Zamparelli Becomes Champion- 16/10/11
Dino Zamparelli (Bristol) is the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Champion after finishing third, and taking the bonus points for fastest lap, during a hugely entertaining final race of the season at Silverstone National Circuit this afternoon, Sunday, 16th October.
Off the back of being named one of the six finalists for this year's McLaren Autosport BRDC Award just over a week ago, the first time in the championship's history a driver from its ranks has been included, the 19-year-old made his eighth visit to the podium to take the title by nine points from chief rival Josh Webster (Stowmarket, Suffolk) – all in front of the live ITV4 and ITV4 HD cameras.
Early in the race, with Webster second and Zamparelli down to sixth, the championship looked to be heading the way of the former and the tension was palpable after the 17-year-old set the fastest lap at mid-distance.
Zamparelli though stepped it up a gear during the final third of the 18 lapper and after bettering Webster's quickest lap on the 13th tour, the Antel Motorsport driver took third with a bold move at Becketts on the penultimate lap to seal a memorable title triumph.
"I knew I had to finish third, that's all I knew, so I just had to keep cool as in that situation it would have been very easy to lose my head", reflected the new champion, "I picked them off one by one and when I crossed the line at the finish...well, I was elated. It feels absolutely fantastic.
"I had a year out of racing last year due to sponsorship issues, which was a bitter blow, but to come back this year and win the title is amazing. I've got the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award coming up as well so it's all happening this year. Josh (Webster) has pushed me all the way this year, it's been a very tough season but we've done it. I have to say thanks to Antel, they've done an amazing job."
Full article can be found at Renault Sport
Zamparelli Completes Perfect Day Out at Thruxton - 04/09/11
Dino Zamparelli confirmed his status as the man to beat in the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, adding to his victory earlier in the day to make it two poles, two wins and two fastest laps for the Antel Motorsport driver at Thruxton, giving him a 19 point lead in the championship standings heading into the final rounds.
The drivers’ second best times in morning qualifying set the grid for the day’s final race, with Zamparelli on pole once again. Joining him on the front row after a superb performance was MGR Motorsport’s Matt Mason, with title rivals Josh Webster and James Thorp on row two. Scorpio Motorsport team-mates Kourosh Khani and Hector Hurst locked out row three.
A good start from Zamparelli saw him getaway ahead, but he came under instant pressure from Mason, who looked to make a move around the outside at Allard, before deciding to slot back into second. A poor start for Thorp saw him drop to sixth, while a strong getaway from Khani saw him take third.
Benefitting from the fighting of those ahead was Hurst, who dropped to tenth early on but fought back and passed both Fuller and Wagner to move into eighth. This put them in the clutches of Antel’s Callum Bowyer and when making a move at the final chicane on the penultimate lap, heavy contact between Wagner and Bowyer left both drivers retiring instantly.
At the front, having no such troubles was Zamparelli, who streaked home to take his fourth win of the season, becoming the first driver to take a double win at a meeting this season. Taking second after a comfortable race to pick up his maiden podium was Mason, who became the first rookie to take a top three finish this season, the Nottingham-based driver finished well clear of third place Webster.
Championship leader Zamparelli said: “Double win, double pole, double fastest lap, exactly what I needed. The team did amazing all weekend and the car was spot on. A fantastic result this weekend and we’ve just got to keep the momentum going and take the championship win come Silverstone.”
Full article can be found at www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk
Zamparelli Controls Formula Renault at Brands - 15/05/11
Dino Zamparelli cruised to victory in Round four of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, the Antel Motorsport driver leading from lights to flag to take his first win of the season.
Zamparelli started from pole, with James Thorp, championship leader heading into the weekend, joining him on the front row. A strong start for Zamparelli saw him lead into Paddock Hill for the first time, with Thorp nearly losing second after a great start from Scorpio Motorsport’s Kourosh Khani.
Also producing a quick start was Steven Durrant, the RPD Motorsport driver jumping two places into sixth. The 20 year old then gained another spot on lap two, sliding up the inside of Fortec Motorsport’s Josh Webster at Paddock Hill bend for fifth, putting him onto the back of Kieran Vernon.
With overtaking once again proving extremely difficult around the tight Indy circuit, the order didn’t change too much throughout the race. Khani looked quicker than Thorp in second, but was unable to find a way past, as was also the case for Durrant behind Vernon. However Durrant gained the place at half distance, when a sticking throttle for Vernon saw his Fortec car go straight on into the tyres at Graham Hill Bend.
Coming under no such pressure was Zamparelli, the Bristolian pulling away to win by just under three seconds. Thorp took his third podium of the season in second, regaining the championship lead that he had lost earlier in the day to Vernon. Khani took a superb third for his first podium of the season, ahead of Durrant and Webster.
Zamparelli commented: “The start was the most nerve-wracking point for me, as Donington wasn’t great for the starts. I just had to make sure I got a good start, as I knew I had the pace to win and lead by quite a gap. I controlled the gap through the race and brought it home.”
Full article can be found at www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk
Zamparelli Takes Pole at Brands - 14/05/11
Dino Zamparelli has taken pole position for Round Four of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship at Brands Hatch. The Antel Motorsport driver set the quickest time in another tight qualifying session, which saw the top eighteen runners split by less than a second around the tight Indy circuit.
Full article can be found at www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk
Zamparelli Takes Donington Pole - 23/04/11
Dino Zamparelli and James Thorp shared the honours in the first two qualifying sessions of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship at Donington Park. The duo were the class of the field throughout qualifying, locking out the front row for Rounds 1 and 2.
The day’s first session saw Antel Motorsport’s Zamparelli set a best time of 1m 07.599s to take pole by 0.108s from Thorp. Fortec Motorsport pairing Archie Hamilton and Josh Webster will line up on row two, with Scorpio Motorsport’s Hector Hurst comfortably taking the honour of top rookie with a 1m 08.841s lap putting him fifth.
Full article can be found at www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk
Antel take delivery of new Renault UK car – 20/01/11
Today saw Antel take its next step up the single seater ladder by taking delivery of a new Formula Renault UK car.
Compared to Antel’s BARC Formula Renault cars, the latest addition to the fleet feature a lighter chassis, more powerful engine, and a seven speed paddle shift gearbox. The Barrazi-Epsilon built car is due to be painted in Antel’s trademark black/orange metal flake scheme, and will shortly begin testing with its 2011 driver, who will be announced within the next couple of weeks.
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Karting star Callum Bowyer signs with Antel
Antel are proud to announce its latest signing for the 2011 BARC Formula Renault series, Callum Bowyer. Callum brings to Antel a wealth of karting experience, where he established himself as one of Britains most promising young talents. Having won two national titles in 2008, and finishing 3rd in the extremely competitive class of KF2 in 2010, Callum is no stranger to success. Team Principal Brett Parris commented;
“We watched Callum in KF3 and KF2 karting, and he stood out to us immediately. We’ve been desperate to get him in the car for well over a year now, so I am thrilled that we’ve managed to put a deal together for 2011. I rate him extremely highly, and expect him to run right at the front of the grid from the off.”
