AN INSIGHT INTO THOMAS RANDLE
We warned you Thomas Randle was one to watch and he hasn’t disappointed. The young gun placed fifth at the NZ Grand Prix (up four spots from last year’s performance). It was an impressive feat considering it was a last minute decision to join the race in a car he’d never driven before!
We caught up with Randle yesterday to get his thoughts on how the NZ Grand Prix went. He said he was happy with how it panned out but true to form was looking for ways to improve. He noted they could have maximised more on the qualifying rounds. That being said Randle was able to make up three positions, and went from eighth on the grid to fifth setting the third fastest time of the race. Not bad for a driver who had less recent track experience than everyone else in the field!
When asked what the biggest challenge was, he said without a doubt it was getting the car set up correctly, which is one of the most difficult things to do properly in motorsport. “We had a 15 lap race prior to the Grand Prix (a 35 lap race) and trying to keep the car quick for 35 laps was definitely one of the biggest challenges on the day. I still think we could have made the car better though!”
So will we being seeing Randle at next year’s Grand Prix? “In all honesty, I can't predict that far ahead, but I would love to have another crack at the New Zealand Grand Prix and ultimately go for the win. Another year's experience in wings and slicks cars certainly can't hurt my chances for 2017!”
The team at Kerrick have become pretty hardcore Thomas Randle fans and wanted to learn a little more about what makes him tick. So we asked him a few questions to get to know him better:
Do you have a favourite medium of motorsports e.g. Kerrick sports sedans, slicks and wings etc? I personally enjoy open wheeler cars, however the Kerrick Sports Sedans are real beasts. Any driver would be happy to hop in a sports sedan any day of the week, including me! However, I would rather try and make a career driving wings and slicks formula cars.
Do you have any rituals or traditions that you do before going into a race? I don't really have any rituals, I know a few drivers who do. I drink a fair bit of water prior to a race to maintain hydration. I might do a little bit of skipping to warm up my muscles and reflexes, listen to some music, do a few stretches, talk to my engineer and mechanics, and then get suited up and strapped into the car.
If you could describe to someone what it’s like flying around the track in the middle of a competition, what three words would you use? Exhilarating, challenging, and (very) grateful.
What’s next on your calendar, how can we keep track of you? I have just confirmed that I will be racing in the BRDC F4 Championship with Douglas Motorsport. It’s an eight round championship, hosting seven rounds in the UK and one round in Belgium. I am extremely excited to get the championship underway! The first round is at Snetterton on the 26-27th of March. The best way to catch up on news, race results, photos and videos is on my Facebook page, you can also check out my website www.thomasrandle.comfor information.
As we've mentioned before Kerrick has a bit of a soft spot for Randle and here's why:
Three things we love about Thomas Randle
- He drives hard (really hard) which makes him seriously exciting to watch.
- He’s gifted with an analytical mind which shows on the track in how he drives and off the track in how sets up his car.
- He's the nicest, most humble person you'll ever meet and his enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. How could you not like him!?!
Photos courtesy of professional photographer and racing fan Rikki Bloemsaat.
Photos courtesy of professional photographer and racing fan Rikki Bloemsaat.
Thomas Randle in action at the NZ Grand Prix.
Thomas Randle's NZ Grand Prix car up on the stands for fine tuning.
The hot seat where all the action happens!
Randle's Grand Prix controls.