Motor Racing: Fairuz registers second podium finish of the season

AS promised, Fairuz Fauzy delivered a sensational performance when he finished second from fifth on the grid in Race One of Round Five of the World Series by Renault at the Silverstone Circuit in England yesterday.

FAIRUZ FAUZY

The Malaysian's second podium finish of the season saw the 27-year-old Mofaz-Fortec driver move up to sixth in the championship from 10th at the start of the weekend.

After registering a fifth fastest qualifying time in the super pole session earlier yesterday, Fairuz managed to maintain fifth spot as the grid exploded frantically off the blocks.

Within two laps after the start, he'd moved up to fourth after overtaking Carlin Motorsport's Oliver Turvey and was hot on the heels of New Zealander James Walker, who was third at that point.

Midway through the race, Walker was under severe pressure from Fairuz and soon lost control of his car, gifting the position to the Malaysian.
Fairuz repeated what he did to Walker to Frenchman Bertrand Baguette, who started the weekend as joint championship leader with Spaniard Marcos Martinez, and was running second behind the latter at the point.

In a carbon copy move, after a series of attacks from Fairuz, Baguette succumbed to the pressure and was forced into an off-track excursion as Fairuz moved up to second.

It was then a four-second gap to leader Martinez, whom at that point seemed to struggle with his car.

Fairuz closed the gap and was soon hot on Martinez's heels, challenging for the lead.

The final four laps from the finish saw Fairuz continue to attack, but Martinez was able to recover and was soon back on the pace, and Fairuz had to settle for second.

That result sees Fairuz moving well up into contention for the championship and is in a good position to register a successive points-scoring finish in Race Two today.

The reversed grid order sees Fairuz start Race Two from seventh.