Adderbury single-seater star Will Bratt continued his excellent record of podium finishes with a richly deserved third place during round 13 of the Formula Renault UK season at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk earlier today, Sunday, 29th July, the 19-year-old racer then going on to claim a solid top-four result in the second of the weekend’s races.

The Apotex Scorpio Motorsport star, who leaves Snetterton with an enhanced third position in the championship standings, started both of today’s 18-lap encounters from the third row of the grid but typically strong raceday performances and some sparkling racecraft saw Will shine brightly for his Loughborough-based team.

Lining-up sixth on the grid for round 13, the University of Oxford scholar immediately moved into the top five after pole-sitter Dean Smith stalled and then on lap two, Will usurped Alexander Sims for fourth place at the Esses.

Following a three-lap Safety Car period, racing resumed on lap six and Will instantly began to close on third-placed Riki Christodoulou. On lap 10 the inevitable pass attempt came with a superb manoeuvre around the outside at the Esses and running together through the exit, Will completed the move at the Bomb Hole to go third.

Taking his sixth podium of the season, the result also means Will has visited the rostrum at each of the last four race meetings. Commenting on another excellent performance, he said: “It’s great to be on the podium again, to finish third from sixth on the grid is a good result and we have to be pleased with how the race went really.

“Obviously Dean (Smith) stalled at the start which helped but the downside for our championship is that Duncan (Tappy) won so we’ve dropped some points there. If we want to win this championship we know we have to win a lot of races before the end of the year but we’re certainly up for the challenge, we’ll fight hard all the way.”

In round 14, Will made a decent getaway from fifth on the grid and taking to the outside on the run through Sear Corner he searched for a way past Christodoulou as the cars headed down Revett Straight for the first time.

With a four car dice for the lead, Will pulled alongside Christodoulou and as the pair ran side-by-side towards the Esses they banged wheels but thankfully continued without problem, the Apotex Scorpio ace slotting into third place.

After running wide with Adam Christodoulou at the Bomb Hole on lap three, Will then lost out to an opportunist pass by Jeremy Metcalfe at Coram Curve which saw the latter seize third place. Will continued to press Metcalfe for the remainder of the race but in the end had to settle for fourth, just seven 10ths of a second shy of another podium result.

“Everybody made a mess of the first corner and at Sear I went around the outside and popped-in behind Riki (Christodoulou) on the exit in his slipstream”, explained Will, “I got alongside on the run down Revett Straight and we touched wheels but thankfully everything was ok and I dropped into third.

“I went alongside Adam (Christodoulou) a couple of laps later and we both ran wide which allowed Jeremy (Metcalfe) to pop through. It was a shame to lose the chance of another podium but these results have been a good return from the weekend. To get a podium and a fourth place from two third row starts isn’t too bad at all.”

Will added: “Our weekend was made more difficult because we weren’t quick enough in qualifying but then again, last year here we were much further off the pace so we’ve made very good progress at a track which has traditionally not been very good to us, the team has done a great job again this weekend.”

Will is now 95-points adrift of series leader Duncan Tappy in the driver standings but under the championship’s double ‘drop-score’ ruling, which sees drivers having to discard their two lowest results of the season before final totals are calculated, Will is just 59 points shy of the top of the table.

There is now a three week break in Formula Renault UK race action with rounds 15 and 16 of the campaign set to take place at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent on 18th/19th August. Before then, Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire will host an official championship test day on Wednesday, 8th August.