KNUTSFORD driver Oliver Webb was left cursing the rain in Spain after the second World Series Renault collective test was hit by persistent heavy downpours.

The 19-year-old was placed tenth on the timesheet when the weather intervened for a final time yesterday, Wednesday, at Barcelona’s Circuit du Catalunya.

“My luck was out,” he said afterwards.

“It seemed that every time I went in for a tyre change ended up costing me places.”

Webb, behind the wheel of Pons Racing’s latest Formula Renault 3.5 challenger at the team’s home track, set the tenth fastest time in treacherous conditions on Tuesday too.

The rainfall prevented the teenager from acclimatising to new tyres.

He said: “Everybody seemed to be struggling with the lack of laps they were able to do before the tyres either overheated or went past their peak, which seemed to happen quickly as they were so soft.”

Robert Wickens (Carlin) became the first driver to deny ISR’s Daniel Ricciardo top spot as he clocked 1:55.321 in the wet afternoon session.

However Red Bull’s Formula 1 reserve driver set the fastest overall time of the day in the morning.

Webb was quickest for a brief period the following day, when rain interfered once more with his team’s plans.

Repeated showers meant little chance to run in the dry before lunch, when Ricciardo’s car again set the fastest time.

The afternoon session opened with a brief interlude from the rain when Webb again rose to the top of the leaderboard but, while he pitted to refuel, the heavens opened for the umpteenth time.

“It was painful watching my name slide down the standings,” he said.

Reigning British F3 champion Jean-Eric Vergne (Carlin) was quickest on day two.