Tom Blomqvist (Carlin) heads Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam). © FIA.
Carlin’s Tom Blomqvist grabbed the opening race of the FIA European F3 Championship season this morning.
It was also the first international F3 victory that the Cambridge-born racer has taken since his graduation to the category in 2012.
Blomqvist ended the race with a 2.1s advantage over the battling Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam), while the fast starting Jordan King (Carlin) and Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam) finished close behind.
The 20-year-old Blomqvist enjoyed a strong start from the line and immediately drew a solid lead over the Ocon / King pairing. “Of course, I am delighted with this victory,” said the Carlin man. “I intended to make a good start and pull a gap during the first few laps. I succeeded very well.”
However the gap would be annulled come the third lap, when the clashed, broken and stricken Michele Beretta and Alexander Toril proved extremely difficult for the marshal’s to safely move.
Following the green flag on lap seven, Blomqvist pulled to over one second clear of Ocon, who was in turn fighting off the intentions of King.
Where Blomqvist routinely pumped in consistent laps, securing the life of his Hankook tyres in the process, Ocon proved unable to challenge as he resisted pressure from behind. According to the Frenchman: “My re-start after the safety car went pretty well, but then, I was too closely behind Tom Blomqvist and Jordan King was able to overtake me. Fortunately, I managed to counter successfully a few metres later. After that, I consistently drove my laps until the finish.”
From there, Blomqvist gently pulled away as each tour ticked over, with the Anglo-Kiwi extending the lead to 2.3s come the thirteenth tours, but there really was no need to push any harder than that. Continuing, the race winner noted: “After I had built a little advantage, I was able to control the race until the end. I am very happy with such a start into the season.”
King’s presence faded somewhat as the race aged, bringing the Briton back toward Fuoco and giving Ocon the freedom to claim the runner-up spot. For a time, Fuoco began to threaten King, but the Italian youngster had left it too late make any real difference to the order.
With the podium secured, King commented: “My start and the first few metres were very good. I immediately made up two places and I gained another one in the third corner. At the re-start I even was past Esteban Ocon for a while, but I wasn’t able to hold on to second place for very long. I am still happy with third place, but I would have been slightly happier with second.”
Beyond the top four, Lucas Auer (Mücke) drove an impressive and aggressive race to climb to 5th after starting in 10th place. The Austrian claimed four places off the start as the field bled through the opening turns; however Auer really made his mark just after the restart, when he won a four corner battle with Nicholas Latifi (Prema Powerteam) that saw the pairing swap places and run side-by-side from the Village through to Brooklands.
Latifi would continue through to 6th place, ahead of Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec), who lost several places off the start. From the third row, Ed Jones lost one place at lights out, only to lose another when the recovering Serralles took 7th from him on lap 7.
Felix Rosenqvist made something of the weekend, by climbing the order to 9th. Starting mid-pack, the Swede made an emphatic start, jumping to 10th, before passing Felipe Guimaraes on the 10th lap, solidifying the top ten.
Spike Goddard won an intense battle for 14th in the final laps, beating Sean Gelael, Gustavo Menezes, Jake Dennis, John Bryant-Meisner and Jules Szymkowiak to the flag, although both Goddard and Dennis were hampered by broken front wings on the opening lap.
Max Verstappen retired with damaged after the opening lap. The Dutch racer appeared to lose out in a tussle when his Van Amersfoort machine bogged down off the line.
FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 1, Race 1, April 19th)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Tom Blomqvist Carlin Dallara-VW 36m31.379s
2. Esteban Ocon Prema Dallara-Mercedes +0.490s
3. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW +1.361s
4. Antonio Fuoco Prema Dallara-Mercedes +1.661s
5. Lucas Auer Mucke Dallara-Mercedes +2.849s
6. Nicholas Latifi Prema Dallara-Mercedes +3.328s
7. Felix Serralles West-Tec Dallara Mercedes +4.238s
8. Ed Jones Carlin Dallara-VW +4.347s
9. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Mercedes +5.214s
10. Felipe Guimares Double R Dallara-Mercedes +5.490s
11. Dennis van de Laar Prema Dallara-Mercedes +6.885s
12. Antonio Giovinazzi Carlin Dallara-VW +6.885s
13. Mitch Gilbert Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +7.411s
14. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-NBE +7.726s
15. Sean Gelael Carlin Dallara-VW +8.235s
16. Gustavo Menezes Van Amersfoot Dallara-VW +8.381s
17. Jake Dennis Carlin Dallara-VW +8.753s
18. John Bryant-Meisner Fortec Dallara-Mercedes +9.229s
19. Jules Szymkowiak Van Amersfoot Dallara-VW +12.309s
20. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Mercedes +12.521s
21. Riccardo Agostini EuroInternational Dallara-Mercedes +1 lap
22. Hector Hurst West-Tec Dallara Mercedes +1 lap
23. Tatiana Calderon Jo Zeller Dallara-Mercedes +1 lap
Retirements:
Max Verstappen Van Amersfoot Dallara-VW +17 laps
Alexander Toril T-Sport Dallara-NBE +18 laps
Michele Beretta EuroInternational Dallara-Mercedes +18 laps
It has taken more than two years, but two weekends ago at Monza, things finally came right for Will Stevens.
For a driver with such pedigree, so heavily touted for World Series success, the Monza curtain raiser was Stevens’ first Formula Renault 3.5 victory.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Stevens commented. “It is the best way to begin the championship, as opposed to last year. I have worked a lot on the starts and today it paid off. We now have to work on our single lap pace.”
Driving for Strakka Racing, the 22-year-old has played the game of consistency very well since his entry into the category, although the machinery at his disposal was, at times, less than agreeable.
Podiums and runs points helped Stevens’ secure 4th in the standings, behind champion Kevin Magnussen and rivals Stoffel Vandoorne and Antonio Felix da Costa.
But those names have since departed for pastures anew and now the game is on for Stevens. A leading member of the Caterham driver development programme, this is his third year in FR3.5 – if he is to deliver, it must be now.
