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British Formula Renault Championship

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British Formula Renault Championship referred to one of two Formula Renault championships that were held in the United Kingdom. The main series was Renault Sport UK 's Formula Renault 2.0 UK championship which was held from 1989 to 2011 and was generally recognized as the British Formula Renault championship. However, in March 2012 it was announced that the Formula Renault UK series would not take place in 2012, with the series being ended definitively in September 2012. A secondary championship organised by the British Automobile Racing Club and known as the Protyre Formula Renault Championship was held continuously between 1995 and 2014. The championship was the only Formula Renault 2.0 championship operating in the United Kingdom after the demise of the main series, but was ended after the 2014 season.

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96-481: The "British Formula Renault Championship", was founded by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) in 1989. Renault Sport UK took over the organization of the championship from the following year. This championship was recognized as "British Formula Renault", although the official name of the championship was changed to the "Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship" in 2005. The BARC organized

192-646: A Formula Libre category, which would accommodate the existing Formula Renault cars alongside those from other Formulas whose British championships had recently ended. The Renault Sport championship organised an annual regular series, supporting the British Touring Car Championship and UK round of the World Series by Renault , as well as a winter series. The regular series was the main championship and at its peak, held 20 races over 10 meetings. Originally known as Formula Renault UK

288-630: A 50-mile road event held the day before, starting at the Grasshopper Inn near Westerham , with intermittent driving tests, including one at Butts Hill, Willingdon , and then on to Eastbourne, via Beachy Head. Goodwood was closed on safety grounds in 1966. The last event was a club meeting organised by the BARC on 2 July 1966. The club relocated to Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire , opening in 1968, and becoming club headquarters in 1974. Today,

384-466: A Friday testing session at each venue. This was made up of two 25 minute sessions. Saturday consisted of Two 20 minute qualifying sessions which decided the grid for the two 30 minute races, with both held either on the Sunday or the first race on Saturday afternoon and the second race on Sunday. Drivers scored points down to 20th place with two points for fastest lap. Only the best 18 results counted towards

480-538: A battle with Jenson Button , he finished the race for the first time in his career, ending in third place. Another pole came in Hungary , but he collided with Vitantonio Liuzzi after 25 laps, causing his fourth retirement of the season. A first turn incident with Scott Speed at the Turkish Grand Prix led to an exploded tyre and suspension damage. After a tyre change, Räikkönen's race ended halfway into

576-659: A best result of fifth, a stage win and 10th in the championship in both seasons. Concurrently, Räikkönen also competed in NASCAR , making one-off appearances in the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series in 2011. Since retiring from Formula One, he has made appearances in the Cup Series in 2022 and 2023. Forbes magazine listed Räikkönen 36th in their 2008 "Celebrity 100" as

672-601: A further ten points to his rival Alonso. This incident, in part, resulted in a rules clarification allowing teams to change a flat-spotted tyre without punishment. Alonso's first major mistake of the 2005 season handed the Canadian Grand Prix to Räikkönen. The following weekend saw all the Michelin teams, including McLaren, withdraw from the United States Grand Prix for safety reasons. At

768-575: A gravel trap in the pit lane. Räikkönen took his fifth win of the season, that revived his title hopes before the last race of the season. This was also the 200th race win and 600th podium in a World Championship event for Ferrari as a manufacturer ( as a team , their 200th win was achieved at the next race in Brazil , and their 600th podium was achieved in 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix ). Räikkönen moved to seven and three points behind Hamilton and Alonso in

864-572: A mechanical problem, he won his first race of the 2008 season at the Malaysian Grand Prix , finishing ahead of Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen . His victory in Kuala Lumpur came on the fifth anniversary of his maiden victory at the same track. In Bahrain , Räikkönen qualified in fourth on the grid. He moved up to second place by the third lap and finished in that position, behind his team-mate Felipe Massa . He also secured

960-590: A point. He looked set for a podium in Malaysia until a faulty tyre valve failed and dropped him out of the points. Bahrain saw him achieve his first podium of the season with a third place behind Renault's Alonso and the Toyota of Jarno Trulli . Räikkönen then achieved three consecutive poles in San Marino , Spain , and a win after a safety car strategy call by Neil Martin at Monaco . An almost certain win

1056-420: A position he held until the end of the race. In Canada , Räikkönen achieved another podium. In the United States Grand Prix , his teammate punted him out in an expensive seven car accident. The French Grand Prix saw Räikkönen qualify his car in sixth. His teammate was now former test driver Pedro de la Rosa in place of Montoya. Räikkönen ended the race in fifth. In Germany , Räikkönen qualified on pole. After

