Hywel was flying in practice on Friday but couldn't match that performance in Saturday's qualifying and paid the price in Sunday's races.

"We were really quick on Friday in testing but we went slower in the first qualifying session on Saturday, and really couldn't find out why," he explained: "I was well off the pace.

"The second session was better but I went off through Sheene corner and damaged the floor, so that was that."

That left him with a lot to do on a circuit not made for overtaking and in the first race he starting from 25th on the grid but could only make steady progress to finish seventh.

Team Manager Harry Lloyd, Hywel's father, explained: "Hywel was only a tenth of a second off the pace on Friday which was good considering he'd never raced the circuit before.

"But then in Saturday's first qualifying he was two seconds slower and we couldn't work it out.

"We tinkered with the set up and he went out for the second qualifying session but before he could get a quick lap in he came off and damaged the underside so that left us down the grid again.

"By the ninth lap he was really up with the pace and he eventually set the second fastest lap, only two-tenths slower than the winner, Steven Guererro, from Colombia."

The next chance for a result comes at another circuit Hywel and his crew have yet to see, Spa, home of the Belgian Grand Prix and one of the most spectacular tracks in the world.

That takes place on August 1 and 2 and Hywel said: "I've only raced on it on the Playstation but I'm really looking forward to it."

British Formula Three National Championship after 14 rounds. 1 Jay Bridger 198 points; 2 Andy Meyrick 174; 3 Steven Guerrero 137; 4 Hywel Lloyd 115; 5 Stefan Wilson 107.