The Sutton Coldfield based driver raced at Oulton Park in the kick-off event of the British GT Championship. With only a brief opportunity to test the car two weeks ago, his return was a rapid step back into the world of professional competition driving in a series that pitches drivers against opponents in Porsches, Ferraris, BMW’s and Aston Martins.

Frustrating problems left the team without traction control and ABS over the weekend which would prove to be a hinderance, but Riki was optimistic, “The team and I were learning more about the car each time I went out on track this weekend. In the dry qualifying I was able to put some really good times in, but even so, we were still 2 seconds off the Porsche.”

Poor weather meant the two Bank Holiday Monday races were a wet and wild washout. Riki’s teammate Jody Firth started race one in their Ginetta G55 GT3, but bad conditions resulted in an bad start and the car ended up towards the back of the pack. An anxious Riki waited in the garage for 30 minutes – the first half of the race – waiting for his first chance to take the wheel. A newcomer to GT style racing he remarked, ”It is a weird feeling being involved in a race but not actually starting it, there’s nothing you can do until it’s your turn to take control of the car.”

For race two Riki got his chance to start a race. The heavens opened once more, and it meant he experienced his first ever rolling start in GT series, ”When I raced in single seaters the spray that came from underneath the car was really bad but this was on another level! I couldn’t see anything but faint brake lights for about 15 minutes, all that was in front of me was pure white mist.

“Apart from not being able to see, I really enjoyed driving in the wet. The other cars had a technical advantage over us with our lack ofABS and traction control, so I just did my job and brought the car home for the team, enjoying the experience of being back in a race seat again.”

Upon completing the days racing Riki commented, ”Overall I really enjoyed my first race in the GTs. It’s a new challenge and one which I’m looking forward to working hard for and building upon in the coming months.”

Riki and Jody Finished 14th and 16th in the two races respectively, and expect to improve quickly as the season progresses. The next race is at the Nurburgring in Germany on the 19th of May. For updates, follow Riki on Twitter, @RikiChristo.

Despite a year away from the track, Riki has remained in peak condition keeping up continual training and is as eager as ever to get behind the wheel and start competing in races in with his new team.

Talking about the announcement Riki commented, “I am over the moon to have secured a deal to race with Team WFR. I have been trying for so long to get back in a race car it was driving me mad, so now I can forge ahead and focus on the job. I will be working extremely hard for the team so we can be competitive from the off. I can’t wait to get started.”

The exciting prospect of a new season holds new challenges for the 23 year old British driver, this being the first season in a non single-seater class.

Details of the arrangements and race pairing in the upcoming season will be released shortly. For more information regarding the announcement, please visit the Team WFR website.

Starting at the classic Italian track in Monza, ‘Christo’ had a strong first weekend on a circuit which he had not previously raced on. Despite the onset of a few problems during the event, he managed to finish comfortably in his first competitive Formula 3 drive since 2009.

Back on home soil, the venue for the second race of the season was Oulton. Christo suffered in testing and qualifying, but scored a great result in the race with an outright win. On the podium he was joined by Hitech Racing teammate, sealing an enjoyable 1st-2nd victory for the team.

At the third meet at Snetterton there were more curveballs in testing, and the weekend didn’t seem to be getting off to a good start. However with a few changes to the setup, a decent result in qualifying, and a bit of hard graft, Christo managed to pull it back to seal admirable 3rd and 4th place finishes, and picked up a fresh crop of championship points in the process.

Riki will take to the track again on the 8th June for testing at Rockingham. With an optimistic outlook, he hopes to race at the next championship event at the Brands Hatch GP circuit soon after, and is keen of develop his early season successes into further victories in the next stages of the 2011 championship.

Riki Christodoulou brought the curtain down on his fragmented Michelin Formula Renault UK Championship in perfect style when the Sutton Coldfield youngster won the final race at Brands Hatch yesterday (Sunday 10 Oct).

“Christo” qualified in pole-position for the 24-lap race, his first No.1 start position since July 2008, and led every lap to achieve his first race victory since July last year, achieved in the British Formula Three Championship.

Riki led home Fortec Motorsport team-mate Tom Blomqvist by 0.732secs around the 1.2-mile “Indy” circuit having finished seventh in the first race earlier in the day – just 7.774secs behind the race winner.

“To start from ‘pole’ and win my final race of the season is the perfect way to end what has been a very difficult and frustrating season,” confirmed Riki.

“I made a perfect start in the second race to lead from the green light and stayed out front all race. In the earlier race I had got up to sixth place but ran wide at Paddock which cost me a place. But the last race of the year is what people will remember and I won it!”

Riki’s diluted season with Daventry-based Fortec Motorsport began in August. The West Midlander netted eight top-10 finishes from 11 race starts – including four podium finishes.

“2010 has been one of the hardest years in my racing career due to the lack of funding,” continued Riki. “I need to progress up the motorsport ‘ladder’ but was forced to sit out nine moths keeping me sidelined from testing and racing.

“I got the opportunity to race in Formula Renault again in the summer. I was pleased but it wasn’t ideal but I had nothing else so I had to grasp the opportunity, to keep my foot in and show what I can do.

“Each race has been a massive struggle having to learn the new car and forget everything I did in the more powerful and aerodynamic Formula 3 car last year but my performances became stronger and improved.

“In that respect I’m happy I made the bold decision to step back down to the Renault series with Fortec in August but now I’m faced with the same problem as last year, trying to find the money so I can keep racing.

“Ideally I want to compete in the Renault World Series next year but again it all depends on finding the necessary budget. I’m not ready to give up my dream of reaching Formula One.”

Brands Hatch nr Fawkham, Kent (Rds 19 & 20)
Race 1: Qualifying: 7th (43.844secs). Misty/Dry. Race Result: 7th (Dry/bright).
Race 2: Qualifying: 1st (43.510s). Misty/Dry. Race Result: 1st (Dry/sunny).

Series Background: Formula Renault UK is regarded as one of the world’s foremost junior single-seater categories. Single-seater racing cars, utilising “slick” treadless tyres, powered by 2-litre, four-cylinder Renault engine (0-100mph 4.85secs).

The 22-year-old started his Fortec Motorsport prepared car from third and fourth places on the 22-car grids in the two races around the 3.67-mile “Grand Prix” track and went on to record a third place “double” in the 12 and 13-lap races – “Christo” a mere 1.356secs behind the winner in the second race.  

“I started Race 2 from fourth on the grid but got great drive off line and was challenging for second place at the first corner,” reflected “Christo”.

“I had to back out of that manoeuvre but pressurized the third-placed guy in to making a mistake in the new Arena section later on around the first lap which earned me third place.

“The two cars ahead had broken away but I put my head down and had reeled them both in by the last lap. I went for a move on my Fortec team-mate for second place but wasn’t able to make it stick – one more lap and things could have been a lot different because I had more pace than the two guys ahead.”

“In the opening race my car suffered from a handling imbalance and I had to defend my third place pretty aggressively but the Fortec guys did a brilliant job in transforming the car for the later race.”

Riki’s season, which only began three months ago after lack of finance quashed his hopes of graduating up the motor racing ladder, comes to a close at Brands – the west Midlander having posted six top-10 finishes – including three podiums – in the nine races he has started.

“I now feel very comfortable back in the Renault car,” commented Riki who also finished third in a charity karting event recently at Daytona Milton Keynes after a marathon 50min driving “stint”.

“I’m setting myself a target of winning one of the two races. I claimed second and third positions the last time I raced down there 12 months ago when my maiden season in Formula Three finished. I feel very optimistic and it would be a great way to thank Fortec and my sponsor Alpinestars for standing by me.”