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1152-474: A resurgent team. He was also referred to by Ross Brawn and Jean Todt as a driver whom Ferrari might consider in the future. In early November 2004, Räikkönen announced his intention to create a racing team with his manager Steve Robertson , to be entitled Räikkönen Robertson Racing (otherwise known as "Double R"), which would compete in Formula Three in 2005. Räikkönen's start to the 2005 season

1248-549: A second championship in 1995. From then, until 2011, two championships existed in the United Kingdom. However, the BARC championship differed from the UK championship in that it is a mainly amateur series. The BARC championship's Club Class uses old chassis previously used in the UK series. Renault Sport UK also supports the BARC series. In 2000, Tatuus replaced the chassis and it pioneered the modern one make racing series that

1344-521: A second quicker than regular driver Pedro Diniz . Sauber had kept the news of his test quiet to distract potential competitors, internally referring to Räikkönen as "Eskimo". After further tests in Jerez and Barcelona , Sauber signed Räikkönen for the 2001 season. However, some critics (including FIA president Max Mosley ) voiced concerns over granting an F1 Super Licence to such an inexperienced driver; Räikkönen had only 23 car races to his credit. He

1440-704: A second to Juan Pablo Montoya . Starting from the pitlane in Canada after he went off track during qualifying with understeer, Räikkönen finished sixth, more than a minute adrift of race winner Michael Schumacher. At the European Grand Prix , Räikkönen took pole, and controlled the race from the start until his engine failed on lap 25. Title rival Michael Schumacher finished fifth taking 4 points advantage from Räikkönen. Räikkönen finished fourth in France behind Schumacher, but finished one point ahead of him with

1536-878: A third-place finish at the British Grand Prix . Räikkönen failed to finish the German Grand Prix after being involved in an accident at the first corner with Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. Räikkönen finished second at the next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix . Before the Italian Grand Prix , the FIA were tipped-off by rivals Ferrari about an illegality in the Michelin tyre's tread width. Michelin were forced to bring in narrower tyres. Räikkönen eventually finished fourth in

1632-600: A tyre and losing a wing end-plate. Chasing down Alonso during the final stages of the race, he set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap, finishing only 1.8 seconds behind the Spaniard. At the San Marino Grand Prix , a bad choice of strategy and a mistake from Räikkönen in qualifying saw the McLarens get caught in traffic in the early part of the race allowing Michael Schumacher and Alonso to get away at

1728-627: Is a Finnish racing driver who competed in Formula One between 2001 and 2021 for Sauber , McLaren , Ferrari , Lotus , and Alfa Romeo . Räikkönen won the 2007 Formula One World Championship while driving for Ferrari; he finished second overall twice and third three times. Räikkönen is the most successful Finnish Formula One driver by several metrics, and has the seventh-most podium finishes (103), third-most fastest laps (46), and third-most race starts (349) in Formula One history. He

1824-459: Is common today in GP2 Series , GP3 Series and Formula Renault 3.5 Series . Several notable Formula One Drivers have raced in the series including Lewis Hamilton , Paul di Resta and Heikki Kovalainen but probably the biggest star from Formula Renault UK was Kimi Räikkönen , the champion in 2000, who made a successful debut in Formula One the next year. This brought keen attention to

1920-463: Is known for his reserved personality and reluctance to participate in public relations events. Räikkönen entered Formula One as a regular driver for Sauber - Petronas in 2001 , having previously competed in just 23 car races. He joined McLaren - Mercedes in 2002 , and quickly established himself as a title contender by finishing runner-up in the championship to Michael Schumacher in 2003, and Fernando Alonso in 2005. Räikkönen's time at McLaren

2016-722: The F1 Racing "Driver of the Year" accolade, and the Autosport "International Racing Driver of the Year" award. In Bahrain , starting from 22nd place on the grid, he drove through the field, ending third behind Alonso and Michael Schumacher. In Malaysia , Räikkönen was hit from behind by Red Bull Racing 's Christian Klien on the first lap and retired. Having started the year clearly behind Renault, McLaren improved in Australia , where Räikkönen finished second after flat spotting

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2112-456: The British Automobile Racing Club in 1949. Over the next 18 years, BARC organised at least one international meeting at Goodwood a year, notably Easter Monday Formula One races and 9-hour sportscar races—the first night races to be run in Britain. The club was also involved in the opening meeting at Crystal Palace in 1953, and organised the British Grand Prix when held at Aintree in

2208-653: The French Grand Prix , Räikkönen suffered a ten-place grid-penalty following the replacement of his new specification Mercedes Benz engine which failed in Friday practice. Räikkönen, putting in what Ron Dennis called his best ever qualifying lap, qualified third (demoted to 13th) with a significant fuel load. He finished second behind Alonso. A week later at the British Grand Prix , Räikkönen suffered another Mercedes engine failure due to an oil leak; his second-place qualifying place became 12th. He claimed third place in

