Max Defourny Takes First Pole at Stake at the Red Bull Ring
While Sacha Fenestraz (Josef Kaufmann Racing) dominated the two Formula Renault Eurocup collective tests, Max Defourny (R-ace GP) was quicker in qualifying to take the pole position for race one at the Red Bull Ring. Tomorrow, the Belgian driver will start from pole for the second time this season ahead of Renault Sport Academy driver Max Fewtrell (Tech 1 Racing) and Sacha Fenestraz.
On a green track following heavy overnight storms, several drivers held the top spot early on. Will Palmer (R-ace GP) led the way heading into the final sprint initiated by Sacha Fenestraz. The Frenchman then improved to set the fastest lap of the morning in 1:28.999 ahead of Max Fewtrell, Alexey Korneev (Fortec Motorsports), Max Defourny and Robert Shwartzman (R-ace GP).
The pace picked up in the afternoon. After another busy start to a session, Sacha Fenstraz lowered the benchmark time from the morning session. The French driver finished on top of the time sheet in a session, prematurely interrupted by the stoppage of Alexey Korneev. His lap of 1:28.774 saw him to the top spot ahead of Will Palmer, Yifei Ye (Josef Kaufmann Racing), Gabriel Aubry (Tech 1 Racing) and Max Defourny.
In the first group on track in the first qualifying session, Max Fewtrell posted the best time in 1:28.962 ahead of Will Palmer and Robert Shwartzman. In the second group, the duel between Max Defourny and Sacha Fenestraz saw both improve on the Brit’s reference time.
Thanks to his lap of 1:28.793, Max Defourny will start from pole position ahead of Max Fewtrell, Sacha Fenestraz, Will Palmer, Daniel Ticktum (Arden Motorsport) and leader of the general classification, Robert Shwartzman. Tomorrow, the drivers will take part in the second qualifying session at 11:10am before race one, scheduled for 3pm.
Max Defourny (R-ace GP): “The entire team did a great job. We did some good work despite a few uncertainties during the second collective test session. However, we kept calm to make the right decisions and it paid off in qualifying. It didn’t take long for the rain to disturb our group! Tomorrow, we will do everything we can to get the second pole position up for grabs and win race one. It is time to take points from the leaders!”
Max Fewtrell (Tech 1 Racing): “We had good pace in the tests. I made a mess of myself in the second session, but was able to put it together in qualifying. I’ve always known we could battle in the top three and we finally did it with this row one starting spot. We have a good chance of getting our first real podium, but anything could happen. I have to do the job tomorrow!”
Sacha Fenestraz (Josef Kaufmann Racing): “It was an almost perfect day with the best times in the two collective tests. I tried to do my best in qualifying, but I made a minor error in the second sector. I think that I had enough to pick up the tenth of a second we lacked, so it is a shame. The Red Bull Ring and its long straights are favourable for overtaking. It will be an interesting race and my two main rivals will start behind me. We will give it our all to stay ahead of them, no matter the conditions!”
Collective Test 1
1st – No. 11, Sacha Fenestraz, FRA, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:28.999
2nd – No. 7, Max Fewtrell*, GBR, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.088
3rd – No. 18, Alexey Korneev, RUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.183
4th – No. 9, Max Defourny, BEL, R-ace GP, 1:29.196
5th – No. 10, Robert Shwartzman*, RUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.408
6th – No. 8, Will Palmer, GBR, R-ace GP, 1:29.440
7th – No. 17, Alex Peroni, AUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.461
8th – No. 16, Thomas Randle, AUS, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.472
9th – No. 4, Gabriel Aubry, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.575
10th – No. 33, Daniel Ticktum*, GBR, Arden Motorsport, 1:29.610
11th – No. 29, Richard Verschoor*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:29.771
12th – No. 1, Yifei Ye*, CHN, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.783
13th – No. 13, Henrique Chaves, POR, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.794
14th – No. 26, Presley Martono*, IND, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:29.815
15th – No. 21, Sun Yue Yang*, CHN, JD Motorsport, 1:29.856
16th – No. 23, Alexander Vartanyan, RUS, JD Motorsport, 1:29.870
17th – No. 19, Frank Bird*, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.052
18th – No. 5, Thomas Maxwell*, AUS, Tech 1 Racing, 1:30.074
19th – No. 22, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer*, FRA, JD Motorsport, 1:30.138
20th – No. 12, Raul Guzman*, MEX, R-ace GP, 1:30.217
21st – No. 31, Neil Verhagen*, USA, MP Motorsport, 1:30.315
22nd – No. 30, Jarno Opmeer*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:30.316
23rd – No. 93, Zane Goddard*, AUS, Arden Motorsport, 1:30.317
24th – No. 14, Xavier Llovers*, ESP, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:30.332
25th – No. 15, Axel Matus*, MEX, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:30.411
26th – No. 20, Najiy Razak, MYS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.485
27th – No. 2, Luis Leeds*, AUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:30.519
28th – No. 6, Thomas Neubauer*, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:30.684
29th – No. 34, Ghislain Cordeel, BEL, Arden Motorsport, 1:31.302
30th – No. 25, Julia Pankiewicz, POL, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:31.848
