BRDC British Formula 3 graduate Thomas Randle displayed an impressive turn of speed during the Formula V8 3.5 Series season finale in Barcelona last weekend, even briefly running in the lead during the final encounter of the season.
Conditions were changeable during the entire weekend on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya track and Randle had his first taste of driving the powerful single-seater in wet conditions on another new circuit to the Australian.
He adapted well however and delivered a strong result in Saturday qualifying by posting the 11th quickest time.
In the first of two encounters, the Australian was running in his original grid position before a mechanical issue with his Drag Reduction System forced him into an unfortunate and premature retirement.
Unfortunately in the Sunday qualifying Randle over anticipated the grip on a wet track with slick tyres and was out before he managed to post a time, but he more than made amends for that in the season finale, as he drove a supremely consistent opening stint to the race, moving up the field into ninth position before the pit stop window, and as the leaders pitted to lead midway through.
Randle then pitted and eventually came home in a creditable 11th position, a superb result given that it was only his second meeting in the F1 feeder series.
Randle has enjoyed a brilliant maiden season in European racing, as he finished fourth overall in the 2016 BRDC British F3 Championship, scoring wins at Rockingham and Spa-Francorchamps.
His success in British F3 led to his two outings in Formula V8 3.5 and he has also competed in the inaugural event of the Prototype Cup for LMP3 cars.