Lloyd runs out of luck on her long trip north

Welsh star Ella Lloyd suffered poor fortune in Scotland.

- ROGER GALE

ELLA Lloyd went north for round seven of the Wera Tools F4 British Championship at Knockhill, only to leave Scotland empty-handed.

Just weeks after a hard-earned podium finish at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, the rising Welsh star was reminded that fortunes in motorsport can change quickly, as contact from other drivers denied her the chance to add to her F4 points total.

The 20-year-old took 13th place on the grid after a session interrupted by red flags.

"We had a small issue in FP1 which compromised the balance of the car and left it feeling a little bit loose," Lloyd said.

"FP2 felt stronger, but we couldn't really exploit new tyres to their fullest with oil on the track. That put us behind where we wanted going into qualifying.

"I think we, as a team, struggled to find the right balance or traction in qualifying.

"So there was definitely more to come from the car."

Lining up on the inside of row seven for race one, Lloyd made her usual good start to make up early positions and quickly joined the multi-car battle for fourth place, before finding herself going head-to-head with Theo Palmer for eighth as the chequered flag approached.

But the pair got too close and the ensuing minor contact left Lloyd’s car with damage, although she was able to reach the finish in ninth position.