© Leigh O’Gorman.
FIA European F3 Championship rookies Max Verstappen and Antonio Fuoco headed the opening practice sessions at Silverstone this morning.
Verstappen – son of former Formula One driver Jos – and Fuoco – a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy – took turns at showing maximum pace, while another rookie, Esteban Ocon, assumed 2nd spot in both practices.
Fuoco headed the opening practice for Prema, with the Italian teenager registering a best of 1:52.323s; less than one-tenth quicker than Ocon (Prema), Verstappen (Van Amersfoort) and Nicholas Latifi (Carlin).
Verstappen jumped to the top of the pile after the break, eventually setting a best of the day at 1:51.716, less than one-tenth clear of Ocon and Fuoco. Carlin’s Ed Jones took 4th place this time out.
With this being the first official day of the new regulation engines, it gave Volkswagen and Mercedes reason to be cheerful, as both manufacturers enjoyed time at the top.
For Neil Brown Engineering, their new-for-2014 motor showed well in the hands of T-Sport duo Spike Goddard and Alexander Toril; however it has been a disastrous build-up for Signature-Renault.
The French combination officially withdrew from the Silverstone round this morning. Following the pre-season tests, it was discovered that their engines were up to 20 kph down on the straights at both the Hungaroring and the Red Bull Ring.
2014 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 1, Free Practice combined) Pos Driver Car Time Gap 1. Max Verstappen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 1m51.716s 2. Esteban Ocon Prema Dallara-Mercedes 1m51.798s +0.082s 3. Antonio Fuoco Prema Dallara-Mercedes 1m51.863s +0.147s 4. Ed Jones Carlin Dallara-VW 1m52.040s +0.324s 5. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW 1m52.082s +0.366s 6. Tom Blomqvist Carlin Dallara-VW 1m52.116s +0.400s 7. Nicholas Latifi Prema Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.259s +0.543s 8. Antonio Giovinazzi Carlin Dallara-VW 1m52.334s +0.618s 9. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-NBE 1m52.558s +0.842s 10. Felix Serralles West-Tec Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.594s +0.878s 11. John Bryant-Meisner Fortec Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.606s +0.890s 12. Felipe Guimaraes Double R Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.665s +0.949s 13. Dennis van de Laar Prema Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.690s +0.974s 14. Riccardo Agostini EuroInternational Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.712s +0.996s 15. Mitch Gilbert Fortec Dallara-Mercedes 1m52.754s +1.038s 16. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Mercedes 1m53.001s +1.285s 17. Lucas Auer Mucke Dallara-Mercedes 1m53.013s +1.297s 18. Jake Dennis Carlin Dallara-VW 1m53.026s +1.310s 19. Sean Gelael Carlin Dallara-VW 1m53.323s +1.607s 20. Jules Szymkowiak Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 1m53.442s +1.726s 21. Gustavo Menezes Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 1m53.445s +1.729s 22. Alexander Toril T-Sport Dallara-NBE 1m53.455s +1.739s 23. Tatiana Calderon Jo Zeller Dallara-Mercedes 1m53.558s +1.842s 24. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Mercedes 1m53.572s +1.856s 25. Michele Beretta EuroInternational Dallara-Mercedes 1m53.588s +1.872s 26. Hector Hurst West-Tec Dallara-Mercedes 1m54.362s +2.646s
Signature Racing have withdrawn from the opening round of the FIA European Formula 3 Championship at Silverstone.
The French team have endured a tricky opening to the season, with the Renault-powered team reportedly down on power through two recent tests at the Hungaroring and the Red Bull Ring.
For this weekend, Signature driver will race with Jo Zeller Racing in place of Sandro Zeller, who will continue with the team as her mechanic.
The field has reduced to 26 entries as a result, but it is believed the Signature squad will be on the grid for the second round at the Hockenheimring in two weeks.
Jordá will drive for Koiranen in GP3 this year. © Andrew Ferraro/GP3 Series Media Service.
Spanish racer Carmen Jordá has joined Koiranen GP for what will be her third effort at the GP3 Series.
The 25-year-old moves to the Finnish squad following difficult stints with the short-lived Bamboo Engineering team and the departed Ocean Racing Technology.
Although she has yet to score a point in the series, Jordá is confident this season will see her move up the order. She commented: “I am delighted to join a team with their level of experience and success. I want to raise the profile of women in motorsport and prove that we can compete with the best drivers at the highest levels.”
Jordá will be partnered at Koiranen by Jimmy Eriksson and Santiago Urrutia.
At first, it was strange to see the name “Roberto Merhi” on the entry list for Formula Renault 3.5 pre-season test.
Had the Spaniard not parted ways with the HWA Mercedes DTM team after last season, Merhi’s presence could easily have been explained by his new Zeta Corse team wanting an experienced head during the test.
It would not be an unknown. Indeed FR3.5 veteran Marco Sørensen had spent time testing with the Signature-Renault F3 project only the week prior; however that theory is smashed by his lack of FR3.5 seat-time.
Thinking for a moment, Merhi’s considers his return to single-seaters. ‘It’s different, but not very different. The main difference is that it’s a big car – my maximum before had been Formula 3 and GP3.’
A comeback of sorts for Merhi? Maybe. A kid? At 23- years-of-age, he certainly is not, but the Castellón de la Plana native is in a position to use his racing knowledge to help shape the direction of the team.
Yet, pre-season preparation was still not what Merhi would call ideal, especially when one considers the number of circuits on the calendar with reasonably mid-to-high downforce corners. ‘At Motorland [during the pre-season test], it was difficult to find the limit, because there are not many fast corners, so we don’t really know the limit of the downforce in the fast corners.’
In reality, Merhi emerged from his DTM experience a wiser, if slightly damaged figure and for the Spaniard – who later signed with the Zeta Corse squad – the FR3.5 Series may just be what he needs to rebuild his reputation.
Let’s not forget that Merhi was, in 2011, the Formula 3 Euro Series champion. Such titles are not won with ease, but even still, it is a step up, as Merhi freely admits. ‘The big cars are a bit different, because in the race you need to be more [consistent] and save more of the rear tyres.’