2304-523: The Malaysian Grand Prix , Räikkönen was passed by Lewis Hamilton at the start and remained behind him for the rest of the race, finishing third. In Bahrain , Räikkönen started from third but was passed by McLaren driver Fernando Alonso. He eventually regained third position from Alonso and finished the race third. At the Spanish Grand Prix , Räikkönen retired after only 10 laps with an electrical problem. This took him down to fourth position in

2400-510: The Spanish Grand Prix , Räikkönen made a mistake in qualifying and had to start from the back of the grid. At the start of the race, he collided with Antônio Pizzonia , causing Räikkönen to retire from the race. While having engine problems, Räikkönen successfully defended second position from Rubens Barrichello in Austria . He came extremely close to winning in Monaco , but lost by less than

2496-532: The penultimate race of the year , at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan, Räikkönen took his seventh victory of the season after starting 17th on the grid. The win was secured when he overtook Renault driver Fisichella (who had started third on the grid, and had led most of the race) on the final lap – which Formula One journalist Peter Windsor thought the most impressive move of the race. Räikkönen received

2592-582: The 19th Championship organized by the British Automobile Racing Club and the second year as the UK's only premier Formula Renault 2.0 championship. The season will begin at Donington Park on 14 April and end on 29 September at Silverstone Circuit . The series will form part of the BARC club racing meetings and will expand from fourteen to sixteen rounds at six events all held in England , with four triple header events. The following teams have competed in either

2688-455: The 2007–2009 seasons. Räikkönen said after the move that he was very happy with this change of events but wished McLaren the best of luck in the future. He became the teammate to Brazilian Felipe Massa , who had been driving for Ferrari since 2006. Räikkönen started the season in Australia by taking pole position, setting the fastest lap, and becoming the first driver since Nigel Mansell in 1989 to win his first Grand Prix with Ferrari. At

2784-489: The 2018 championship. Räikkönen left Ferrari at the end of the 2018 season, and moved to Alfa Romeo Racing on a two-year contract, later extending it until the end of 2021 , after which he retired from Formula One. In the World Rally Championship , Räikkönen drove Citroën cars for their Junior Team in 2010 and for ICE 1 Racing in 2011 , managing to beat some more experienced rally drivers with

2880-473: The 26th highest paid celebrity and fifth highest paid sportsman. The same list in 2009 recorded him as the second highest-paid athlete. Räikkönen was born in Espoo , Finland. He had a long line of success in karting from the age of 10. His first race outside Finland was in Monaco when he was 15 years old. During the race, the steering wheel broke, but he continued, informing his mechanic by frantically waving

2976-516: The Adelaide hairpin with a handful of laps to go, because of oil from the blown engine of Allan McNish 's Toyota on the circuit. He finished the race second. He finished the season in sixth place, one place behind his teammate. Together they achieved a solid third place for McLaren in the Constructors' Championship. At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix , Räikkönen qualified 15th in

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3072-576: The BARC organised the first ever UK round of the FIA International Touring Car series . The club had a particularly active role in organising A1 Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Masters series, both at home and abroad. The BARC is also in the unusual situation of running race circuits. As well as the home of the club at Thruxton, in 1990 they signed a 50-year lease on Pembrey Circuit in south Wales and in 2006,

3168-742: The BARC organises a large number of race series. The club is the organising club for the British Touring Car Championship the Silverstone rounds of the World Sports car and Rallycross Championships and the support races at each weekend. Another major commitment is the organising of the annual Goodwood Members Meeting, Goodwood Revival and the Goodwood Festival of Speed meetings. The club also organises many smaller "club racing" meetings, featuring such classes as Classic Formula Ford , Caterhams , Clubmans and Legend Cars . As well as

3264-561: The BARC took on Croft Circuit , near Darlington and so bringing the total number of circuits owned to three. The BARC runs more than just race meetings. As well as the Goodwood Festival of Speed , the club organises a number of hillclimbs and sprints. These include meetings at Gurston Down near Salisbury and Harewood Yorkshire both BARC Venues. More recently it organizes the Coventry Motofest and in 2018 it

3360-692: The British motorsport industry for LGBT+ fans, employees and drivers Due to the existence of a regional 'Centre' in Ontario , Canada , the club has a role in organising Ice Racing events. In 2010 the Kendall Award for the most successful BARC-Ontario driver, in events held outside the region of Ontario, went to Robert Wickens . Kimi R%C3%A4ikk%C3%B6nen Kimi-Matias Räikkönen ( Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræi̯kːønen] ; born 17 October 1979), nicknamed " The Iceman ",

