stops every half an hour for driver changes, cold tyres out of the pit lane and night time racing which made it extremly hard to see where we were going!

We battled hard with Team Virgin to secure an eventual 3rd place and the fastest lap at the end of a very tiring racing session. Most of the teams had about eight drivers so it gave them longer rest periods while the four of us didn’t get much sleep at all… just three hours each in the end!

It really surprised me how long 24 hours actually lasts when you’re in a continuous race, and so now I have even more respect for the Le Mans teams and drivers after discovering how easy it is to lose concentration and make a mistake.

A big thanks  to the Race Centre for putting on a great event which raised a fantastic £7000 for a very worthy cause – the 2009 Children in Need appeal – and also to all the other drivers who competed over the course of the day.

Category: Riki's Blog

Last week, I and a number of other drivers from the Rising Stars/Superstars programmes were lucky to attended ‘An Evening with Mark Webber’ at the BRDC Clubhouse at Silverstone.

Mark gave us a great insight to his past and present career, and what he has to do to remain a world class a racing driver in the world of Formula 1.

I really enjoyed the chilled out conversation with Mark. He talked about all the sacrifices he had to make when he was younger to get there. It took a little bit of pressure off my shoulders because as a driver it can become very hard to keep pushing 110% when you might not know what or where you’ll be racing in the coming months, so for Mark to say he was at one point in the same position that I’m in my career gave me even more drive to not give up and to keep pushing.

Once again, I would like to thank the BRDC for helping young drivers like myself, and for putting on yet another enjoyable evening.

Category: Riki's Blog

My weekend at Brands Hatch went very well. It was a consistant and solid performance during testing, qualifying and the races.

The team gave me a very good car from the off, which I was able to drive hard immediately and let me get up into the times. First quali should of been my first pole position of the year, but I ended up third due to another driver slowing down and wrecking my last corner. I was more than fast enough for the front row start, but that’s the nature racing and these things happen.

In the second qualifying session I was third again which left me very happy with my results and looking forward to the races.

Race 1 was very processional. I remained on Chilton’s rear wing most of the race but couldn’t get that bit closer for the required lunge, so I took third at the chequered flag.

In race two I got a great start, and powered around Ricciardo. I was close to Chilton going into turn one but had to back out of a move. Again I was on his bumper throughout the race and ultimately finished in 2nd.

It was a very consistant weekend with good results, I just wish most of my races this year were had been like this. If I hadn’t had so many DNF’s this season I know a top 3 finish in the championship is where I would have been in 2009, but thats the way the cookie crumbles sometimes!

Category: Riki's Blog

I was racing at the new Algarve circuit at the weekend for the penultimate races in my rookie British F3 season. It was a very tough and hot couple of days which started well, but in the second race things went wrong and I disappointingly only made it to the 2nd corner.

Each session during testing I was getting faster, as were the other cars. There were many Euro F3 teams racing as well this weekend, which made the competition even tougher, but which was something I was enjoying.

Qualifying went well for me in both sessions, again I improved each time. I got P10 and P7 with all the Euro drivers in the mix. In Race 1 I finished 7th, after quite a bit of action during the race.

But Race 2 was a different story. I got to turn one still in 7th position, but as the field braked for turn two I was was hit from behind by one of the Euro drivers which bent my rear suspension – it ended my race. I was absolutely gutted because I knew the car had been improving all weekend and it was looking forward to notching up more well-earned points for my Championship.

But that’s what happens in racing and I’m keeping my chin up. I’ll be at Brands Hatch GP this weekend for the final round and will be giving it my all to finish my season on a high.

Category: Riki's Blog

This weekend is the final race weekend of the British Formula 3 Championship. I’m racing at Brands Hatch GP which is a fantastic circuit to drive. I have so far only done a one day test there, earlier on this year, so I’m looking forward to getting back on the track and giving it my all.

I cant believe how fast the season has gone, each year just seems to go quicker and quicker!

It’s been a few days since I got back from the Algarve and I’ve had to put the dissapointment behind me and focus on this weekend, which I can’t wait for. It’s still possible for me to get up to 4th in the Championship so I’ll be pushing really hard from the very first session tomorrow to make sure I get back up there and finish my Rookie season off as strong as I can.

Category: Riki's Blog

Last Friday I was invited along to the BRDC Clubhouse at Silverstone for an evening talk with Anthony Reid, Matt Jackson and Paul O’Neill, interviewed by Ian Titchmarsh.

The evening involved them talking about their careers and life, giving information on how they got to where they are now. The main message was about putting in the hard work, dedication and sacrifice, which I related to and I’m sure most of the other drivers in the room could as well.

The evening was wrapped up with dinner – something which I couldn’t wait for!

A really good and enjoyable evening.

Category: Riki's Blog

Last week I got to do a fitness test at the Porsche centre at Silverstone, which was organised through the BRDC Superstar programme. It was really good fun to get all my results on paper and to know how I’m doing with my fitness – very good apparently.

While I was there I was tested on my reactions, strength, VO2 max and vision, all of which was recorded and analysed.

It was a little harder doing a fitness test during the season because with travelling and doing the races its almost impossible to keep up as high a level as it is during my winter training programmes, so I’m looking forward to doing the test again at the end of the year and beating the results I got this time!

Category: Riki's Blog