2012  International & Single Seater News

News of WRDA members who are competing in the International & Single Seater arena.

 

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Crucial weekend for Morris at Donington Park by Rob Allender Background Marion Allender- photos Jacob Ebray

Happy days (1) - Seb celebrates winning at Rockinham (photo Jacob Ebray)

WRDA member & Young Welsh Driver of the Year Seb Morris, is getting ready for a crucial 3 race weekend at Donington Park that could yet define his 2012 season.

Having seen his early season dominance drift away when he won both races at Rockingam, with seemingly disastrous weekends at Thruxton & Croft, Morris from Wrexham, is now in 3rd place overall, but is still in a position to affect the ultimate outcome of the 2012 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship.

With 5 races left to run in the 14 race championship, but only 13 scores to count, there are still a potential 170 points at stake.

Moreover although Morris only scored 21 points in the last 4 races, crucial he had two non-finishes! This means that whilst his main rivals, Scott Malvern & Josh Webster, can in effect only count 4 scores from the next 5 races, all Morris’ scores will count from now on!

So if either Malvern or Webster hit a bad patch, and Morris & the Fortec team can re-find their early season form, Seb, a double Junior Champion in 2011, could still find himself in contention for a third title win in a row, in what is his debut year in the Senior ranks!

Following on from a recent test sessions at nearby Mallory Park, Donington Park and other locations Seb confirmed ‘Testing has gone really well. We feel like we are back on the pace. Donington is probably my favourite track, so I’m really looking forward to next weekend. I’m going out there to try and win as many races as I can before the end of the season.'

Although Morris, seemingly secure in 3rd place overall, is trying to manage expectations by saying "There’s no pressure at all” he will know that if he and the Fortec team can turn his grid position after qualifing, back into the strength it was in the first 5 races of the season it can put him back into contention for the overall title. The crucial qualifying sessions start at 10.30 on Saturday, 18th August, with the first of the weekend’s at 15.50. Races two and three are on Sunday, 19th August, with the final 2 races of the season at Silverstone on 16/17 October

   

2012 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship (after Rd9):

1st Scott Malvern 234 points 2nd Josh Webster 227 pts 3rd Seb Morris, 161pts

Happy Days (2) at Rockingham - Morris takes the winners laurels - flanked by 2nd placed Scott Malvern (left) and 3rd placed James Fletcher (photo Robert Allender)

Formula Renault BARC Championship cars, are designed to put the emphasis on driver skill. All cars have a carbon fibre chassis by French manufacturer TATUUS fitted with 2.0 litre Renault Clio engine. The engine is tuned and sealed by French engine-tuners Oreca, and develop 192 bhp. All cars run on control Michelin Tyres.

The only features that the teams can tune are tyre pressures, the shock absorbers and the 6 speed gearbox which has a choice of 3 different set of gears. The driver has a cockpit adjustable brake balance bar. Apart from that it is all down to the driver.

There is a long list of notable drivers to come from the ranks of Formula Renault, amongst whom are F1 champions Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton and current Torro Rosso driver Daniel Riccardo and Finish driver Valtteri Bottas now with the Renault Williams F1 team.

Report Robert Allender Background Marion Allender- photos Jacob Ebray & Robert Allender

Website: http://www.sebmorris.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sebmorrisracing

Twitter: @sebmorris31