COLIN LE MAITRE has had a mixed bag of results of late in the French National Hill-Climb Championship. Racing his powerful two-litre Dallara F302 FL, the local driving star had two disappointing rounds at La Broque and Beaujois Villages.

He then turned in what he called his best performance yet in the championship at Vuillafans Echevannes. ‘The last three have been a mixed bag really,’ said Le Maitre, who owns Autocare Refinishers.

At the La Broque track, which is 50km from Strasbourg in eastern France, the weather played havoc with Le Maitre’s preparations. With the elements not knowing whether to rain or be sunny, the Sarnian was in eighth place after his first run.

For the second, Le Maitre, expecting a dry run up the 2.4km hill, put on slick tyres in the pits. But by the time he had got to the start line for his turn, the heavens had opened and he had no choice but to go with the dry-weather tyres, which held him back on the slippery road. He eventually came 18th overall and third in the two-litre class which he has won at previous meetings.