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D'Agostino Bags Fastest Lap in Formula Renault
Debut Weekend
Formula Ford frontrunner Joe D'Agostino's debut Formula Renault race weekend produced sterling efforts - obtaining fastest lap and a circuit best lap of 1 minute 31.114 seconds during race two of the day yesterday [Sunday 11th September 2005] at the Donington Park GP circuit.
Making a guest appearance in the Formula Renault UK Championship ahead of an F3 test today [Monday] with Raikkonen Robertson Racing in Pembrey, actual race results weren't quite what D'Agostino hoped for when damp conditions at the Leicestershire circuit hampered his efforts.
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Joe D'Agostino in a Formula Renault |
Despite being 6th fastest in practice, rain on Saturday - the day of race qualifying - resulted in the young Floridian starting both races towards the back of the grid in 24th place.
With a damp - yet drying track for the first race of the day on Sunday- it was decided to run with slick tyres in a bid to gain an advantage over most of the other runners - the majority running wet (grooved) tyres - to improve track position, hoping a dry line would develop on the circuit.
Unfortunately, the gamble didn't pay off and all three Team JLR cars of Tom Kimber-Smith, Stephen Simpson and D'Agostino slipped down the field due to the slippery track surface. "In hindsight, we probably should have run wets, but we gambled and could have come out hero, but you don't learn until you make those sorts of decisions" said D'Agostino afterwards.
The three team-mates - Jason Tahinci having moved to Team AKA - finished round 15 in 18th, 19th and 20th respectively, the tyres just beginning to find grip during the closing stages of the race - stopped after 9 laps due to Rodolfo Gonzalez sending his Manor Motorsport car upside down.
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The three Team JLR racers |
The final race of the day for Renault's free World Series event - attended by over 50 000 people - was round 16 of the Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin. During the course of the day, the track had completely dried out so all three Team JLR drivers were looking improve on their qualifying track positions. Simpson starting from 10th, Kimber-Smith from 13th and D'Agostino back in 24th, all were able to make places up off the start line and enjoying on-track battles.
Simpson fought his way up to 5th place overall and Kimber-Smith to 8th - despite being slowed by part of a marker post being lodged under his front wing for the most of the race.
D'Agostino - having a good start and applying pressure to his rivals was making progress through the field when the apex of the Old Hairpin sent him spinning into the gravel. Fortunately, able to rejoin - the young Renault rookie pushed hard to prove to himself - and others of his pace in only his second Formula Renault race and claim the fastest lap record.
"There was nobody around me so I just did the best job that I could and tried to put in the fastest laps that I could and I got fastest lap of the race and it's a new lap record so I'm pleased with that" commented an up-beat D'Agostino as the Team packed away afterwards.
The penultimate weekend of the Formula Renault UK Championship is this weekend of September 17th and 18th when Team JLR will be racing at Silverstone - home of the British Formula 1 Grand Prix.
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