Burgeoning talent Max Cornelius just missed out on winning the Autosport Young Guns title by the slimmest of margins at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire earlier today, Sunday, 29th August – a dramatic final corner tangle in the last race of the season proving to be the decisive moment.
Driving brilliantly to the seventh race victory of his rookie campaign during the opening encounter at the UK’s fastest track, the 16-year-old karting graduate put the title well within reach ahead of the final round. However, an incident with arch rival Patryk Szczerbinski at Club Chicane meant Max just missed out on becoming a champion in his first season of car racing by a mere four points.
The Motaworld Racing driver, who resides just 40 miles from Thruxton in Southwick on the Somerset/Wiltshire border, had his eighth win – and the championship – in his sights as he nosed ahead of Szczerbinski for the lead into the last turn but the pair made unfortunate contact ending their race.
Understandably disappointed with the conclusion to his final weekend in Autosport Young Guns, Max nonetheless has the consolation of being the driver with the most wins over the course of the season – a tremendous tally of seven victories from the last 10 starts. During the second Thruxton encounter he also posted the fastest race lap of the weekend at 1.18.356 to underline his consistently rapid pace.
“Obviously, it’s really disappointing to miss out on the title this way but we’ve given it a really good shot since we joined the championship and to win more than half the races I started in my first car racing season is great”, said Max.
“Congratulations to Patryk, we’ve had some close battles and it’s been good fun racing with him. I want to thank all the guys at Motaworld for doing a great job and I also need to say a huge thank you to my family and to the fantastic sponsors who have made this season possible.”
Max’s weekend started firmly on the back-foot when an engine failure during testing on Friday, after just a couple of laps, meant he was unable to complete any set-up work. Even so, he did a great job during qualifying to secure a spot on the front row of the grid alongside Szczerbinski.
Having made some changes to the settings ahead of raceday, Max aimed for nothing less than the win during the first encounter and he delivered superbly during a frantic, back and forth battle with Szczerbinski throughout the 15 lap duration.
The lead changed hands at least a dozen times over the course of the race with nothing between the two championship protagonists at all. Dicing hard and with average lap speeds of well over 100mph, Cornelius headed into the final lap in second place but took the lead back on the run up Woodham Hill to claim a very well deserved seventh win of 2010.
With his first single-seater campaign now wrapped up, Max is considering a range of options for his next step on the motor racing ladder. With potential opportunities to compete in Asia in Formula BMW and to undertake a test programme in the UK in Formula Renault and Formula 3, there is plenty for him to think about over the coming weeks – visit www.maxcornelius.com for all the latest.
His participation in the Autosport Young Guns finale was made possible by the vital support of, in no particular order: CPS Garage Services of Bradford on Avon; Upsalls Property Management, Giantbox & Dan Toilet Hire of Trowbridge; Auto Components (Westbury) Ltd, Club Ice, Stairway Joinery, Kevin’s Menswear from Westbury; Frome Scaffolding, Innetar Bodyshop, Compugraphic Design, Café Le Strada, Part 2 Hair Dresser, Lettings-R-Us, Telefringe, Train Station Gym of Frome; Polar Thermal Products of Warminster & Hatton Hotels Group.
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Max Cornelius
Max Cornelius took the sixth race victory of his debut car racing season at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent on Sunday, 15th August, to move within touching distance of the Autosport Young Guns championship title.
With just one event remaining on the 2010 calendar – the category finale at Thruxton in Hampshire a fortnight from now – the talented 16-year-old, from Southwick on the Somerset/Wiltshire border, is eyeing nothing less than title success after once again proving his prowess over the weekend.
Dominating the rain-shortened qualifying session at the 1.2-mile Indy track on Saturday afternoon, 14th August, Max took pole position for both races with lap times 0.3 seconds and 0.2 seconds quicker than closest rival Patryk Szczerbinski in both instances.
Sensibly putting in a few quick laps early in the session with rain clouds threatening, the Motaworld Racing driver posted a best of 48.504 seconds (88.96mph) at the team’s local track to underline his reputation as the fastest driver in the championship.
