MATTY PASSING THE TESTS IN PRE SEASON TESTING
With the 2014 season around the corner, Matty Graham delivered an almost faultless audition as he took part in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup collective test at the Aragon Motorland circuit last week.
Sitting with the Manor MP Motorsport outfit for the two day test, Matty was looking to gain further experience of machinery he first sampled last October and demonstrate what he could do if able to secure a drive in the 2014 Eurocup.
Working on a programme to acclimatise to a new seating position, Matty’s morning session was cut short with gearbox gremlins and a jammed throttle forced him back to the garage with only 15 laps completed.
With the repairs completed, he enjoyed a much better showing in the afternoon of day 1, sitting atop of the timing charts for the best part of the afternoon before other drivers shod their cars with fresh tyres for performance runs.
Matty eventually finished the afternoon in 17th place, but having continued to work on longer runs on used rubber whilst others were chasing times, he was pleased as he finished the day only half a second off the fastest lap of vastly more experienced stable-mate Antonio Pizzatola.
Day 2 continued in the same vein as the first with Matty showing consistent pace and performance although he was able to find a chunk of time to run with a half second of the fastest drivers in the two sessions.
Speaking after the test Matty said: “I’m pretty happy with how it went out there. We’ve managed to get me a lot more comfortable in the car and I’m getting more familiar with the power and the performance.”
He added “I need to work on getting a little bit more out of the fresh tyres, because when I can do that I think I am going to be able to put in lap times that will put me well into the top ten. But all that will come with practice. I was up against some really experienced drivers out there so to be posting times that are on the pace, is something I’m really please with.”
Matty is next in action on March 6 & 7 for a second two day collective test with Manor MP Motorsport at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.