King to test himself on Renault’s World stage

Competing for Manor MP Motorsport in only his second full campaign in cars, King tallied nine podium finishes in the hotly-contested NEC this year.

Moreover, as a measure of his outstanding consistency, he took the chequered flag inside the top five on 13 occasions, with a magnificent breakthrough victory at Zandvoort the undisputed highlight.

Those impressive results secured the highly-rated Stoneleigh driver a superb second out of the 53 contenders in the final standings, though it was not, he reflects, without a tinge of regret at what might have been.

“I was disappointed to miss out on the title, if I’m truthful,” said King. “There were a lot of points thrown away for various reasons - be it mistakes or wrong decisions that cost us quite heavily - and but for that, it would have been a pretty close-run thing.

“It could have been a completely different story, but then motor racing has always been full of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.

“Still, there are definitely positives to take away from finishing second overall at the end of my first full season in Europe. The competition was certainly tough, with the top ten drivers I would say all capable of winning, but our pace was good throughout - we were invariably right up at the sharp end.”

The 18-year-old added to his NEC success with flashes of front-running form and raw speed in the high- profile Formula Renault Eurocup, snaring a sensational podium at the Hungaroring and snatching fifth spot at fellow F1 venue the Nürburgring.

King’s focus now, however, is very much on what lies ahead and over the upcoming weeks he has not only the McLaren AUTOSPORT Award shoot-out at Silverstone to look forward to, but also his World Series by Renault baptism.

The Hugo Boss brand ambassador is evaluating the championship among several others as an option for 2013 - meaning it is the perfect time to really make his mark.

“I don’t honestly know what to expect,” he said. “It’s obviously a seriously fast car with a lot more power and downforce than I’ve been used to in Formula Renault, and it’s just a fantastic prize and a really exciting opportunity.

“I’ve always been keen to continually push myself beyond my comfort zone and it will be great to have the chance to show team managers what I’m capable of in machinery that is a little further up the motor racing ladder.

“It can only really raise my profile within the sport. I can’t wait.”