Harry King scores Monaco top ten on Porsche Supercup debut in Monaco 24.05.2021: Porsche GB Junior Driver Harry King secured a top ten finish as he kicked off his maiden season in the Mobil 1 Porsche Supercup on the biggest stage of all on the streets of Monaco.

Porsche GB Junior Driver Harry King secured a top ten finish as he kicked off his maiden season in the Mobil 1 Porsche Supercup on the biggest stage of all on the streets of Monaco.



The BRDC Superstar - from Holyport in Berkshire - headed for the principality on the back of a race-winning performance in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux a week earlier, where the Parker Revs Motorsport driver picked up two wins from two on what was his debut at the wheel of the all-new 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup.



Track action in Monte Carlo kicked off with free practice on Thursday, where Harry was able to post the tenth quickest time as he sampled the challenging street circuit for the first time.



Qualifying would then follow a day later on Friday, with one of the biggest challenges being trying to find clear air on track in which to chase a quick time.



With 27 rivals all trying to do likewise, Harry would struggle to get a clear lap in as the session progressed, but was still able to post the eleventh best time, which left him second quickest of the rookie drivers.



After a day off, Harry took his place on the grid for the race on Sunday morning and was able to stay out of trouble as the field negotiated the first corner at Sainte Devote to retain his place when the action kicked off.



However, an incident behind as the field streamed up Beau Rivage left the circuit blocked, with officials left with no option but to bring out the red flag and halt the racing action.



Once the circuit had been cleared, the race got back underway, with Harry immediately putting pressure on Steven Palette after a brief safety car period to remove the stricken car of team-mate Michael Crees from the circuit.



Pushing hard to try and find a way through, Harry was able to make a move stick at Mirabeau Haute to move into tenth spot, and then set about chasing down Tio Ellinas for ninth.



Closing in on the car ahead, Harry forced Ellinas into an error at the Swimming Pool as the Cypriot racer ran wide across the kerbs and although unable to find a way through, Harry would move up a spot when Ayhancan Güven slowed from fifth on the penultimate lap.



As well as finishing in ninth overall, Harry would secure second spot amongst the series rookies; putting solid points on the board ahead of his next outing in the series in Austria at the same circuit where he secured his double win in the Benelux series.



Prior to that, Harry will kick off his defence of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB title at Snetterton next month.



"To finish in the top ten in my first race in the Porsche Supercup is a great effort, particularly given that it was also the first weekend in the series for Parker Revs Motorsport," he said.



"Making my debut in the Supercup was very different to what I've been used to in the UK, and trying to learn the circuit was a big task when there was only thirty minutes of practice.



“Traffic can always be an issue on a street circuit and I was a little bit disappointed with where we qualified but I knew that on paper, our race pace was strong and I was confident going into race day. Making up places in Monaco isn't an easy task, so the fact we went forwards from where we started was good, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend.



"I'm looking forward to the rest of the Supercup season, but my focus now turns to the start of the Carrera Cup GB in a few weeks time. Swapping from the new 911 Cup car to the old one will be a bit of a challenge, but I'm looking forward to jumping back into my title winning car and getting the defence of my championship underway."




Matt Salisbury - photos Porsche