King takes test and passes his physical
Jordan King testing for BVM Target in Spain. Picture: Dutch Photo Agency
Jordan King has been tipped to enjoy “a successful career” in motor sport after his rookie test session behind the wheel of a 530bhp World Series by Renault single-seater at Motorland Aragón in Spain.
King was invited to try out the Dallara-designed chassis - whose 3.5-litre, V8 engine produces more than two-and-a-half times the level of horsepower he has been used to this season - as a reward for clinching the runner-up spoils in the Formula Renault Northern European Cup.
Despite needing to get his head around not only the greater power and downforce but also details such as throttle map settings and a plethora of steering wheel-mounted controls, the Stoneleigh driver wasted little time demonstrating what a quick learner he is.
Describing the World Series car as “much more physical” than its smaller 2.0-litre sibling, King’s rigorous fitness regime paid off handsomely, and the 18-year-old was soon lapping within a second of the leading pace on worn tyres.
“All-in-all, it was a really enjoyable and worthwhile experience - one from which I learnt a lot,” said King. “It was quite an eye-opener and I feel it has benefited me enormously.
“The World Series is one of the very quickest racing cars around, and it’s pretty overwhelming, to tell the truth, to think I’ve just driven something that’s not too far below F1.”
Indeed, a whole host of the championship’s alumni now grace the grand prix grid, including the likes of freshly-crowned three-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, Williams’ Pastor Maldonado and Scuderia Toro Rosso duo Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.
King makes no secret of his determination to one day follow in their illustrious wheeltracks, though with only two full campaigns of car racing competition under his belt, he realises a World Series graduation would be too ambitious right now.
“I certainly don’t think I’d be out-of-my-depth in the championship, but it might be just a bit too much, too soon for 2013,” he conceded.
“At the end of the day, wherever I race, I’m not interested in making up the numbers - I want to be competitive and have a chance of winning.
“I think a year at an intermediate stage first is the right way to go, and then we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Roberto Venieri - team manager of BVM Target, for whom King tested in Spain - was left with few doubts regarding the Hugo Boss brand ambassador’s potential to compete at the pinnacle of the sport.
“Jordan showed a high degree of professionalism and commitment to quickly get to grips with the car, which is known to be a very difficult single-seater to drive,” he said.
“We also found him to be very well-prepared physically compared to the other Formula Renault 2.0-litre drivers. We are convinced that he has both the ability and the talent to enjoy a successful motor racing career.”
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Weather for Kenilworth
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
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Wind direction: North
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Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
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