Car 1 – Lap 26 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 4 – Lap 20 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 6 – Lap 18 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 13 – Lap 27 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 14 – Lap 27 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 15 – Lap 25 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 16 – Lap 25 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 17 – Lap 23 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 18 – Lap 22 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 20 – Lap 22 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 23 – Lap 24 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 30 – Lap 23 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 33 – Lap 23 deleted due to improving under yellow
Car 34 – Lap 20 deleted due to improving under yellow
Collective Test 2
1st – No. 11, Sacha Fenestraz, FRA, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:28.774
2nd – No. 8, Will Palmer, GBR, R-ace GP, 1:28.952
3rd – No. 1, Yifei Ye*, CHN, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.037
4th – No. 4, Gabriel Aubry, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.072
5th – No. 9, Max Defourny, BEL, R-ace GP, 1:29.103
6th – No. 33, Daniel Ticktum*, GBR, Arden Motorsport, 1:29.135
7th – No. 7, Max Fewtrell*, GBR, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.185
8th – No. 31, Neil Verhagen*, USA, MP Motorsport, 1:29.326
9th – No. 10, Robert Shwartzman*, RUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.337
10th – No. 16, Thomas Randle, AUS, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.360
11th – No. 5, Thomas Maxwell*, AUS, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.428
12th – No. 29, Richard Verschoor*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:29.503
13th – No. 13, Henrique Chaves, POR, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.609
14th – No. 23, Alexander Vartanyan, RUS, JD Motorsport, 1:29.647
15th – No. 17, Alex Peroni, AUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.715
16th – No. 18, Alexey Korneev, RUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.748
17th – No. 15, Axel Matus*, MEX, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.798
18th – No. 30, Jarno Opmeer*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:29.826
19th – No. 22, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer*, FRA, JD Motorsport, 1:29.942
20th – No. 26, Presley Martono*, IND, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:29.954
21st – No. 2, Luis Leeds*, AUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.956
22nd – No. 6, Thomas Neubauer*, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.969
23rd – No. 20, Najiy Razak, MYS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.007
24th – No. 21, Sun Yue Yang*, CHN, JD Motorsport, 1:30.211
25th – No. 12, Raul Guzman*, MEX, R-ace GP, 1:30.261
26th – No. 34, Ghislain Cordeel, BEL, Arden Motorsport, 1:30.280
27th – No. 19, Frank Bird*, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.474
28th – No. 14, Xavier Llovers*, ESP, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:30.533
29th – No. 93, Zane Goddard*, AUS, Arden Motorsport, 1:30.905
30th – No. 25, Julia Pankiewicz, POL, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:31.740
Cars Nº 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 34 and 93 some lap times deleted due to track limits
Qualifying 1
Group A
1st – No. 7, Max Fewtrell*, GBR, Tech 1 Racing, 1:28.862
2nd – No. 8, Will Palmer, GBR, R-ace GP, 1:29.014
3rd – No. 10, Robert Shwartzman*, RUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.038
4th – No. 4, Gabriel Aubry, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.061
5th – No. 1, Yifei Ye*, CHN, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.240
6th – No. 18, Alexey Korneev, RUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.378
7th – No. 23, Alexander Vartanyan, RUS, JD Motorsport, 1:29.459
8th – No. 29, Richard Verschoor*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:29.614
9th – No. 15, Axel Matus*, MEX, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.813
10th – No. 26, Presley Martono*, IND, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:29.870
11th – No. 93, Zane Goddard*, AUS, Arden Motorsport, 1:29.972
12th – No. 34, Ghislain Cordeel, BEL, Arden Motorsport, 1:30.206
13th – No. 19, Frank Bird*, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.273
14th – No. 12, Raul Guzman*, MEX, R-ace GP, 1:30.368
15th – No. 25, Julia Pankiewicz, POL, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:31.379
Lap 3 of Cars No. 26 and 34 deleted due to track limits
Lap 9 of Car No. 29 deleted due to track limits
Group B
1st – No. 9, Max Defourny, BEL, R-ace GP, 1:28.793
2nd – No. 11, Sacha Fenestraz, FRA, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:28.882
3rd – No. 33, Daniel Ticktum*, GBR, Arden Motorsport, 1:28.988
4th – No. 16, Thomas Randle, AUS, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.180
5th – No. 13, Henrique Chaves, POR, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.321
6th – No. 17, Alex Peroni, AUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.460
7th – No. 5, Thomas Maxwell*, AUS, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.583
8th – No. 6, Thomas Neubauer*, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.717
9th – No. 30, Jarno Opmeer*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:29.763
10th – No. 2, Luis Leeds*, AUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.860
11th – No. 20, Najiy Razak, MYS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.007
12th – No. 22, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer*, FRA, JD Motorsport, 1:29.139
13th – No. 21, Sun Yue Yang*, CHN, JD Motorsport, 1:30.143
14th – No. 31, Neil Verhagen*, USA, MP Motorsport, 1:29.298
15th – No. 14, Xavier Llovers*, ESP, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:30.436
Lap 2 of Car No. 17 deleted due to track limits
Lap 3 of Cars No. 14, 5 and 13 deleted due to track limits
Lap 4 of Cars No. 5 and 17 deleted due to track limits
Lap 5 of Cars No. 14 and 31 deleted due to track limits
Lap 7 of Cars No. 5 and 6 deleted due to track limits
Lap 8 of Cars No. 2 and 21 deleted due to track limits
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