3456-536: The Championship, behind team-mate Felipe Massa. At the Monaco Grand Prix , Räikkönen struck a barrier in qualifying and broke his right front suspension. He started 16th and finished eighth. In Canada , Räikkönen qualified fourth and finished fifth, Räikkönen's team-mate Massa was disqualified. At the United States Grand Prix , Räikkönen qualified fourth, finished fourth and recorded fastest lap of

3552-543: The Drivers' Championship, respectively, going into the last race in Brazil, the first three-way title battle in the final race of the season since 1986 . Räikkönen took the 2007 Formula One Drivers' title with victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos , in an incident-packed race. Massa had taken pole, followed by Hamilton, Räikkönen, and Alonso. At the start of the race Räikkönen passed Hamilton on

3648-519: The Formula Renault UK Championship between 1989 and 1994. Only since 2005, most of the regulations relating to the cars are the same as the UK series, but the cars have fixed gear ratios, an intake restrictor to limit engine wear, and are limited to one new set of tyres per outing. The championship used the older Formula Renault Tatuus chassis first introduced to Formula Renault racing in 2000 and updated in 2007, which makes

3744-471: The Formula Renault UK series would not take place in 2012. This was due to a low number of entries to the championship after only receiving six confirmed competitors, as the price for competing for a season was reaching £200,000. Originally, it was planned by series promoter Stéphane Ratel Organisation that the championship would take a one-year hiatus, leading to a re-launch in 2013. However, it

3840-598: The Mercedes linked Nick Heidfeld, was heavily influenced by Häkkinen who repeatedly told Ron Dennis "If you wanna win, get the Finn." Räikkönen scored a third-place podium finish in his first race with McLaren at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix . Although McLaren suffered many engine failures in 2002, Räikkönen scored 24 points and four podiums, and held his own against teammate David Coulthard . Räikkönen came close to winning his first Grand Prix in France but went off track at

3936-664: The Renault Sport Championship or the BARC Championship. Formula Renault 2.0 UK Formula Renault BARC British Automobile Racing Club The British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) is one of the biggest organising clubs for motor racing in the United Kingdom . The Cyclecar Club was formed in 1912, running races for the small and light motorbike powered vehicles at Brooklands as well as rallies and sporting trials . Among

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4032-513: The World Constructors' Championship at the end of a winless year. Räikkönen's British Formula 3 Championship team Räikkönen Robertson Racing claimed their first major success, with British driver Mike Conway winning the 2006 British F3 International Series title and the prestigious Macau Grand Prix . After the 2006 Italian Grand Prix , Ferrari announced that Räikkönen had signed a three-year contract with Scuderia Ferrari for

4128-517: The cars of Nico Rosberg , Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld following post-race inspection. Their disqualification and a race reclassification would have seen Hamilton lifted from seventh to fourth in the race result. However the race stewards decided that no sanctions would be given, meaning the results would stand. McLaren appealed the decision, however the FIA Court of Appeal rejected their appeal on 16 November 2007 thus confirming Räikkönen as

4224-501: The champion. As of the end of the 2023 Formula One season , Räikkönen's 2007 title triumph remains the most recent World Drivers' Championship win for a Scuderia Ferrari driver. In January 2008, Räikkönen was beaten by Tero Pitkämäki in the race for the annually chosen Finnish Sports Personality of the Year award; finishing in second place in the competition. After a disappointing first race in Australia , where Räikkönen eventually finished eighth after qualifying only 15th due to

4320-635: The championship a viable prospect to drivers with lower levels of budget and funding. With the collapse of the Renault Sport championship in early 2012, the BARC Championship became the prominent Formula Renault Championship in the United Kingdom and from 2013, took the name Protyre Formula Renault Championship , dropping the BARC tag after its growth into one of the leading national single seater championships in Great Britain . Despite its initial growth, grid sizes fell in subsequent seasons, and

4416-401: The championship ended in 2014. The weekend starts with a general testing session on the Friday. This was made up of two 25 minute sessions. Qualifying is held on Saturday and consists of two 20 minute sessions which decide the grid for the two 30 mile races, with both races held on the Sunday. During the 2012 season , triple header events were introduced. Qualifying for race one and two remains

4512-411: The championship used engines of 1,721cc. Between 1995 and 1999 the championship was called Formula Renault Sport UK and used a 2,000cc 8V engine was used. Another name change in 2000 say the series known as Formula Renault 2000 UK before adopting Formula Renault 2.0 UK in 2005. Since 2000 the championship has used 2,000cc 16V engines. The French tyre manufacturer Michelin was the tyre supplier and

