Young Basingstoke racer Archie Hamilton kicked off his 2011 campaign with a podium and enough points to put him third in the championship.
Twenty-year-old Hamilton is competing in the Protyre Formula Renault Championship with a competitive field of 22 cars.
At Donington Park on Saturday, qualifying saw Hamilton struggling with under-steer, but he still put in a time just a tenth off pole, securing two, third-place grid slots.
The first race ended in disappointment following an incident causing damage to his car while he was challenging for the lead on the opening lap. The front wing damage made it too difficult for Archie to challenge for positions, but he managed to hang on to sixth place to pick up his first points. In race two, a strong start immediately promoted him to second place, passing Dino Zamparelli and gaining time on leader James Thorp.
An incident prompted the safety car to be deployed, which Hamilton played to his advantage with a good restart. As the race progressed, his tyres started deteriorating, causing his lap times to plummet.
His position was switched as Zamparelli started to challenged from behind. Hamilton held the inside forcing Zamparelli to try an ambitious outside manoeuvre, forcing him through the gravel.
Kieran Vernon was next to push hard and Hamilton made the decision to let him by with four laps to go, holding on to third place.
Archie crossed the line to claim his first 2011 podium and lies third in the championship.
After the race, Hamilton said: “I was very happy with the testing, but the racing today has confirmed that it was the right thing for me to do.
‘The competition is fantastic and I know it will make me a much better driver.
“Getting the podium finish was good too and being towards the top of the table is a great confidence boost. To be quick in such a competitive field is a good feeling.”
Hamilton will next travel to Brands Hatch on May 14