Scorching away from pole position in race one, Max shook off the attentions of Szczerbinski early on and proceeded to pull clear of his pursuers with ease. The 20-minute race concluded on lap 25 with Max over five seconds clear and having posted a fastest race lap of 46.917 seconds (91.97mph). Such was his pace he also managed to lap fellow former karter Russell Danzey.
“I’m really delighted to have taken my sixth win of the year, it’s a fantastic tally from 11 race starts and I’m fully focused on winning the championship now”, said Rode born Max, “It’s really close between me and Patryk for the title so it’s all to play for at Thruxton, I can’t wait to get there in two weeks’ time and hopefully get the job done.”
In race two Max took second place for yet another podium finish, fending off James Nutbrown impressively at the conclusion by posting his quickest tour of the race two laps from the finish. His second rostrum of the weekend was also his eighth of the year and eighth in as many races.
Disappointed not to have been able to press home the same level of pace he showed in the first race, Max departed Brands Hatch nonetheless satisfied with his weekend’s work and very much looking forward to the season finale where he bids to clinch his first car racing title.
As ever, Max – who will soon be starting his A-levels at the sixth form college previously attended by FIA Formula One World Champion Jenson Button – would like to thank his tremendous sponsors who have been instrumental in the success he has enjoyed this year.
In no particular order, thanks go to: CPS Garage Services & ACE Supplies of Bradford on Avon; WJ Joyce (Eng) Ltd, Upsall Property Management and Giantbox, all of Trowbridge; A&B Perkins Building Contractor, RSV Refinishers and Rapid Recovery from Westbury; Autocare, Frome Scaffolding, Frome Reclamation, Innetar Bodyshop, Compugraphic Design, White Row Country Foods of Frome; Hatton Hotels Group.
Ahead of the season finale at the UK’s fastest track, Thruxton, on Sunday, 29th August, and Bank Holiday Monday, 30th August, Max still needs to secure additional commercial backing for this final event. Any local companies with an interest in supporting the South West’s most promising young sportsman are invited to contact Jonathan Davis on +44 (0)7876 566182 or by email to sponsorship@maxcornelius.com
August 14-15 Brands Hatch
August 29-30 Thruxton
Watch Autosport Young Guns highlights as part of Motors TV’s Dunlop Great & British coverage on Saturday 7 August from 5:30pm (BST).
http://www.motaworld.co.uk/younggunstables.php
Max is currently 2nd in the Championship just 9 Points behind championship leader Patryk Szczerbinski from Poland.
Check out the link to see how I am doing in the championship
http://www.driverdb.com/championships/Autosport-Young-Guns//
A 16 YEAR old local driver became one of the stars of the show at the Dunlop Great and British Motorsport Festival weekend at the Castle Combe circuit, writes JOHN MOON.
Max Cornelius, from Southwick near Trowbridge, impressed the crowd with three mature drives, netting him two victories and a third place in the Autosport Young Guns races.
The new championship is designed to give 16-19 year old drivers experience of relatively sophisticated single-seater race cars, their high revving motorcycle engines, slick tyres and wings providing a real challenge for the youngsters, most of whom have only karting experience.
Castle Combe was only the third race weekend for Cornelius, who is looking to emulate the career of Jenson Button, whose father John was also based in Southwick.
Qualifying third fastest behind Russian driver Patryk Szcerbinski and Finn Leopold Ringbom, Cornelius began swopping places with Ringbom, despite his car handling as if it was ‘on ice”’.
Exiting Camp corner, the 750 cc machine executed a spectacular 360 degree spin, Cornelius showing impressive car control to lose little time, continuing as if nothing had happened, to come home third.
Race two on Sunday saw trickily damp conditions, with Cornelius engaging with Ringbom again, the pair circulating at the front for five laps.
Under pressure and with the track still treacherous, the Finn made a mistake, allowing Cornelius to come home with a 14-second win over Jake Rattenbury.
Cornelius said, “I was hoping he (Ringbom) was going to push it off and eventually he did.
“I kept going and ended up with a good lead. Hopefully I can win the next one.”
Sure enough, those hopes became reality, the schoolboy, who attends St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, leading from start to finish, this time with Szcerbinski in second place, some three seconds adrift.