4608-568: The championship with points shared out using the following system: The Protyre Formula Renault Championship, organized by the British Automobile Racing Club , began in 1995 as a secondary championship to the Renault Sport UK championship. The series was named Formula Renault BARC Championship . In 1995 and 1994, the technical regulation used by the Formula Renault BARC Championship was the one used by

4704-424: The championship, just two points behind Schumacher. The team also narrowly lost second place in the Constructors' Championship, finishing third, two points behind runners-up Williams , and 12 points behind Ferrari. The 2004 season began with Räikkönen only claiming a single point in the first seven races. His McLaren, especially the Mercedes engine, suffered repeated breakdowns, allowing him to complete just two of

4800-495: The chequered flag with a convincing victory over Michael Schumacher, albeit after McLaren teammate Montoya retired. Räikkönen won the Hungarian Grand Prix from the most handicapped qualifying position, having had to do his qualifying run first on the notoriously dusty and dirty track because of his early retirement a week earlier at Hockenheim. No other driver had previously managed this feat. Räikkönen then became

4896-406: The closing stages to pass him. Räikkönen led to the end of the race. At the European Grand Prix , Räikkönen captured his second pole position of the season but retired from the race, run in heavy rain, with a problem with the hydraulics of the car. In Hungary , Räikkönen qualified his car in fourth place, but started from third after Alonso was penalised. In the race he overtook Nick Heidfeld at

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4992-498: The crown by a single point from Hamilton and Alonso. Championship leader Hamilton eventually finished the race in seventh place, while defending champion Alonso managed third. While Räikkönen had only one point more than Alonso and Hamilton at the end of the season, he had the most victories (six compared to four by each McLaren driver). Räikkönen's Drivers' Championship was briefly put into doubt when race stewards began an investigation after identifying possible fuel irregularities in

5088-518: The different Formula Renault 2.0 Championships and became a chance to found new championships in Italy, Brazil and Asia. Both Räikkönen and then Hamilton went on to become Formula One World Champions in 2007 and 2008 , respectively. It then became the reference championship for any aspiring single seater driver to compete in, especially in Western Europe. In March 2012, it was announced that

5184-401: The end of the 2018 season . During his second Ferrari stint, Räikkönen scored 26 podiums, two pole positions, and a victory at the 2018 United States Grand Prix , 113 Grands Prix after his last victory . Räikkönen finished among the top four overall in the championship on multiple occasions during his second Ferrari stint, finishing his total eight-year long Ferrari career with a third place in

5280-560: The end of the season. Later, Ferrari announced that he would be replaced in the 2007 season by Räikkönen. The Chinese Grand Prix saw another retirement for Räikkönen due to throttle problems. His last two Grands Prix, in Japan and Brazil , did lead to 2 finishes, but he missed the podium on both occasions. Räikkönen ended his time at McLaren-Mercedes with a fifth place in the World Drivers' Championship, with McLaren placing third in

5376-543: The fastest lap. The next weekend at Monza , Räikkönen again retired on lap 13, this time owing to electrical problems. At the next race in China , he finished third, only 1.4 seconds behind race winner Rubens Barrichello. At the Japanese Grand Prix , Räikkönen was shunted by Felipe Massa on the first lap of the race, which caused him handling problems. He finished sixth, 2.5 seconds behind Fernando Alonso . At

5472-573: The first 19 laps run behind the safety car , both Räikkönen and teammate Massa were badly affected by having to change to extreme wet tyres during the early stages, because the FIA's tyre-rule notification arrived late at Ferrari. Towards the end of the race, Räikkönen moved through the field to third place, but could not pass his fellow countryman Heikki Kovalainen for second. At the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai , Räikkönen dominated

5568-511: The first corner and took second place, which he kept to the end of the race. At Monza 's third practice session, Räikkönen crashed into the tyre wall before entering the Ascari chicane. He qualified in fifth place, and raced in the Ferrari reserve car while suffering from a neck problem. The Ferrari team employed an unusual one-stop strategy, which left him third after Hamilton passed him late in

5664-528: The first ever winner of the Turkish Grand Prix . Two weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix , Räikkönen's pole position was taken from him as he received another 10-position grid penalty for an engine change. He eventually finished fourth. He went on to win for the second year in a row in Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps . The following race, the Brazilian Grand Prix , saw Alonso clinch the Drivers' Championship after finishing third behind Montoya and Räikkönen. In

