Radlett racer Alex Jones is adamant his new car is a “huge improvement” and believes he “surprised himself” with his performance in the Formula Vee Championship at Silverstone.

The 21-year-old finished 16th overall at the iconic circuit, recovering from an error in the first race to post a respectable finish, which leaves him 31st out of 44 drivers in the overall championship standings.

Assessing the impact of a change of car, Jones said: “It’s made quite a big difference.

“Last year’s car was built in the 1990s but this year’s is much newer and was built in the 2000s.

“Although we don’t necessarily have the most aerodynamic car, it’s a much newer car and it’s much more aerodynamic than last year’s, which makes a huge difference,” explained Jones, who is studying motorsport technology at Hertfordshire University.

After starting 24th on the grid at Silverstone, Jones’ good start was undone when an error in changing gear saw him tumble to 31st.

However a good rest of the session saw him force his way into 17th before the red flags came out.

In the second race, he again started in encouraging fashion before spinning out whilst trying to avoid another spinning vehicle on the circuit.

Despite that setback, Jones climbed to finished 16th and was pleasantly surprised by his own performance.

He explained: “My aim was to better my lap time from last year and to better my race pace.

“I surprised myself; last year my fastest lap was 1.24.80 but this year I managed to do 1.20.10.

“With the new car, I am hoping to better that at some stage.”

Jones has also been offered a chance to compete in the Formula Ford Championship, supporting the British Touring Cars.

With two rounds of the event remaining, he is seeking sponsorship in order to finance his entry.