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If you have a chance to look at the CVs of Formula One drivers past and present, you will notice one glaringly obvious similarity between them – just about every driver had raced before in a Formula Renault championship series. Founded in 1971, Formula Renault is widely regarded as an entry-level yet highly respected one-make series where aspiring race drivers compete in identical open-wheeled single-seater race cars for top honours, which usually comes with the opportunity to move on to other single-seater championship series like Formula Three, GP2 and ultimately, Formula One. I’m not a racing driver but I consider myself to be decently deft behind the wheel, having clocked countless kilometres on various race circuits around the world and also have had loads of seat time in many high performance cars, even including the Porsche 918 hybrid and McLaren P1. When the offer to drive a 2004 Formula Renault on Zhuhai International Circuit came my way, I was actually apprehensive about accepting it as I have never driven a Formula car. This Formula Renault is a proper racer. It may have a 192hp 2.0-litre engine taken from a Clio Renaultsport, albeit slightly redesigned and re-engineered, but due to the car weighing in at just under 500kg – just over half the weight of the lightest Lotus Elise, it boasts of a rather impressive 397hp per ton. In comparison, the just launched 580hp 911 Turbo S only has 363hp per ton. Even when compared to the stripped-down road racers like the exhilarating 911 GT3 RS and the scintillating McLaren 675LT, I know that the Formula Renault would still offer a truly one-of-its-kind driving experience.Being the petrolhead, who am I to refuse the invitation? So, I found myself at the Zhuhai International Circuit early one morning on a cool November day. This is the base of BlackArts Racing (BAR) team, where my invitation kindly came from. At their two-storey office/clubhouse, I was greeted by Maxx Ebernal, the head instructor for the BAR team and also a race winner at the Asian Formula Renault championship series. After getting the necessary paperwork sorted, I was brought upstairs to the airconditioned changing room to pick out my race gear. Once suited up, I proceeded to the garage where my very own Formula Renault (complete with my name on the sides) was parked up waiting for me. Before I could be let loose onto the track, I had to get a seat mould custom-made for my 1.8m-tall frame so that I could be seated properly in the relatively tight cockpit of the Formula Renault. A vacuum casting bag was placed in the cockpit before I climbed in. Once in position, a technician poured a slow cure resin mix into the bag that gradually firmed up to form my personal mould. While waiting for the mould to be ready, Maxx showed me the track layout, which I knew pretty well from the many events here that I’ve instructed at. In addition, he went through the gears I should be in for each of the 14 corners as well as my brake reference points. I even had a go at their driving simulator piloting a Formula Renault around ZIC. Finally, the time had arrived for me to head out onto the track in the single-seater for my first of three 30-minute practice sessions. The team was already prepared in the pit lane, the car warmed up. Maxx leaned in and gave me a few reminders before turning on the GoPro waved me on. In order not to stall the car, you have to give it some revs and let up the clutch pedal very progressively. Once on the move, I dedicated my left foot for the brake pedal as the clutch pedal is not required for going up or down the gear ratios of the six-speed sequential ‘box. A blip of the throttle is necessary when shifting down so as not to have a drivetrain jolt upsetting the balance of the car. Just like other racing slicks, the Giti race slicks fitted to the Formula Renault only works well when they are up to temperature. Before that, it was quite easy to lock up the front tyres under braking, as ABS is not available. Besides that, I had to be cautious about keeping my right foot planted for the two high-speed corners of Turn 3 and Turn 6. What really struck me about driving the Formula Renault was the plethora of vibrations that were coming fast and furious right at me, making it a physically and mentally demanding experience. I also had to be very precise with my steering inputs as the steering ratio on this race car is nearly 1:1. Once the tyres were properly warmed up after two laps, I started to push, working the brakes and tyres harder. But I must admit, as I increased the pace, the demands on me as a driver also went up – I have to concentrate on my driving more so as not to miss my reference points, not to lock up the front tyres and not to place too much strain on the drivetrain by overdoing the throttle blips on downshifts. After seven laps, I pitted in. Climbing out of the car, I felt like I had just gone through a 10-kilometre run. Back at the clubhouse, Maxx went through the video and the data downloaded from the car with me. I did a best time of 1 minute 54.073 seconds, which was a decent time for someone who’s driving a singleseater for the first time. It turned out that I had my foot slightly on the loud pedal during braking, which placed unnecessary strain on the tyres. Now that explained the occasional lockups where I knew I was not using the brakes to the fullest and the reluctance for the ‘box to downshift to a lower gear. For my second session out on the track, my confidence with the car grew and I could carry more speed through the faster corners and brake later for the tight turns, but I still was on the gas under braking and I was blipping more than necessary for the downshifts. In my last session, I had a fresher set of tyres put on my car and I did my personal best time of 1 minute 47.180 seconds. More importantly, my lap times in this final session were much more consistent. During the analysis, my issues has been improved but not totally eradicated. And I could still brake later for the tight turns and be more committed with the throttle coming out of turns. In conclusion, I must say my day with the BlackArts Racing team (www.blackartsracing.com) driving the Formula Renault is a day to remember in time to come. Not only does it provide the driver with a pure and truly visceral driving experience, it’s also an excellent tool to work with on your driving skill as any areas that could be improved would clearly show up in the data.