Ben misses out on a Donington podium finish

The weekend started off in Friday practice which was spent on fixing a handling issue that was discovered to be a failure of the new front suspension components fitted two races ago at Spa. This issue left no time to refine the car ready for qualifying.

With power mostly restored to almost competitive levels and more new suspension components fitted, Ben took to the track in qualifying on Saturday.

Immediately he took pole position at lap record pace and stayed there for 15 minutes of the 20 minute session.

In Race 1, five cars contested the lead with the ‘tow’ enabling drivers behind to easily catch the driver at the front. Ben swapped the lead on an almost corner by corner basis.

But as the racing became ever fiercer, two drivers touched in the penultimate corner of the lap in front of Ben. Spraying fluid onto the track in the final hairpin the driver slowed and veered into the pits across the path of Ben, who was hit from behind and spun as he braked.

The unpredictability of Caterham racing had once again struck and Ben was demoted to 9th.

However starting from ninth on the grid in Race 2 was no handicap for Ben. He fired off the line and within half a lap was up to fifth and joined on to the now traditional five car scrap for the lead.

The race was anyone’s and the Ben eventually missed out on the podium, taking the fourth place spot.

Ben was philosophical after the race. “The battle at the front end is getting so fierce that contact is inevitable. Similar to Spa, we were caught up in someone else’s accident which removed the chance of a win, but with Caterhams you just have to accept it, get in the mix, fight hard and hope for the best. “We’ll carry on preparing and fighting for every place in every race we do.”

Ben next races at Oulton Park on August 12.