2007 Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship,
Rounds 19 & 20, Thruxton, 13th & 14th October 2007

Race 1: Qualified 2nd, Finished 1st
Race 2: Qualified 4th, Finished 3rd

Duncan Tappy claimed the championship that he has been chasing all season in dominant style with a win and fastest lap, throwing in a new lap record for luck. F1 stars Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen are among previous Formula Renault UK winners. He wins £10,000 and a test in a World Series by Renault FR 3.5 car. Visiting the Fortec team today was F1’s Heikki Kovalainen and former Fortec Formula Renault UK racer.

Having qualified in second Duncan started alongside Adam Christodoulou needing to set the fastest lap and win to take the title in the first race. Duncan got the better start and took the lead but going into the Complex Adam reclaimed the lead. Duncan’s teammate Riki Christodoulou then got an aerodynamic tow from Duncan and passed leaving the Christodoulou cousins battling ahead. On lap ten Duncan set the fastest race lap and waited.

He was rewarded when on lap 12 of 19 the cousins collided putting them out of contention and handing Duncan the lead. From there Duncan pulled away to take the chequered flag, his ninth win, 16th podium and the championship. “I just tried to think of it as a normal race. I got a great start and kept away from trouble and braked a bit early when I could see the Christodoulou battle ending in tears. I was able to pick up the pieces and drive away.”

Duncan didn’t let up for race two and showed his pace by repeatedly improving on his fastest lap set in race one. After dropping to fifth at the start he passed Alexander Sims on lap three and then Dean Smith on the 14th lap to take his 16th podium out of twenty. “I was determined to finish on the podium and set the fastest lap to show I was quickest on the day We’d made a small change to the car and it was just
amazingly fast but maybe having the championship in the bag helped as well.”

After the race, he said: “I’m absolutely elated! We’ve achieved what we set out to do this season but the main thing I’m feeling at the moment is relief. It’s great to have a championship sealed in one of the most important single-seater categories in the world.

“It’s been down to consistency and the highest achievement by far in my career. Following in the footsteps of former champions Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen is fantastic. We’re looking at World Series by Renault for the next step or maybe Euro F3.

“I’m really looking forward to the World Series test and getting a taste for what I hope to be my 2008 season. I can’t praise Fortec enough for everything they’ve done. It’s been up and down as always but we’ve had more ups by far. It’s an amazing feeling.”

•   Filed under: Formula Renault UK
•   Tagged as: Fortec Motorsport, Thruxton