But when Zeta Corse is referred to as a “new team”, one must look beyond the fact that they only entered FR3.5 at the beginning of the 2013 season. After securing some solid results in their début year, there has been something of an overhaul in the engineering department and very few of the original contingent remain, as the 23-year-old explains: ‘We […] have new people in the team; they have changed everybody in the team – there’s just one engineer who stayed, so we are learning, which is normal. At the moment, because of me and the team, we are a bit behind. At the moment, we are trying to find the limit of the car.’
Upon the opener, Merhi scored a podium – 2nd only to title contender Will Stevens – before taking a 9th place finish on Sunday. Not bad for a so-called first timer, but one can’t help but think there is more to come from Zeta Corse’s new star. Indeed the Spaniard is well aware of the need to improve in various areas. ‘There were a few mistakes and I need to work on that and there is so much more grip in the corners than the DTM, so you use a lot of downforce. In the end, the balance of the car was good, not perfect, but the best we have had, so I could push a bit harder.’
If anything, when he gets into his groove, this more determined Roberto Merhi may be an incredibly potent force. Whether the all-new Zeta Corse team can maintain the pace over the course of the season is unanswered.
Leigh O’Gorman.
There was some clear disappointment in Beitske Visser’s expression following the opening weekend of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series at Monza.
Making her début in the category, the 19-year-old spent the weekend lingering around the lower half of the field, eventually registering a DNF and a 17th place finish.
While not necessarily the desired result for Visser, it was not completely unexpected when one considers her journey to the category.
This graduation was never going to be easy – nor should it have been, for the Dutch teenager to make the huge jump from ADAC Formula Master. Skipping Formula 3, Formula Renault 2.0 and the GP3 Series was always going to be an extremely difficult job and in this, Visser handled her task admirably.
In the AVF machine, she was the slowest in the speed traps during pre-race sessions and at Monza – too much drag and too little top end speed on such a fast circuit is something that will only destroy a weekend.
But Monza is unique. The real test of team and driver make up will begin at Motorland Aragon in two weeks time.
Although the layout of the Spanish circuit contains what can be classed as a more “traditional” configuration, it does hold some of its own individual facets; admittedly not so extreme as to compare with Monza.
Whether Visser and AVF can adapt to those normalised aspects and twisting oddities remains to be seen, but it is clear that there is a lot of work still to be done.
And it is in that work ethic that Visser’s speed and confidence will be either won or lost. This is where the little things count and without them, the bigger picture will always remain out of focus.
© Leigh O’Gorman.
Red Bull junior driver Carlos Sainz Jr took a dominant Formula Renault 3.5 victory at Monza this afternoon.
From pole, the Spaniard shot into an unassailable lead, managing to increase his gap over runner-up Marlon Stockinger in all but two of the 27 tours.
Fortec Motorsport’s Sergey Sirotkin made a fantastic start from 6th place to come home 3rd, securing his first podium of the season.
While stellar drives by the top three, the victory was never in doubt. At times, Sainz Jr made the task look easy, as he amassed a 10.8s lead over the course of the race.
Off the line, the 19-year-old looked assured as he made an unflustered start, easing his way through the Rettifilo chicane, while Stockinger fought off a charging Sirotkin and Luca Ghiotto.
Ahead of Sirotkin and Ghiotto was a slow starting Will Buller, followed Jazeman Jaafar who was forced to take to the run off area rather than navigate the Rettifilo.
Safe out in front, Sainz Jr took great care of his machinery to build a careful gap over his battling rivals. After only four laps, the DAMS racer was already 3.3s ahead and drawing further away with almost every tour.
Come the one-third mark, Sainz Jr had added just over one second to his lead and by lap 18; he was 6.2s down the road from Stockinger. Despite his already dominant lead, Sainz Jr kept his foot down and extended the gap to the field to take a win that many felt he could have had yesterday.
Stockinger did much to hold Sirotkin at bay; however as the Russian continued to push his Lotus rival hard, his pace began to falter slightly in the closing stages.
While Sirotkin remained reasonably close, the immediate pressure had been released from Stockinger’s shoulders, allowing the Filipino to assume a safe[r] 2nd ahead of the Fortec. With no threat from Sirotkin’s rear and no sign of mistakes in the offing, the podium was certain long before the end.
Ghiotto took top rookie honours in race two, thanks mostly to a fantastic start. The Spaniard launched away from 8th on the grid to 4th by turn one, while fellow rookie Pierre Gasly made an equally good start to jump from 9th to 5th.
The pair would not be separated by much for the duration of the event; however Gasly rarely appeared close enough to seriously press Ghiotto for position.
Next was the hard charging Nikolay Martsenko. From 12th place, the wily Russian picked up one spot from the line, before taking Zoel Amberg on lap two.
Thereafter, Martsenko found himself playing a rearguard attack formation behind a feisty Buller / Will Stevens battle.
Where Buller and Stevens pressed and pushed hard, Martsenko preferred to bide his time, with the Comtec Racing man taking both drivers as they fought over 8th and 9th.
Martsenko reeled Pietro Fantin in, eventually forcing his way into 7th position on lap 21, before doing the exact same to Jazeman Jaafar four laps later. Jaafar and Fantin would settle for 7th and 8th respectively.
Meanwhile, the Buller / Stevens battle would come to an end three laps later, when Stevens’ move around the outside of the Rettifilo failed, as Buller refused to give up ground.
Stuck in the gravel on the outside of the chicane, Stevens was out on the spot, while a damaged Buller spent the next few laps falling backward…
Roberto Merhi added a 9th place to his podium finish from yesterday, while Oliver Rowland drove excellently to charge his way to 10th spot and a point after being as low as 20th after lap one.
Sainz Jr leaves the opening round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as joint-leader in the points standings. With a win each, Sainz Jr and Stevens both sit on 25 points, while Gasly also enjoys 25 points, albeit without a victory.
