2014  International & Single Seater News News of WRDA members who are competing in the International & Single Seater arena.

Jake Rattenbury scores a podium to qualify for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final! by Marion Allender

 Next on track on Saturday morning, after the Formula Renault NEC, was Jake Rattenbury in the Blancpain Lamborghini Super Trofeo. The Lamborghini Super Trofeo is split into 3 zones, Europe, Asia and North America, with all 3 joining together for a World Final.

 Jake, who is also a Student at Swansea taking a Motorsport Management Course at Trinity St Davids (formerly Swansea Met) needed to score well to seal 3^rd place in AM Class, and qualify for the world final of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo on 20-22 November, in Sepang, Malaysia.  However Jake was unable set a time in qualifying for race 1, when the team found a potential problem with the brakes after his team-mate Jan Van Ustel had done his qualifying laps. This left Jan & Jake stranded at the back of the 12 car AM class! There was a thunderstorm just before start, and Van Ustel started the 1 hour race with Jake taking the second stint in the 4WD Gallardo (as in ga:yàrdo) and after taking over, Jake drove well to consolidate himself in 17^th place only 2/10^th behind the Flamini & Shauto car, sweeping by shortly after into 16^th place overall (5^th in Class) at the Schumacher Esses! In the closing stages Jake was nose to tail with the cars of Legganov and Tanca, but was not able to make any further headway. Jakes’ father Ken summed up ‘Considering where the car started, for Jake it bring it home 5^th in the class was an achievement’ Jake himself confirmed, ‘The front tyres had gone late on, and that made it hard to turn in! ‘  (Above. Get an eyeful of Sundays awful Eifel weather! (photo Bp Lamborghini Super Trofeo)  (left Team Rattenbury (Photo by Rob Allender)

On Sunday morning with the ‘Ring covered by a blanket of fog and rain, Race 2 started behind a pace car but the race was underway after 20 minutes, and this time Jann & Jake were able to make use of a better starting position, and Jake brought the car home in 11^th place overall & 3^rd in Class AM, behind Swiss driver Davide Durante and Roberto Tanca, to seal his 3^rd place championship finish! Both the start and the finish of the race were under safety-car conditions, as the first 20 minutes were deeply affected by thick fog, while with just 10 minutes to go, torrential rain drastically reduced visibility!  So Jake and his dad Ken were delighted, as Jake has impressed the grid with his application and efforts, and he is picking up some welcome recognition for his work with simulators, and as Lamborghini launch their new Huracán LP 620-2 car, further opportunities may come his way! Next up will be Sepang, Malaysia for the world final of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo on 20-22 November. In the meantime Ken was looking forward to the time he can get out in the Welsh Championship himself!

Now one or two of those Lambos would fit in nicely!

BLancpain Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe

Class Am Pos. Name Points

1st Simone Pellegrinelli, Italy 126 Points

2nd Abkhazava Shota, Georgia  100 Pts

3rd Jake Rattenbury, Wales 66 Points

2015 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Europe Calendar

11-12 April                Monza (ITA) 

22-24 May                Silverstone (GBR)             

27-28 June               Paul Ricard (FRA)               

22-26 July                Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)

18-20 September     Nürburgring (DEU)

http://www.blancpain.com/en/lamborghini-blancpain-super-trofeo