Snetterton (England), Sep 1 (IANS): Young Indian driver Tarun Reddy achieved his best racing weekend with a double podium finish in the UK Formula Renault Championship by finishing second, third and fourth here.
The 16-year-old, who is also leading the MRF 1600 National Racing Championship, went fastest in Friday practice at his debut on the Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit.
The Chennai boy’s second place in Race 1 was his best result till date in Britain and he backed it up with two more excellent performances in his MGR Motorsport car. This came on the back of his triple win the weekend before on home ground in the Formula MRF 1600 series.
Reddy qualified fourth for Races 1 and 3 and sixth for Race 2, and was a little disappointed not to be further up. He had a good start in the opening race, almost managing to pass some of the drivers in front.
He jumped to second on Lap 4 and shook off a challenge from Italian Matteo Ferrer, a race winner this season. He then consolidated the position behind triple race winner Pietro Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi.
“We were very good in testing but I have to work at optimising my new tyres in qualifying. Even though it is my first visit to Snetterton, I was comfortable with the car immediately. My pace was a lot better than Ferrer so we were able to edge away,” said Reddy.
In Race 2, Reddy made a sensational start to move from sixth to third.
“I got a very good start and passed three drivers in the first two corners. That put me in third. There on I drove a consistent race and kept with the drivers in front of me,” he said.
Once again Tarun made progress at the start of the final race, rising from fourth to third when he passed another race winner this season, Piers Hickin. But Hickin moved back ahead on Lap 4 and Reddy this time finished fourth.
“I had another good start and tried to lunge two drivers at the hairpin but I only got Hickin. The problem was I damaged my wing in Race 2 that caused some heavy wear with the tyres. So for Race 3 my tyres were finished and I was also losing power over the races. Hickin came flying past me on the straight and fourth was all I could manage," he said.
There are three weeks to go before the penultimate round of the championship at Croft Sep 20-21.
“We’ve had a day of testing at Croft and we seemed quite fast. It would be a good place for my first win in Britain and I will give it 100 percent," said Reddy.