The next round is at a very different track in North Eastern Spain in two weeks time, as the World Series by Renault package débuts for 2014 at the Motorland Aragon circuit.
Formula Renault 3.5 (Rd 1, Race 2, Monza)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Carlos Sainz Jr DAMS 43:10.774s (27 laps)
2. Marlon Stockinger Lotus +10.835s
3. Sergey Sirotkin Fortec +12.524s
4. Luca Ghiotto Draco +19.137s
5. Pierre Gasly Arden +20.178s
6. Jazeman Jaafar ISR +28.477s
7. Nikolay Martsenko Comtec Racing +30.014s
8. Pietro Fantin Draco +33.845s
9. Robert Merhi Zeta Corse +36.393s
10. Oliver Rowland Fortec +36.959s
11. Norman Nato DAMS +41.465s
12. Matias Laine Strakka +53.086s
13. Zoel Amberg AV Formula +54.792s
14. Oliver Webb Zeta Corse +59.383s
15. Roman Mavlanov Zeta Corse +1m20.362s
16. Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus +1m22.067s
17. Beitske Visser AV Formula +1m29.307s
Retirements:
William Buller Arden +11 laps
Will Stevens Strakka +17 laps
Marco Sorensen Tech 1 +18 laps
Meindert van Buuren Pons Racing +20 laps
© Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
Josef Kaufmann Racing’s Kevin Jörg grabbed his first ever racecar victory in style this morning.
Jörg led the 14-lap distance, maintaining a reasonable gap ahead if Louis Deletraz and Steijn Schothorst.
The Swiss racer held a fearsome Deletraz off on the approach to the Rettifilo chicane on the opening, while Schothorst sat under Deletraz’ wing in the hope of following through.
Jörg, however, held steady and maintained a nose of a lead as the tight chicane unfolded, eventually pulling out a gap of six-tenths come the end of the opening tour. The gap bobble in and around half-a-second for several laps, until Jörg began to break away from Deletraz after five laps.
For Deletraz, the pressure was been felt from behind. Unable to filter through on the opening tour, Schothorst clung to the rear of Deletraz and refused to let go for several laps, pushing his Swiss rival to the limit.
Deletraz finally broke Schothorst in the second half of the race thanks to a series of circulations in the 1’49s margin, while Schothorst held steady in the 1’50s throughout the race.
As the race reached its final stages, Deletraz had lost a further two seconds to Jörg, ensuring the 18-year-old would finally claim his first success after 66 attempts.
For Deletraz and Schothorst, the pairing added to their solid results from yesterday, giving Deletraz 54 points and a ten-point advantage over Jörg going into the next round at Silverstone.
A stellar start and some mid-pack madness helped give Ben Barnicoat a respectable 4th place. The Briton started 13th in his Fortec machine, only for Barnicoat to emerge from the opening tour in 6th following chaotic scenes.
From there, Barnicoat took Andrea Pizzitola (lap 2) and Alexander Albon, the latter of whom pitted on lap 9.
Pizzitola followed home in 5th position, ahead of Raoul Owens (6th), Mathew Graham (7th), Seb Morris (8th), Gregor Ramsey (9th) and Josef Zaruba (10th).
Ukyo Sasahara removed himself from the action with a silly accident at the Ascari chicane on the opening lap.
2014 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC (Rd 1, Race 2, Monza) Pos Driver Team Time / Gap 1. Kevin Jörg Josef Kaufmann 25:47.306s (14 laps) 2. Louis Deletraz Josef Kaufmann +3.528s 3. Steijn Schothorst Manor MP +4.379s 4. Ben Barnicoat Fortec +12.144s 5. Andrea Pizzitola Manor MP +12.445s
The calm before the storm. Just a little moment of silence to block out the pre-race noise.
Luca Ghiotto is not alone in using this method to clear thoughts before a race; to picture the story unfolding.
With this being his Formula Renault 3.5 début at the historic Monza circuit, the Spaniard was hoping to make his name stick out somewhat.
Having qualified in 3rd place earlier in the day, part of that job was already done. Unfortunately for Ghiotto, this story would not develop how he wished.
A slow stalling start, followed by a lengthy pitstop to understand these difficulties left Ghiotto more than a lap adrift.
Hopes cut to ribbons, the Draco Racing man continued to circulate around, using what was left of the race as a sort of test session.
Today though, it will be another qualifying session and another race. There is little doubt that Ghiotto will push hard as he seeks to claw something back from this weekend and that could make him a very dangerous prospect indeed.
© Leigh O’Gorman
© FLORENT GOODEN/ DPPI
DAMS’ Carlos Sainz Jr secured his second Formula Renault 3.5 Series pole position in as many races at Monza this morning.
On a cool and overcast morning, it was an impressive effort of 1:32.684s that gave the Red Bull junior pilot a seven-tenths advantage over his Lotus rival Marlon Stockinger, while Mercedes driver Jazeman Jaafar assumed 3rd spot.
Sainz Jr led for a portion of the session, but it was Fortec man Sergey Sirotkin who topped the sheets at the end of the first stint, with an early lap at 1:34.569s.
That was quickly beaten by Sainz Jr, before Sirotkin dismantled the 1’34s barrier by half-a-second. With rubber laid down and tyres coming up to temperature, more drivers entered the 1’33s bracket, only for Sainz Jr to smash that by a huge margin.
The battle behind was closely fought, but it was clear that Sainz Jr’s lap was untouchable. As the clock counted down, Jaafar headed Will Buller (Arden) in 2nd and 3rd positions respectively, only for Stockinger to jump both in the dying moments.
Draco Racing’s Pietro Fantin and Sirotkin secured the third row ahead of a trio of rookies containing Roberto Merhi (7th, Zeta Corse), Luca Ghiotto (8th, Draco) and Pierre Gasly (9th, Arden).
