Formula Two news

Clarke hoping for qualifying improvement

The present six British drivers are currently locked together from eighteenth to twenty-third in the championship as the leading Jack Clarke heads to Imola this weekend. However, off the back of a points finish at Oschersleben last time out, the Surrey man now hopes to improve on his qualifying pace.

Lying four championship places behind the late Henry Surtees, Clarke now leads the way for British honours with six points having been notched up so far. "My race pace has been good enough for top ten finishes for the last three or four rounds," he began, "but I need to improve in qualifying in order to consistently challenge for points.

"I am still struggling a little with the new tyres but I am constantly improving. It is about finding the limits on new rubber during qualifying and some of the more experienced drivers seem to be able to do this right away; people like Soucek and Wickens will sometimes set their fastest time on their first flying lap on new tyres while I may set mine on my fifth, sixth or seventh lap - I am getting there and I was only three tenths away from starting sixth in Germany."

Clarke's 2009 season has chiefly been one of inconsistency

With the field as tighter packed as it is at the moment, 21-year-old Jack knows that only fractions of seconds must be found in order to improve grid position by significant numbers. How does he rate his chances of catching Edoardo Piscopo in the championship? "Top ten in the standings will be a pretty big ask this season but I am certainly looking at rising up the table," Clarke continued. "I just hope to be consistent and hopefully better my best results so far."

After a season of learning in 2009, Jack hopes for more in 2010. "I would love to be back in F2 next year," he added. "It was always going to be a two-year programme for me; I want to challenge for wins and podiums in 2010 - hopefully I can have a good go at trying to win the title in my second season, that would be fantastic."

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