My Formula Renault Experience

[Racebred]

Last week, I went on a driver training course with Pegasus Racing Asia, and got to hop into a Formula Renault racing car, spent 6 hours on track, and picked up a couple of G-force bruises.

Here's a teaser... The cars are moving out on the free run session. Yes! It's not a nanny course. There're actually free run sessions, where the intrepid could go for close quarter racing and inside-wheel lockups while trying to outbrake your blurdy friend into Turn1. Enjoy..

http://www.youtube.com/v/ESf8I5OUbfU?hl=en&fs=1

 

[Shaun]

Re: My Formula Renault Experience

Nice.. ran the north circuit or full circuit? Do they time and rank the group like some of the BMW, Porsche courses, etc? If yes what were the times? Curious cos those cars look like older generation F1600 - 1.6L, steel tube frame, more rounded bodywork, narrower tires

 

[TripleM]

Re: My Formula Renault Experience

ok pls post vid of u diving into T1 outbraking your frd..thks

 

[Racebred]

Re: My Formula Renault Experience

sorry, I didnt get sponsored on a POV so no videos.. hehehe. Plenty of pics of me posing with the car though. Can or not. Quite handsome some more.

The car is the 1.6L, 400+kg, 5 speed sequential version used for the junior series. They didnt do timing for us, unfortunately. We dont even have a speedo. I gauge my speed thresold through corners via rpm. For example, the recommended entry into Turn 5 was half-throttle 4th gear. By the afternoon session, I was pushing top gear all shift lights lighted, bouncing off speed limiter going into Turn 5. I needed a slight lift at 75% throttle to turn into T5, but our 15 yo (yes!!!) instructor was doing WOT. I couldnt achieve that.

The formula lines are completely different than road car lines. One of the stints, I attempted to experiement driving this car on road car lines, and found that the latter completely cannot make it. The formula lines are a little weird according to our pre-conditioned minds, but they are really much much faster.

We were only allowed to run North track. Which was quite a bummer. But anyone who has attempted the north track will know that T6 is extremely tricky. The lines have no visual markers to aid you, and your car gets really light and it begins to skate and drift when you touch the brakes. Very very fun. Perhaps too many people spun their cars in the more technical south track so the organisers got scared. I reckoned I was doing a little over a minute I think.... but I'm not that sure.

There are no brake lights on these cars. So its really scary when you are drafting someone down the front straight, and also into turn 4, and then he brakes early.

 

[Oilman]

Re: My Formula Renault Experience

our 15 yo (yes!!!) instructor was doing WOT.

 

[IronIIoxide]

Re: My Formula Renault Experience

sorry, I didnt get sponsored on a POV so no videos.. hehehe. Plenty of pics of me posing with the car though. Can or not. Quite handsome some more.

The car is the 1.6L, 400+kg, 5 speed sequential version used for the junior series. They didnt do timing for us, unfortunately. We dont even have a speedo. I gauge my speed thresold through corners via rpm. For example, the recommended entry into Turn 5 was half-throttle 4th gear. By the afternoon session, I was pushing top gear all shift lights lighted, bouncing off speed limiter going into Turn 5. I needed a slight lift at 75% throttle to turn into T5, but our 15 yo (yes!!!) instructor was doing WOT. I couldnt achieve that.

The formula lines are completely different than road car lines. One of the stints, I attempted to experiement driving this car on road car lines, and found that the latter completely cannot make it. The formula lines are a little weird according to our pre-conditioned minds, but they are really much much faster.

We were only allowed to run North track. Which was quite a bummer. But anyone who has attempted the north track will know that T6 is extremely tricky. The lines have no visual markers to aid you, and your car gets really light and it begins to skate and drift when you touch the brakes. Very very fun. Perhaps too many people spun their cars in the more technical south track so the organisers got scared. I reckoned I was doing a little over a minute I think.... but I'm not that sure.

There are no brake lights on these cars. So its really scary when you are drafting someone down the front straight, and also into turn 4, and then he brakes early.

Why no POV? lol... miss out the fun...