Marco Sorensen (Tech 1) had qualified 16th, but will start last following the application of a five-place penalty from race one.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Carlos Sainz Jr. DAMS 1m32.684s 2. Marlon Stockinger Lotus 1m33.410s +0.726s 3. Jazeman Jaafar ISR 1m33.557s +0.873s 4. Will Buller Arden 1m33.574s +0.890s 5. Pietro Fantin Draco 1m33.619s +0.935s 6. Sergey Sirotkin Fortec 1m33.620s +0.936s 7. Roberto Merhi Zeta 1m33.649s +0.965s 8. Luca Ghiotto Draco 1m33.747s +1.063s 9. Pierre Gasly Arden 1m33.765s +1.081s 10. Matias Laine Strakka 1m33.839s +1.155s 11. Zoel Amberg AVF 1m33.903s +1.219s 12. Nikolay Martsenko Comtec 1m33.943s +1.259s 13. Norman Nato DAMS 1m34.062s +1.378s 14. Will Stevens Strakka 1m34.145s +1.461s 15. Oliver Rowland Fortec 1m34.217s +1.533s 16. Beitske Visser AVF 1m34.564s +1.880s 17. Meindert van Buuren Pons 1m34.665s +1.981s 18. Roman Mavlanov Zeta 1m34.708s +2.024s 19. Oliver Webb Pons 1m34.714s +2.030s 20. Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus 1m34.725s +2.041s 21. Marco Sorensen Tech 1 1m34.489s +1.805s*
Notes:
Penalties
Marco Sorensen; five-place penalty for race one accident with Jazeman Jaafar.
© FLORENT GOODEN/ DPPI
Caterham development driver and Strakka Racing man Will Stevens took a controlled opening Formula Renault 3.5 race of the season, while chaos reigned around him.
Series debutantes Roberto Merhi (Zeta Corse) and Pierre Gasly (Arden) filled out the podium respectively.
The Briton benefitted even before the race when poleman Carlos Sainz Jr failed to get away from the dummy grid thanks to an electrical issue, effecting the gearbox.
With two of his protagonists cleared, Stevens stormed passed the slow starting Will Buller and Luca Ghiotto take a stunning lead ahead of Merhi and Gasly. Stevens instantly began to pull out a gap ahead of his rivals, but this was annulled when the safety car was called at the start of lap two.
In a battle over 7th and 8th, Marco Sorensen exited the Parabolica alongside Jazeman Jaafar on the start / finish straight, with the former moving over Jaafar, pitching the Malaysian into the outer wall.
Meanwhile Sorensen flipped violently and slid along his roll hoop bar, before hitting the pitwall hard, spraying debris across the circuit. Thankfully both emerged unscathed. The stewards would later give Sorensen a five-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s race.
When the race went back to green on lap five, Stevens disappeared from the fight; the gap growing each time around. By lap ten, it was 2.7s; lap 15, it was 3.7s; then 5.7s on lap 20. The only time the Strakka Racing man appeared to ease up was on the final lap, by which point, the field had long since been defeated.
It was a perfect start for Stevens. “It’s a great result for me and the team. It’s been a long time coming and is a great way to start the year. It’s a lot different to where we were last year.”
After what was a tricky 2013 season at times, the Briton was keen to showcase one of the areas where he improved the most. “The start was mega. I had been working really hard over the winter on my starts. After the safety car, I pushed to build a gap, but then had to maintain it.”
Merhi, meanwhile, was far busier for a time. Returning to single-seaters for the first time since 2011, the Spaniard had to work hard to keep ahead of the aggressive Gasly; however once composure was gained, Merhi drew away while Gasly came under increasing pressure from Nikolay Martsenko.
With the Gasly / Martsenko fight hotting up, Merhi made a five-second gap to solidify 2nd spot, wrapping up a successful debut with the Zeta Corse team. “I had a perfect start, but the two guys in front had a bad one,” noted a cheerful Merhi. “After the safety car, I made a few mistakes and locked the front tyres, but the race was quite good.”
Gasly came under increasing pressure from Martsenko, with the pairing coming side-to-side through the Rettifilo chicane on lap 14; however the Russian made it stick one lap later to move passed Gasly, only for the Frenchman to take it back when Martsenko ran off track at the second Lesmo half-a-lap later.
The dirt on Martsenko’s tyres quickly destroyed his pace, allowing Buller to catch the Russian in the final tours. Buller’s poor start had dropped him to 9th place, but he pulled a few back following the Sorensen / Jaafar incident and another one when Ghiotto pitted.
A move on Roman Mavlanov on lap 11 gave Buller the space and time to attack Martsenko, with the Northern Irishman taking 4th from Martsenko on the final lap.
Oliver Rowland rescued 6th for Fortec after winning a long battle with Marlon Stockinger, while Rowland’s Fortec teammate Sergey Sirotkin did enough to take 8th. Zoel Amberg finished 9th for AVF and Meindert van Buuren closed out the top ten for Pons Racing.
© Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
Louis Deletraz grabbed the first Formula Renault NEC 2.0 win of the season at Monza this afternoon.
Ukyo Sasahara took 2nd place after he won a mid-race battle with Andrea Pizzitola, who would eventually complete the podium.
The Swiss racer led from start and refused to give up the front thereafter, during which he built up a respectable lead of 3.4s.
From there, Deletraz eased off somewhat, allowing Sasahara to get within one second of the lead, but such was Deletraz’ command, his position at the front was never in doubt.
Where Deletraz made it appear almost easy, for Sasahara, the opposite was true. The Japanese racer bogged down slightly off the line, gifting Pizzitola 2nd spot into the Rettifilo chicane. Sasahara pressed Pizzitola for several laps, with the Euronova racer eventually pushing through on lap four.
In his attempted fight back, Pizzitola ran wide at the Lesmo, and was punished by a tentative Liam Amweg. The Swiss Amweg could not hold the position though and Pizzitola retook the 3rd spot on lap six, holding the place thereafter.
Dislodged from his podium spot, Amweg faced a rearguard action from Steijn Schothorst until the flag, but held the Dutch racer at bay. Alexander Albon claimed 6th from Stefan Riener, when the latter retired from action on lap ten – an end that also promoted Kevin Joerg (7th), Raoul Owens (8th), Ben Barnicoat (9th) and Gregor Ramsey (10th).
