The 2010 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship was the 22nd
British Formula Renault Championship. The season began at
Thruxton on 3 April and ended on 10 October at
Brands Hatch, after twenty rounds held in
England, and for the first time since 2006,
Scotland.[1] Making its debut in the series in 2010 was the new-specification car, designed by
Barazi-Epsilon,[2] replacing the Tatuus chassis that had been in the series since 2000.[2]
At the age of 16 years, 314 days, Anglo-Swedish driver
Tom Blomqvist of the
Fortec Motorsport team became the youngest drivers' champion in series history after coming out on top of a season-long battle with his rivals.[3] Despite winning just three races – coming in succession at
Silverstone National and
Knockhill – Blomqvist won the championship due to his superior finishing record, finishing 19 of the season's 20 races within the top seven placings; giving Fortec their third title in the last four seasons.
Lewis Williamson of
Manor Competition finished the season as runner-up behind Blomqvist, 14 points behind on overall scores, but was eight points closer on the series' championship system in which a driver's two worst scores are not considered towards the championship. Williamson took five victories during the season, but mistakes at Brands Hatch when he spun out of the lead while leading the race and a poor start in the final race, as well as errors at Croft prevented him from becoming Manor's second successive champion after
Dean Smith's triumph in
2009.
Also in the running for the championship at the final Brands Hatch meeting were
Atech GP's
Tamás Pál Kiss and Williamson's Manor teammate
Will Stevens, but poor results for both drivers in the first race mathematically eliminated them from contention. Pál Kiss had started the season strongly, having finished on the podium in six of the first seven races with three victories but failed to reach the top step of the podium in any of the remaining races, taking just two further podiums en route to third place in the championship. Stevens took fourth in the championship finishing nine points behind Pál Kiss on overall scores and 20 on dropped scores after finishing every race of the season including victories at Thruxton and the Brands Hatch GP meeting.
CRS Racing's top driver was
Harry Tincknell, who finished fifth in the championship with victories at Rockingham and
Snetterton.
Five other drivers tasted success during the season, with only
Riki Christodoulou not finishing within the top ten of the championship, due to him not partaking in the full campaign. Ollie Millroy was another winner for Manor, when he won from pole position at Snetterton, Pál Kiss' Atech GP teammates
Nick Yelloly and
Marlon Stöckinger each won races at Brands Hatch and Croft respectively, Christodoulou won the season finale at Brands Hatch for Fortec, while CRS Racing's Robert Foster-Jones won at Knockhill before retiring at the end of the season, aged just 20 years old. In other championships, Alex Lynn bested Fabio Gamberini for Graduate Cup honours for first-year drivers, while Manor Competition comfortable won the Entrants' Championship by 96 points.
1.^ – The first race at
Brands Hatch was cancelled due to bad weather conditions.[24] As a result, the race was run at the
Silverstone round of the championship, with grid positions standing for the race.[25]
Standings
Drivers' Championship
Points were awarded on a 32–28–25–22–20–18–16–14–12–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis, with 2 points for fastest lap. A driver's 18 best results counted towards the championship, with Graduate Cup runners' best 15 scores counting for that classification.
Fortec Motorsport again took honours for the Series, as main season Graduate Cup winner Alex Lynn won the title after winning three of the six races to be held. He finished 17 points clear of teammate
Joni Wiman, who made his Formula Renault début during the series having competed in
ADAC Formel Masters, and claimed a victory at Pembrey.
Jack Hawksworth finished third in his first single-seater championship, having taken two podiums and five top-ten finishes in his first six races out of karting for Mark Burdett Motorsport.
Atech GP driver
Richie Stanaway and
Oliver Rowland of
CRS Racing claimed the remaining victories as they finished in fifth and seventh places respectively. With five class wins, Fortec's
Josh Webster won the BARC Winter Cup for the
Formula Renault BARC competitors.
^Turner, Kevin, ed. (2010-08-05). "Sports Extra: Christodoulou rejoins Fortec for Formula Renault UK assault". Autosport. 201 (6).
Haymarket Publications: 91.