5760-603: The first seven events. After seven rounds Räikkönen had only one point to Michael Schumacher's 60. In Canada , Räikkönen made 5 pit-stops but was classified fifth since the Williams-BMWs and the two Toyotas were disqualified. At the United States Grand Prix , Räikkönen finished sixth. At the French Grand Prix , McLaren rolled out the new MP4-19B. Räikkönen finished seventh behind his team-mate, David Coulthard. At Silverstone , Räikkönen took pole and went on to finish second behind Michael Schumacher. The McLarens qualified on

5856-425: The founder members of the club were H.R. Godfrey and Archie Frazer-Nash . In 1919, with cyclecars on the decline, the name of the club changed to the Junior Car Club (JCC). The club was immediately successful, with regional centres being formed in 1921, the same year the 200-Mile Race at Brooklands was organised, the first long-distance race to be run in Britain . The race, a contest for 1,500 c.c. light cars,

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5952-410: The front. Räikkönen eventually finished fifth, with teammate Montoya ahead in third place. McLaren team boss Ron Dennis blamed what he deemed to be Räikkönen's poor performance for the team's failure to finish in the top two in the race. At the Spanish Grand Prix , Räikkönen qualified ninth. However, he managed to get up to fifth place on the first lap of the race. He retained this position for most of

6048-434: The last race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix , he battled Montoya for the lead and finished 1 second behind him in second. Räikkönen ended the year seventh, with 45 points, only one behind sixth placed Jarno Trulli , and four podiums. Despite the disappointment of the 2004 season, Räikkönen was still seen as one of the rising stars of the sport. Many pundits predicted 2005 to be filled with great on-track battles from

6144-406: The late 50s and early 60s. In 1951 the BARC Eastbourne Rally was held on 30 June with the best performance by Bancroft in a Ford 10 saloon. The event featured a Midnight Concours d'Elegance. During the period 1956–1967 the BARC organised competitive events at the Firle Hill Climb in Sussex. The event held on Sunday, 2 June 1957, was run in conjunction with the BARC 11th Annual Rally at Eastbourne,

6240-492: The lead in the championship. In Spain , Räikkönen took the 15th pole of his career and his first of the 2008 season. He managed to take his second race win of the season and the fastest lap of the race. Räikkönen overtook Mika Häkkinen in the list of total number of fastest laps and also in terms of podium finishes, making him the highest-ranked Finnish driver in these statistics. At the Turkish Grand Prix , Räikkönen qualified in fourth place. Despite damaging his front wing in

6336-422: The many events organised by the headquarters at Thruxton, certain BARC regions organise race meetings too. There are five centres in the UK and one in Canada. the Midlands Centre , North Western Centre , the South Western Centre , the Wales Centre and the Yorkshire Centre . As well as the BARC's own events, the club frequently is the national appointed club for visiting international series. For example, in 1995

6432-445: The new championship. The plan was dropped after a breakdown in negotiations with Formula Renault's organisers, and the lack of demand for a new junior single-seater series in competition with the new Formula 4 class MSA Formula and BRDC Formula 4 . With the failure of the plan, the BARC also dropped their existing Formula Renault series, leaving no dedicated British Formula Renault Championship for 2015. The BARC instead planned to run

6528-405: The next lap when he crashed into the barrier at turn 4 because of a loss of rear grip. Räikkönen qualified on pole for the Italian Grand Prix by 2 thousandths of a second from Michael Schumacher. He led the early part of the race until the first pitstops where he was passed by Schumacher. He stayed in second place for the rest of the race. After the race, Schumacher announced that he would retire at

6624-407: The outside and lined up behind Massa. Alonso shortly afterwards passed Hamilton, who fell progressively down the order. Räikkönen eventually overtook Massa, who was already eliminated from contention for the Drivers' Championship in the Japanese Grand Prix. Massa's strategy for the second round of pit stops ensured Räikkönen kept the lead. Räikkönen went on to take the chequered flag , which handed him

6720-489: The overall Graduate Cup winner received a discount on the entry fee for the Formula Renault 2.0 UK or Clio Cup UK championships. To be eligible to race in the Graduate Cup Class drivers had to have competed in no more than two Formula Renault 2.0 race meetings before the current season (except drivers who have previously taken part in the Formula Renault UK Winter Cup or have raced in the Formula Renault BARC Championship) and must be under 19 years of age. The weekend started with

6816-532: The race on fresh tyres. At Spa-Francorchamps , Räikkönen's favourite circuit, he secured pole position again and took his fourth victory of the season. Massa finished second, Alonso third and Hamilton fourth. This was also Räikkönen's third consecutive Spa win, which placed him among six other drivers with three or more Spa wins. At the Fuji Speedway in Japan , the only new track on the 2007 calendar, Räikkönen qualified in third position, while Hamilton took pole and Alonso second. In an extremely wet race, which saw