There were a number of minor incidents on the opening lap, result in a few cars spun around, while Philip Morin crashed his Manor MP entry at the Lesmo during the tenth lap.
2014 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC (Rd 1, Race 1, Monza) Pos Driver Team Time / Gap 1. Louise Deletraz Josef Kaufmann Racing 25:57.545s (14 laps) 2. Ukyo Sasahara Euronova +0.822 3. Andrea Pizzitola Manor MP +3.568 4. Levin Amweg ART Junior Team +4.946 5. Steijn Schothorst Manor MP +5.780
© FLORENT GOODEN/ DPPI
Carlos Sainz Jr took the first pole position of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series season at Monza this morning.
Driving for DAMS, the Spaniard made the best of his second run in the session to pull well of the chasing pack, setting an overall best of 1:33.235 very early into his stint.
Following the session, Sainz Jr commented: “We managed to find the limit very early with the first set and were the only ones to go into the 1’33s. As the others came into their limit, I found that had already had mine.”
Happier in his new confines, it is apparent that the 19-year-old has been able to garner much from the DAMS entry. “The key is to have a set up in the car that gives you confidence to go on the limit straight away and thanks to this, I managed to set a good benchmark and from this I could work on my braking references and high speed references.”
Sainz was already ahead after the first stint, where he registered a best of 1:33.827 – much quicker than next man Marlon Stockinger (Lotus); however he refused to writ any rivals. “The field is only (covered by) 1.4s, so even though we are missing a few cars, it doesn’t change the level of the championship.”
Arden’s Will Buller came closest to deposing Sainz Jr; however the Northern Irishman’s best fell just over one-tenth short of target. Luca Ghiotto and Will Stevens assumed the second row of the grid, with both setting their times late on in. Roberto Merhi’s FR 3.5 début went reasonably well, when he took 5th overall ahead of Stockinger – the latter of whom suffered a brief off at Lesmo’s during a quick run.
Unfortunately for Beitske Visser, the session ended early, when her AVF machine ground to a halt at the end of the pitlane with a mechanical failure after she had only set a single timed run. The German racer will now start from last position.
The session was red flagged 43 seconds from the end when Zoel Amberg spun and stalled his AVF machine at the Roggia chicane, leaving it in an precarious position for the active marshals. Amberg had his best time deleted as a penalty and will now start from 14th position.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Carlos Sainz Jr DAMS 1m33.235s 2. Will Buller Arden 1m33.359s +0.124s 3. Luca Ghiotto Draco 1m33.451s +0.216s 4. Will Stevens Strakka 1m33.549s +0.314s 5. Roberto Merhi Zeta 1m33.653s +0.418s 6. Marlon Stockinger Lotus 1m33.692s +0.457s 7. Nikolay Martsenko Comtec 1m33.708s +0.473s 8. Pierre Gasly Arden 1m33.857s +0.622s 9. Jazeman Jaafar ISR 1m33.863s +0.628s 10. Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus 1m33.920s +0.685s 11. Roman Mavlanov Zeta 1m33.935s +0.700s 12. Marco Sorensen Tech 1 1m34.110s +0.875s 13. Matias Laine Strakka 1m34.132s +0.897s 14. Zoel Amberg AVF 1m34.178s +0.943s 15. Pietro Fantin Draco 1m34.252s +1.017s 16. Oliver Rowland Fortec 1m34.274s +1.039s 17. Norman Nato DAMS 1m34.354s +1.119s 18. Sergey Sirotkin Fortec 1m34.414s +1.179s 19. Oliver Webb Pons 1m34.460s +1.225s 20. Meindert van Buuren Pons 1m34.650s +1.415s 21. Beitske Visser AVF 1m35.383s +2.148s
There are plenty of ghosts that line the font stretch of the Goodwood Circuit in Chichester.
Famous names like Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Mike Hawthorn – all long since lost to this world – have raced here.
Goodwood is also the circuit where Sir Stirling Moss’ career ended in the shredded wreckage that was his Lotus-Climax machine during the 1962 Glover Trophy. Moss would never race top-class professional again.
As speeds increased, so too did the risk and Goodwood, now becoming like a pre-war relic, discontinued its racing activities in 1966.
A majestic layout indeed, but one that belonged to a different era.
It would take 32 years and the forcefulness of Lord March to bring the roar of engines back to Goodwood, albeit historics cars and contemporary sample examples, but there is little doubt that the ageing circuit has now solidified its position in the hierarchy of British motorsport.
The recent Members’ Meeting may do well to garner the attention and draw of the already existing Festival of Speed and Revival events, but any reason to visit Goodwood is good enough.
© Leigh O’Gorman
GP2 Series.
GP2 veterans Jolyon Palmer and Julián Leal and McLaren young driver Stoffel Vandoorne stamped their authority on the series after the opening round of the championship at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend.
Feature Race
“I had a really good start,” opened the race winner coolly. “I took the lead and leading the opening lap was a key I think because it’s always the best position to manage the tyres.”
Starting brilliantly from the front row, Vandoorne became the first GP2 débutante winner since Álvaro Parente with Super Nova at the beginning of the 2008 season {note 1}.
There is a reason why Vandoorne is so highly regarded. The McLaren junior driver has been champion in both the Eurocup Formula Renault and French Formula 4 categories and was runner in last year’s Formula Renault 3.5 Series to Kevin Magnussen.
In a sense, it almost feels wrong to refer to Vandoorne as a rookie when considering his FR3.5 experience – the cars and relative championship statuses are reasonably matched.
The Renault-backed category has also produced its fair share of top quality drivers for Formula One in recent years, mostly due to its connection with Red Bull, but at this stage in 2014, one wonders if GP2 may have nicked an edge.
With competition in the shape of Mitch Evans, Raffaele Marciello, Jolyon Palmer, Felipe Nasr and Alexander Rossi, GP2 has collected of hot pot of top young talent.