CORNELIUS IMPRESSES AGAIN WITH SUPERB CASTLE COMBE DOUBLE
Car racing rookie Max Cornelius continued his seriously impressive debut season in fine style at Castle Combe in Wiltshire over the weekend, 17th/18th July, by taking a fantastic double victory and a further top three finish during the latest instalment of the Autosport Young Guns.
From his last six races, the 16-year-old has taken an outstanding tally of six podiums – including five richly deserved wins – and is rapidly marking himself out as a young driver with a huge amount of potential in the realms of single-seater racing.
“It’s been another fantastic weekend, I’m really pleased with the result”, said the Southwick-based youngster, “It would have been incredible to win all three races again but we can’t be greedy! Five wins from six races is a fantastic total though, I can’t wait for the next rounds now at Brands Hatch.”
During Saturday morning’s qualifying session at his most local track, Max was on course to take pole position but after easing off to preserve the life of his tyres he slipped to third with a best time of 1m07.402 seconds (98.81mph) – just two 10ths of a second shy of the top spot.
At the start of the weekend’s opening encounter on Saturday afternoon, the Somerset youngster quickly moved into second position and at the end of lap one he was just 0.8 seconds behind race leader Patryk Szczerbinski. On lap two though, he was pushed back to third by Leopold Ringbom
Max continued well in the final rostrum spot but did unfortunately lose ground to the drivers ahead on lap nine following a spin as he battled with the car’s softer suspension set-up. Remaining in third to the finish on lap 18, he at least secured his fourth podium in as many races having taken a hat-trick of victories at Pembrey in South Wales during the previous event at the end of June.
It wasn’t long before Max hit the winning trail once again though and during race two on Sunday morning, the Motaworld Racing teenager took his fourth victory of 2010 after mastering the damp conditions. Opting for stiffer suspension settings to suit his driving style, Max did a superb job.
Moving from third to second immediately, he was then passed by the fast-starting, and vastly more experienced, Jake Rattenbury. Slipping back behind Szczerbinski too, Max fought wheel-to-wheel for third through Folly Corner and up to Quarry where he made the place his own before usurping Rattenbury at Camp for second position.
Closing on race leader Ringbom, Max pressured him into a mistake on lap five at Camp and duly moved into the lead. Building a substantial cushion over the remaining 12 laps, he cruised to an eventual winning margin of almost 15 seconds – a truly dominant drive.
Heading into the dry third encounter thoroughly determined for more success, the St Laurence School pupil quickly made headway from third on the grid and with an incredibly bold move he seized the lead around the outside at Quarry. Pumping in fastest lap after fastest lap, with a best of 1m06.618 seconds (99.97mph), he went on to win by 3.3 seconds from Szczerbinski.
Max added: “I wasn’t comfortable with the softer suspension settings for the damp conditions, I wanted the car to run stiffer and as soon as we changed that everything felt much better. It was good to learn more about how the car reacts in different conditions, I’ve gained a lot of experience this weekend and to take such good results too is a major bonus.”
During the three week break between the Pembrey and Castle Combe race meetings, Max’s family were able to secure some much-needed and very gratefully received additional support from an array of local sponsors to ensure his superb debut season of car racing could continue.
Sincere thanks go to, in no particular order: Tipadel Builders Merchants, T&A Motors of Bradford on Avon, CPS Garage Services of Bradford on Avon, Upsall Property Management of Trowbridge, Giantbox Self Storage in Salisbury and Trowbridge, Frome Scaffolding, Piling Equipment Ltd of Warminster, Dan Toilet Hire of Trowbridge, H&B Tyres of Frome, Innetar Bodyshop of Frome and Compugraphic Design, also of Frome, Fussels Fine Foods of Rode and Coco’s Womenswear of Frome.
The next event on the Autosport Young Guns calendar will take place at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent four weeks from now, 14th/15th August. For all the latest regarding Max’s career, please visit www.maxcornelius.com and for information regarding marketing and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jonathan Davis on +44 (0)7876 566182 or by email to lesters2@btconnect.com