6912-481: The race, finishing in fifth place. A few days after the Spanish Grand Prix, he admitted that he had no chance of winning the 2006 Championship. In Monaco , Räikkönen qualified third. During the race he got up to second and kept pace with Alonso, however he retired during a safety car period after a failed heat shield led to a wiring loom inside the car catching fire. After his retirement from this race, he

7008-437: The race, losing five championship points to race winner Michael Schumacher. Räikkönen took pole at the United States Grand Prix , but Michael Schumacher won the race with Räikkönen finishing second. After qualifying eighth in Japan , Räikkönen finished second while Michael Schumacher just slipped into the points to win his sixth World Championship. Montoya's retirement during the race also meant that Räikkönen finished second in

7104-498: The race. In Germany , Räikkönen was comfortably in the lead having dominated all weekend, but suffered a hydraulics failure, handing victory and a further 10 points to Alonso. It was his third retirement while leading a race during the season. At the opening of the Hungarian Grand Prix , though saying he was very comfortable at McLaren, Räikkönen raised the possibility that he might leave McLaren when his contract expired in 2006, if reliability issues were not solved. He went on to take

7200-456: The race. With ten races in the season left, Räikkönen was 26 points behind leader Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers' Championship. In France , Räikkönen qualified third, but overtook Hamilton at the first corner of the race. He subsequently ran second, behind teammate Massa, for much of the Grand Prix, but overtook the Brazilian during the pit stops and took his second victory of the season. This

7296-499: The rules the winner is decided by the race order as of two laps before the race stopped, i.e. lap 53. However a week later, evidence emerged that Giancarlo Fisichella was on lap 56 when the race stopped, therefore the winner was decided by the order at lap 54. This granted the win to Fisichella, with Räikkönen second. As other teams improved their cars, McLaren, who were still using the 2002 chassis, began to falter in terms of race speed. However, Räikkönen finished second at Imola . At

7392-469: The same, however the race three grid is decided by the second fastest time set during the second qualifying session. During triple header weekends, the first race is held on Saturday with the remaining two races held on the Sunday. Drivers score points down to 20th place with two points for fastest lap. All rounds, less one, count towards the championship with points shared out using the following system: The 2013 Protyre Formula Renault Championship will be

7488-526: The second row of the grid in Germany . Räikkönen lost his rear wing on lap 13 of the race while following race leader Michael Schumacher. He retired again from the Hungarian Grand Prix after starting from 10th place on the grid, again on lap 13. At the Belgian Grand Prix , Räikkönen qualified 10th, but took the lead on lap 11 and held onto it to take McLaren's only win of the season. He also took

7584-463: The spare car. In the race he took the lead before being caught speeding in the pitlane, caused by a software glitch in the car's electronic system. Räikkönen held off Michael Schumacher to finish third. In Malaysia , Räikkönen won his first race after starting from seventh on the grid. During the next round in Brazil , Räikkönen was declared the winner after the race was stopped on lap 55. According to

7680-428: The sport after the 2009 season , his sole victory that year having come in that season's Belgian Grand Prix due to driving an uncompetitive Ferrari F60 . On his return to Formula One, Räikkönen drove for Lotus in 2012 and 2013 , scoring the team's only victories. In September 2013, Ferrari announced his re-signing on a two-year contract, beginning in the 2014 season. This contract was subsequently extended until

7776-443: The start and pressured Hamilton until the end, but had to settle for second, being 0.7s behind Hamilton. He set the fastest lap time on the last lap of the race, commenting after the race: "I was so bored behind Hamilton, I wanted to see how quick I could have been". In Turkey , Räikkönen missed pole position after making a mistake in the final sector of his fast lap, which left him third on the grid. On race day, he overtook Hamilton in

7872-431: The steering wheel in the air on the home straight. Räikkönen's next Monaco race was also memorable; he was thrown on the wrong side of the safety fence in a first lap collision but continued driving until running out of road. Undeterred, he lifted his kart back onto the track and continued to race. His mechanic thought Räikkönen had retired, but he eventually caught up with the other competitors and finished third. In 1998 he

7968-477: The title sponsor of the series since 1992. Several notable Formula One Drivers have raced in the series including Kimi Räikkönen , Lewis Hamilton , Paul di Resta and Heikki Kovalainen . The UK Championship had a secondary class, known as the Graduate Cup. The scheme aimed to help young drivers enter the championship. The highest placed Graduate Cup driver for each round received a trophy on podium and