This championship may eventually come down to the driver who really wants it the most. Following the opening test at Abu Dhabi, Vandoorne lay down his claim. “I really want to win this championship. It’s going to be a massive challenge, but I’m working very hard with my team ART GP to get the best out of it. I’m looking forward to the start of the season!”
Words mean little if the actions do not fit, but for Vandoorne, words, intentions and results melded seamlessly. The Belgian romped into an early lead when polesitter Jolyon Palmer bogged down on the line, dropping to 6th as the field defined its order – for the 22-year-old, the start was a dream. With Stéphane Richelmi, Stefano Coletti, Rio Haryanto and Mitch Evans jumping ahead of the dismayed Palmer and chasing the leader, Vandoorne held firm. The gap remained small: first 0.552s, then 0.336s and then…
Bang, skid, crash, slide, semi-flip, slide, stop. Axcil Jefferies has met Kimiya Sato…
As the field drew through the back end of the circuit, Jefferies squeezed Sato wide. Unfortunately for both, Sato locked into the slipstream of Jefferies as he attempted to escape the draft, only serving to pummel the rear of Jefferies Trident machine.
Replay. Bang, skid, crash, slide, semi-flip, slide, stop.
Naturally Jefferies was out on the spot and debris littering part of the second straight – never mind the remains of a buckled Trident – the safety car was dispatched.
Sato, meanwhile, was called in for a ten-second stop / go penalty, while the retiree was less than impressed: “Through no fault of our own we were taken out of the race just after two laps. What Kimiya did, really should not happen at this level. It cost us a lot!”
One wonders if Jefferies meant money, damage or both…
Restarting on lap seven, Vandoorne pulled into another small lead; however much of the field behind simply disappeared from his mirrors as Richelmi, Coletti and Haryanto (amongst others), followed a lap later by Evans and Palmer. By now, Leal had assumed 2nd spot behind Vandoorne until they stopped on laps eight and nine respectively, dropping both well down the order – with much of the race still to play out, wise diving and tyre strategy would be key.
According to the now 9th place Vandoorne: “I was thinking to stay maybe a bit longer on the soft tyres; everything looked fine, but with these tyres, you never know: they can be fine on the next lap in the first two sectors and then in the following sector, they can drop off massively.
“I probably could have run a bit longer because tyre degradation was okay, but I decided to pit and to be sure and safe to keep the lead,” said Vandoorne. “The team did a really fantastic pit stop and from then on it was just about managing the tyres.”
Which is exactly what the Belgian did.
Palmer, on the other hand, ran aggressive – perhaps too aggressive – as his pace began to tumble before the race had run, offering an opportunity for Leal, who was playing a different game.
Running 8th prior to the safety car, the Colombian needed to make places while others were stationary. “My engineer told me to push for two laps [after the safety car]. We were able to win a lot of positions. When I went out of the pits, I think I was P4. At the end, I was able to overtake Palmer too because we were able to keep the tyres until the end.”
As the leading pack stopped, those on alternate strategies came to the fore. Both the Venezuela GP Lazarus racers – Nathanael Berthon and Conor Daly – tried their hands at long opening stints.
Daly’s pace would falter in the latter tours, dropping him to 12th at the flag, but for Berthon – who took over the lead until his stop on lap 18 – his race fell apart completely. Initially the Frenchman’s race was hampered when he was sent back on track with the rear right wheel not attached properly, resulting in another, longer stop one tour later, before pulling off to retire a few tours shy of the chequered flag. Disappointing.
Now it was Simon Trummer’s turn to lead and the Rapax man held it until lap 30. It proved an incredible return for the Swiss racer who had started the race from the pitlane following a stall on the dummy grid. “It’s the first start of the year,” said Trummer, before adding: “I tried to do [a start] like last year, but that did not work at all so I stalled… I was thinking that the weekend was going to be really tough because then I had to start from the pitlane, but our pace was so good.”
As the field around him stopped for tyres or pushed and tore through the rubbing already worn, Trummer maintained a steady pace, spending much of the race in the early 1:47s, while others started quickly only for their times to plummet. The Rapax man explains further: “What we said at the beginning of the race was that we just see what happens. We kept it open. I was thinking five laps before the end that we should stop but the team kept me going. Like this, we could gain some positions. Maybe if we had stopped earlier, we could have gained even more positions, but it also means taking more risks because you have to overtake more cars, even with fresh tyres.”
He continued: “When I was by myself, that was the key. When you’re leading the race, you have fresh air and you can really manage your tyres. You don’t have to fight or defend. We could do 30 laps like that.” When he finally did pit, Trummer emerged in 9th for two laps on new soft tyres during which he climbed back to 7th.
Meanwhile Vandoorne headed the field, while Palmer and Leal fought over what would become the final podium spot; however the McLaren man maintained his head during the final tours, taking a brilliant victory. “Jolyon looked to be pushing a little too hard behind and thus he lost a bit of pace in the end. Julian Leal looked really quick in the end so I think a couple more laps and we would have been in danger.”
Leal did eventually pass Palmer with three to go, but Vandoorne was too far distant; however the Colombian was still delighted with the podium finish. “We never thought we could ever finish second today because we were starting from P12. The car was really good in the race. We had a really good pace. In the end, we managed this result.”
Palmer assumed 3rd, but only just ahead of the charging Coletti, while a late burst of speed brought Arthur Pic up to 5th, despite running outside the top ten with less than ten laps to go.
Takuya Izawa also made an impressive debut for ART Grand Prix. Starting near the back, the Honda factory driver calmly treated his tyres, giving the Japanese racer a burst of pace toward the final laps, with the 29-year-old rising from 16th to 6th in the last ten tours.
There was a battle behind Trummer for 8th spot and the reverse grid pole and it went to Felipe Nasr, who pipped Rene Binder and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs as the race drew to a close.
A quick note for Artem Markelov. The German Formula 3 graduate came home in 15th place during his GP2 debut, scoring the fastest lap in the process – not bad for a chap who has leapt several levels in one go.
GP2 Series.