The 2010 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship was the 22nd
British Formula Renault Championship. The season began at
Thruxton on 3 April and ended on 10 October at
Brands Hatch, after twenty rounds held in
England, and for the first time since 2006,
Scotland.[1] Making its debut in the series in 2010 was the new-specification car, designed by
Barazi-Epsilon,[2] replacing the Tatuus chassis that had been in the series since 2000.[2]
At the age of 16 years, 314 days, Anglo-Swedish driver
Tom Blomqvist of the
Fortec Motorsport team became the youngest drivers' champion in series history after coming out on top of a season-long battle with his rivals.[3] Despite winning just three races – coming in succession at
Silverstone National and
Knockhill – Blomqvist won the championship due to his superior finishing record, finishing 19 of the season's 20 races within the top seven placings; giving Fortec their third title in the last four seasons.
Lewis Williamson of
Manor Competition finished the season as runner-up behind Blomqvist, 14 points behind on overall scores, but was eight points closer on the series' championship system in which a driver's two worst scores are not considered towards the championship. Williamson took five victories during the season, but mistakes at Brands Hatch when he spun out of the lead while leading the race and a poor start in the final race, as well as errors at Croft prevented him from becoming Manor's second successive champion after
Dean Smith's triumph in
2009.
Also in the running for the championship at the final Brands Hatch meeting were
Atech GP's
Tamás Pál Kiss and Williamson's Manor teammate
Will Stevens, but poor results for both drivers in the first race mathematically eliminated them from contention. Pál Kiss had started the season strongly, having finished on the podium in six of the first seven races with three victories but failed to reach the top step of the podium in any of the remaining races, taking just two further podiums en route to third place in the championship. Stevens took fourth in the championship finishing nine points behind Pál Kiss on overall scores and 20 on dropped scores after finishing every race of the season including victories at Thruxton and the Brands Hatch GP meeting.
CRS Racing's top driver was
Harry Tincknell, who finished fifth in the championship with victories at Rockingham and
Snetterton.
Five other drivers tasted success during the season, with only
Riki Christodoulou not finishing within the top ten of the championship, due to him not partaking in the full campaign. Ollie Millroy was another winner for Manor, when he won from pole position at Snetterton, Pál Kiss' Atech GP teammates
Nick Yelloly and
Marlon Stöckinger each won races at Brands Hatch and Croft respectively, Christodoulou won the season finale at Brands Hatch for Fortec, while CRS Racing's Robert Foster-Jones won at Knockhill before retiring at the end of the season, aged just 20 years old. In other championships, Alex Lynn bested Fabio Gamberini for Graduate Cup honours for first-year drivers, while Manor Competition comfortable won the Entrants' Championship by 96 points.
1.^ – The first race at
Brands Hatch was cancelled due to bad weather conditions.[24] As a result, the race was run at the
Silverstone round of the championship, with grid positions standing for the race.[25]
Standings
Drivers' Championship
Points were awarded on a 32–28–25–22–20–18–16–14–12–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis, with 2 points for fastest lap. A driver's 18 best results counted towards the championship, with Graduate Cup runners' best 15 scores counting for that classification.
Fortec Motorsport again took honours for the Series, as main season Graduate Cup winner Alex Lynn won the title after winning three of the six races to be held. He finished 17 points clear of teammate
Joni Wiman, who made his Formula Renault début during the series having competed in
ADAC Formel Masters, and claimed a victory at Pembrey.
Jack Hawksworth finished third in his first single-seater championship, having taken two podiums and five top-ten finishes in his first six races out of karting for Mark Burdett Motorsport.
Atech GP driver
Richie Stanaway and
Oliver Rowland of
CRS Racing claimed the remaining victories as they finished in fifth and seventh places respectively. With five class wins, Fortec's
Josh Webster won the BARC Winter Cup for the
Formula Renault BARC competitors.
^Turner, Kevin, ed. (2010-08-05). "Sports Extra: Christodoulou rejoins Fortec for Formula Renault UK assault". Autosport. 201 (6).
Haymarket Publications: 91.