8064-560: The top eight. Completing the year with 9 points, Räikkönen, along with teammate Nick Heidfeld , helped Sauber to what was then its best result of fourth place in the Constructors' Championship. Räikkönen, long linked to Sauber's engine supplier Ferrari , sufficiently impressed McLaren to earn a race seat in Ron Dennis 's team for 2002 , taking the seat left vacant by double- world champion , mentor and fellow Finn Mika Häkkinen . The decision to choose Räikkönen over his Sauber teammate,

8160-445: The whole weekend with fastest laps in the free-practice sessions. In qualifying, Hamilton took pole position with a lighter fuel load, while Räikkönen qualified second and Massa third. There was light rainfall at the beginning of the race which prompted the cars to start on intermediate tyres. After the first round of pit stops Hamilton lost grip as his tyres suffered graining, and Räikkönen overtook him. Hamilton retired after sliding into

8256-675: The year. In 2000, he won seven out of ten events in the Formula Renault UK Championship . Combined, over these two series of Formula Renault, he won 13 out of 23 events – a 57% win rate. On the basis of these results, Peter Sauber gave the Finn a test with the Sauber Formula One team in September 2000 at the Mugello Circuit . On just the second day of the test, Räikkönen lapped half

8352-399: Was denied at Imola after a driveshaft failure, but he won the other two races, putting him within 22 points of leader Alonso. He registered strong, comfortable wins at Barcelona, beating Alonso, and at Monte Carlo, never dropping his lead in both races. At the European Grand Prix , Räikkönen flat-spotted his right front tyre, causing his suspension to fail while he led on the final lap, handing

8448-842: Was first in the Nordic Championship at Varna in Norway. In 1999, Räikkönen placed second in the European Formula Super A championship for the Dutch PDB Racing Team ;– run by 1980 world champion Peter de Bruijn – utilising a Gillard chassis. He also competed in the Formula Ford Euro Cup. By the age of twenty, he had won the British Formula Renault winter series of 1999, winning the first four races of

8544-485: Was less than perfect. The car was reported to be too soft on its Michelin tyres, with the result that it was not generating enough heat to post competitive qualifying times. The best qualifying position that a McLaren driver could manage in the first 3 races was sixth. Räikkönen compounded this by stalling on the grid of the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix , and ending the race with just

8640-400: Was marred by a succession of unreliable cars, prompting a move to Ferrari in 2007. This change saw him crowned Formula One World Drivers' Champion in his first season, pipping both McLaren drivers— Lewis Hamilton and Alonso—to the title by one point. In 2008, he equalled the record for the greatest number of fastest laps in a season for the second time. Räikkönen left both Scuderia Ferrari and

8736-484: Was nevertheless granted his licence from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) after a performance delivery promise by his team boss, Peter Sauber, and scored a championship point in his debut at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix . Reportedly, Räikkönen was asleep 30 minutes before the race. Räikkönen had a solid debut year, achieving four points-scoring finishes and eight finishes in

8832-445: Was reported in the media that the series was ended definitively in September 2012. A new proposal to reintroduce Formula Renault UK was made by the BARC and motorsport promoter Grovewood in 2014. The revived series would be a two-tier championship, with the modern Tatuus FR2.0/13 being used alongside the older machines used in the BARC series. Formula Renault BARC, which had been suffering from declining grid sizes, would be absorbed into

8928-477: Was seen on live TV walking along the Monaco sidewalks still wearing his helmet, before going straight to the harbour instead of the pits and climbing aboard a yacht. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone saw Räikkönen qualify second behind Alonso and in front of Michael Schumacher. The running order was Alonso, Räikkönen, Schumacher until the second set of pitstops where Räikkönen was demoted to third by Schumacher,

9024-400: Was the 11th victory of his Formula One career and Ferrari's first 1–2 win of the 2007 season. At the British Grand Prix , Räikkönen qualified in second place, just missing the pole by running wide in the last corner. In the race, he again took the lead through pit stops, first overtaking Lewis Hamilton midway through the race and then putting in fast laps as Alonso pitted for the second time in

9120-523: Was the first event to be held on public roads since the law change in 2017. The club also has a social side, with a number of events over a year including regional dinners and the Big Night Out , the latter being held every year in February. It is the club's awards night celebrating the previous years champions. The BARC partnered with Racing Pride in 2019 to support greater inclusivity across

9216-704: Was won by Henry Segrave in a Talbot-Darracq. Captain Frazer Nash ( G.N. ) won the cyclecar race. Further long-distance races were organised both at Brooklands and Donington Park , as well as rallies and International Trophy Races. After the Second World War , due to the demise of Brooklands, the JCC was amalgamated with the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club . The club then based itself at Goodwood Circuit , changing its name to

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