RISK NOT REWARDED IN MOTORLAND RACE 2
A final lap lock up robbed Matty of a second points scoring finish of the weekend in Sunday’s second Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup race at Motorland Aragon.
After a second strong race of the weekend, Matty found himself within striking distance of ninth placed Alex Albon in the race’s closing stages, with only 0.2 seconds separating the pair going into the final sector of the final lap.
Attempting to out-brake the Thai driver into the turn 16 hairpin, Matty slid wide into the gravel, and dropped into the clutches of the chasing pack, crossing the line 18th after a secondary spin in the final corner, in an unfortunate end to a battling race.
Starting 13th, after setting his fastest lap of the weekend in morning qualifying, Matty got a good getaway from the grid and successfully preserved his position through the early stages.
Finding himself shadowing Ignazio D’Agosto and fighting off the attentions of Dennis Olsen behind Matty initially held his station well before a stunning lap from the Norwegian, with an outstanding second sector, saw huge chunk of Matty’s advantage erased and left him unable to prevent the inevitable pass in the breaking zone of the hairpin.
Matty though was still in close attendance and as the inevitable racing incidents ahead occurred, he was quickly back on track and up to 11th following contact between Callan O’Keeffe and Aurelian Panis and puncture for Egor Orudzhev.
Just outside the points, but in relatively clear air, Matty quickly carved into the two second lead enjoyed by D’Agosto in tenth, by taking over a second out of the Italian within two thirds of a lap and was ahead by the end of lap 11.
With the car handling comfortably and the gap to ninth similar to that he had dispatched within two laps with D’Agosto, Matty decided to put on a show and in the space of two laps, had reduced Albon’s lead from 2.2 seconds to just four tenths.
Whilst continuing to press, will have won him fans in the stands, the lock up did cost him a precious second point, however Matty will take a huge number of positives from his performances over the three days.
His next event will be when he returns to Formula Renault 2.0 NEC action, at Silverstone on May 24th and 25th