Sprint Race
Unfortunately for Nasr, the Carlin man bogged down from pole just as Palmer had the previous day. Alas, in this instance, Palmer would prove to be one of the beneficiaries; however DAMS racer had first to deal with Trummer, who took the early lead.
Admittedly, Palmer was helped slightly when Coletti stalled and Izawa made a poor start, but the Englishman still managed a top class start to bring him from the third row to 2nd place at the start. Palmer said: “The start was pretty good. That made up for yesterday’s bad start so I’m happy for that. And then I knew I had to pass Trummer straight away because he looked really strong on the tyres.”
He would not have to wait long – tracking his Swiss rival, Palmer swept through into the lead on the 2nd lap, but was made to work for the points thereafter. “Once I passed [Trummer], I was just controlling the race. Trummer and Leal were the quickest yesterday on the long runs so, it was difficult to manage with those guys behind and be under pressure. I just survived and maintained the gap.”
Trummer, meanwhile, had his own game to play. “[Palmer] was really quick at the beginning of the race. I could not hold him back. So I didn’t defend too much because I knew I had to save the tyres for the race.” Despite the clean air, Palmer could not be broken by Trummer, while Leal – who started from the fourth row – clung onto 3rd place, just shy of Trummer’s rear wing.
While he may have lost the lead to Palmer, Trummer was still happy with the runner-up spot – his first podium in the GP2 Series. “It feels really good. Obviously I knew before the race that we could achieve a good result today. I just had to make the start great. At the end of the race I thought [Palmer] would struggle more but he didn’t. It was really hard to attack him. That was a great race. I had a great pace and I’m happy with P2.”
Two podiums easily marks what is Leal’s best start to a season in GP2. For a driver heavily criticised for apparent disinterest in 2011, the Colombian’s form has enjoyed an upturn as he gains more experience. Speaking post-race, Leal noted: “My start was really normal. I don’t know what happened to the guys in front! When I got to the first corner, I was already in third. After that I was only keeping my position.”
The Carlin racer added: “It’s unbelievable to start the season like this. I’m really happy. The team is really happy as well. This feeling is amazing. We have to keep this momentum and when you do a podium, all the other podiums start coming easier. We have to keep things like this.”
Nasr climbed back to 4th, but it will be another case of what could have been for the Brazilian. If he is to prove his worth, he needs to convert pole positions to victories. Richelmi claimed a solid 5th place for DAMS, heading Quaife-Hobbs who ran in 4th for a time until his tyres fell off, while Evans (7th) rescued two points from what was an abysmal opening weekend with RUSSIAN TIME. Rene Binder collected the final point for Arden, as he finished just 0.2s ahead of Pic.
GP2 now has one month off, before reconvening at the Circuit de Catalunya just outside Barcelona as support for the Spanish Grand Prix.
{note 1}
Technically one could argue that Charles Pic also achieved the feat of winning on his GP2 Series début; however that would overlook his previous experience in GP2, albeit in the Asia Series.
Gianmarco Raimondo (Super Nova). © Auto GP World Series
Gianmarco Raimondo got his first taste of Auto GP machinery this year when he tested with Norfolk-based team Super Nova.
The Canadian racer tested alongside the already signed Michele Cerruti and Markus Pommer, the latter of whom only announced his Auto GP commitments today.
See also: “Pommer joins Super Nova for Marrakech Auto GP assault” (April 6th, 2014)
Running only on the second day, the some time GP2 Series and former European F3 Open racer commented that: “In Day 1, I only made a shake-down to verify that everything was ready. Unfortunately the weather forecast was predicting rain for Day 2’s afternoon, so we used all our new tyres in the morning and completed several tests.”
If nothing else, the situation ensured Raimondo was not merely sitting around, as he noted afterward. “I’ve been on-track for two straight hours – almost a Le Mans stint! After the skies cleared, we then proceeded to some set-up comparisons with encouraging results.”
With a measure of GP2 and Formula 3 experience behind him, Raimondo allowed himself the opportunity to make some brief comparisons of the technology. “It’s definitely an incredible car! Really fun to drive, tougher than a GP2 Series car in terms of control and physical strength, but it also require you to be sensible like on a Formula 3 car: you cannot afford to make mistakes.”
He added, “The power is amazing, you feel the 550 horsepower pushing and it’s fantastic. The Kumho tires also last longer than the GP2 ones but also enable you push harder than in Formula 3.”
Having yet to commit to programme, the 23-year-old is busy building on his options ahead of the 2014 season. According to a hopeful Raimondo, “We are working really hard on it with my management and family, also thanks to the support of Super Nova. The Auto GP championship will be the best possible choice for my career in this moment, and I hope to leave as soon as possible towards Morocco”
The opening round of the 2014 Auto GP season takes place in Marrakech over the weekend of April 11th – 13th.
Markus Pommer. © Auto GP World Series
Markus Pommer has singed on with Super Nova for an attempt at Auto GP honours at Marrakech this weekend.
The German ran strongly at last week’s two day test at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, ending the second day 2nd in the times behind Sam DeJonghe.
See also: “Auto GP: Giovesi and Spinelli sign with Puma 3/Eurotech”
A former Formula Two and Porsche Supercup competitor, Pommer comes to the Auto GP World Series with some pedigree, having claimed promising results in both categories.
Upon his arrival with the Super Nova team, the 23-year-old said; “I felt immediately comfortable […] and very much enjoyed driving the car – it has good downforce and plenty of power and suited my driving style well.”
Pommer will not have had much preparation time leading in to this weekend’s opening round at Marrakech; however the Heilbronn native will hoping to alleviate that worry during the build-up to the race. “I am looking forward to my first time in Marrakech, a street circuit with fast corners will be a lot of fun and I am feeling confident going into the weekend. I have never been there so will be spending some time on the simulator to get to grips with it.”
With only five day until the opening practice session in Morocco, Pommer’s announcement brings the total of Auto GP drivers to just nine. Expect a number of one-off deals to be announced in the coming days.
At this point, it is still unclear just how long Pommer’s deal with Super Nova is for.
TheMotorsportArchive.com 