Nigel Moore overturned a 38-point deficit to take the Formula Palmer Audi title in the season-finale at Silverstone at the weekend.
The British driver, who only made the switch to single-seaters from sportscar racing this year, finished ahead of long-time points leader Maxime Jousse in all four races at the Northamptonshire circuit, clinching the title in a thrilling final event.
With Moore having wrestled the lead away from the Frenchman with a lights-to-flag victory in the weekend’s third race, Jousse gave everything in the finale to try and secure the title.
Both drivers made a bad start, but Jousse recovered quickest and was up to fifth place early in the event and in need of just three more points to jump ahead of Moore, who struggling in ninth.
The Brit then recovered to climb the order over the next few laps to put the pressure back on Jousse and it told soon after as the brother of Superleague Formula racer, Julien, made contact with debutant Jordan King and suffered front wing damage.
Jousse was soon sliding down the field and his title hopes were ended with another collision, this time with Howard Fuller, which saw him retire in pit lane with three laps remaining.
Earlier in the weekend, Spaniard Ramon Pineiro had grabbed a brace of victories in the first two races, heading home second-place Moore on each occasion as Jousse trailed in fifth and fourth.
Race 3 saw Moore take the win from the impressive King while Kieran Vernon won the final event from Jose Alonso Liste and Russian driver Max Snegirev.
Formula Palmer Audi results – Rounds 17-20, Silverstone
Round 17
1 Ramon Pineiro, 22 laps
2 Nigel Moore, +1.574
3 Max Snegirev, +2.721
4 Kieran Vernon, +3.014
5 Maxime Jousse, +5.601
6 Jose Alonso Liste, +9.396
7 Vincent Beltoise, +13.366
8 Callum Holland, +14.010
9 Giuseppe Cipriani, +15.606
10 Ash Davies, +15.720
11 Toni Alarcon, +19.379
12 Howard Fuller, +19.643
13 Victor Jiminez, +25.211
14 Luca Orlandi, +39.988
Not classified
Florian Le Roux, DNF
Jordan King, DNF
Round 18
1 Ramon Pineiro, 22 laps
2 Nigel Moore, +4.355
3 Jose Alonso Liste, +8.206
4 Maxime Jousse, +9.611
5 Kieran Vernon, +10.166
6 Howard Fuller, +18.259
7 Giuseppe Cipriani, +20.162
8 Callum Holland, +20.847
9 Ash Davies, +22.099
10 Victor Jiminez, +25.156
11 Max Snegirev, +26.590
12 Florian Le Roux, +53.115
13 Luca Orlandi, +2 laps
14 Toni Alarcon, +4 laps
Not classified
Jordan King, DNF
Vincent Beltoise, DNF
Round 19
1 Nigel Moore, 22 laps
2 Jordan King, +2.224
3 Ramon Pineiro, +6.267
4 Kieran Vernon, +8.815
5 Maxime Jousse, +10.110
6 Callum Holland, +10.918
7 Howard Fuller, +12.686
8 Giuseppe Cipriani, +17.299
9 Vincent Beltoise, +17.456
10 Max Snegirev, +20.905
11 Ash Davies, +24.276
12 Toni Alarcon, +27.574
13 Luca Orlandi, +35.044
14 Victor Jiminez, +36.467
15 Florian Le Roux, +1 lap
Not classified
Jose Alonso Liste, DNF
Round 20
1 Kieran Vernon, 22 laps
2 Jose Alonso Liste, +0.552
3 Max Snegirev, +5.607
4 Nigel Moore, +11.456
5 Callum Holland, +13.577
6 Ramon Pineiro, +18.537
7 Howard Fuller, +25.884
8 Vincent Beltoise, +25.884
9 Toni Alarcon, +25.928
10 Ash Davies, +26.118
11 Giuseppe Cipriani, +26.834
12 Victor Jiminez, +27.027
13 Luca Orlandi, +35.460
14 Florian Le Roux, +36.816
15 Maxime Jousse, +3 laps
Not classified
Jordan King, DNF
Final Championship Standings
1 Nigel Moore, 344pts
2 Maxime Jousse, 335
3 Ramon Pineiro, 320
4 Kieran Vernon, 300
5 Jose Alonso Liste, 298
6 Vincent Beltoise, 250
7 Howard Fuller, 204
8 Melroy Heemskerk, 203
9 Callum Holland, 193
10 Ash Davies, 178
Watch Formula Palmer Audi highlights from the Silverstone finale on Thursday 28 October at 8:10pm on Motors TV.
Andy Wilkinson
International
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