Maiden win for Max Fewtrell
England’s Max Fewtrell (Tech 1 Racing) scored this Saturday his first win in the Formula Renault Eurocup. Starting from row one, the Renault Sport Academy rookie took the lead at turn one to go on for the victory ahead of Sacha Fenestraz (Josef Kaufmann Racing) and pole winner Max Defourny. The three were covered by less than one second at the finish. Thanks to his second place, Sacha Fenestraz now leads in the general classification.
Fenestraz and Aubry on equal time in Q2
Saturday began with the second qualifying session to determine the starting grid for race 2 tomorrow. In the first group on track, Sacha Fenestraz was quicker than Max Defourny and Daniel Ticktum (Arden Motorsport) with a lap time of 1:28.429. In the other group, Gabriel Aubry (Tech 1 Racing) clocked the exact same time to lead the way ahead of Will Palmer (R-ace GP) and Robert Shwartzman (R-ace GP).
As the first to set the time, Sacha Fenestraz will start from pole position. Sunday morning, he will line-up ahead of Gabriel Aubry, Max Defourny, Will Palmer, Daniel Ticktum and Robert Shwartzman.
The first qualifying session that was held on Friday set the starting gird for race 1. Max Defourny set off from pole ahead of Max Fewtrell, Sacha Fenestraz, Will Palmer, Daniel Ticktum and leader in the general classification, Robert Shwartzman.
When the lights went out, Max Fewtrell got the best send off and overtook Max Defourny at the exit of turn one. The Belgian driver was then being pressured by Sacha Fenestraz and Will Palmer, who was surprised by Daniel Ticktum on lap three.
Robert Shwartzman also ran alongside his team mate but they made contact, which reshuffled the order in the very busy field. Thomas Randle (AVF by Adrián Vallés) took advantage to move up to fifth place ahead of Gabriel Aubry, Robert Shwartzman and Alex Peroni (Fortec Motorsports), who spun a few moments later.
Late in the race, Max Defourny tried to find an opening on Max Fewtrell, who resisted to take his first win. The attempts of Max Defourny allowed Sacha Fenestraz to close ground and overtake on the last lap. In fourth place at the finish, Daniel Ticktum was penalised ten seconds after the race for his disputed involvement in an overtaking move.
Thomas Randle, Gabriel Aubry, Robert Shwartzman, Henrique Chaves (AVF by Adrián Vallés), Yifei Ye (Josef Kaufmann Racing) all moved up one place. Daniel Ticktum and Alexey Korneev (Fortec Motorsports) completed the list of point’s finishers.
Max Fewtrell (Tech 1 Racing): “It is fantastic to take my first win, but a 25-minute race seems a lot longer when your leading than when you in the pack! Despite some difficult weekends like in Hungary and Monaco, we’ve never given up and this win is a very nice reward. I knew I had to get a good start and I managed to do so before controlling the race and defending my position when I saw (Max and Sacha) get bigger in my rear view mirrors in the final laps. It is a result that makes my new coach Jake Dennis (4th in the 2013 Formula Renault Eurocup, editor’s note) look good! His aid has been a big help to me up until now, but there is another race tomorrow!”
Sacha Fenestraz (Josef Kaufmann Racing): “It was a long race! I am thrilled to be leading the general classification. I think this is the first time that this has happened to me in single-seaters! I was able to catch Max Defourny thanks to his attempts to pass Max Fewtrell and his small mistake at turn three. I made an attempt on the outside and it was enough! Tomorrow, I will start from pole in setting the exact same time as Gabriel Aubry. We have seen that it doesn’t guarantee anything on this track. The goal will be to get a good start and win if possible.”
Max Defourny (R-ace GP): “This result is obviously not what we were hoping for, but it is another 15 points in the general classification. It was a difficult race even though we battled with the leader for a long time. I got a good start, but Max Fewtrell got alongside of me. Even if I kept the lead at turn one, I’d have lost a lot of speed on the following straight. After that, I gave it my all. I lost time in some places, I picked time in others, but I had to settle for third place. We will be back tomorrow to fight for the win.”
Qualifying 2
Group A
1st – No. 4, Gabriel Aubry, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:28.429
2nd – No. 8, Will Palmer, GBR, R-ace GP, 1:28.506
3rd – No. 10, Robert Shwartzman*, RUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:28.564
4th – No. 7, Max Fewtrell*, GBR, Tech 1 Racing, 1:28.621
5th – No. 1, Yifei Ye*, CHN, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:28.651
6th – No. 29, Richard Verschoor*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:28.707
7th – No. 18, Alexey Korneev, RUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:28.938
8th – No. 23, Alexander Vartanyan, RUS, JD Motorsport, 1:29.033
9th – No. 93, Zane Goddard*, AUS, Arden Motorsport, 1:29.465
10th – No. 26, Presley Martono*, IND, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:29.520
11th – No. 12, Raul Guzman*, MEX, R-ace GP, 1:29.592
12th – No. 15, Axel Matus*, MEX, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.692
13th – No. 19, Frank Bird*, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.770
14th – No. 34, Ghislain Cordeel, BEL, Arden Motorsport, 1:29.832
15th – No. 25, Julia Pankiewicz, POL, Mark Burdett Motorsport, 1:30.468
Laps 3 and 6 of Car No. 34 deleted due to track limits
Lap 4 of Cars No. 15 and 7 deleted due to track limits
Lap 7 of Car No. 26 deleted due to track limits
Lap 8 of Car No. 4 deleted due to track limits
Lap 9 of Car No. 15 deleted due to track limits
Group B
1st – No. 11, Sacha Fenestraz, FRA, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:28.882
2nd – No. 9, Max Defourny, BEL, R-ace GP, 1:28.793
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. 17, Alex Peroni, AUS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:29.460
6th – No. 13, Henrique Chaves, POR, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:29.321
7th – No. 6, Thomas Neubauer*, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.717
8th – No. 5, Thomas Maxwell*, AUS, Tech 1 Racing, 1:29.583
9th – No. 31, Neil Verhagen*, USA, MP Motorsport, 1:29.298
10th – No. 2, Luis Leeds*, AUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 1:29.860
11th – No. 22, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer*, FRA, JD Motorsport, 1:29.139
12th – No. 30, Jarno Opmeer*, NLD, MP Motorsport, 1:29.763
13th – No. 14, Xavier Llovers*, ESP, AVF by Adrián Vallés, 1:30.436
14th – No. 21, Sun Yue Yang*, CHN, JD Motorsport, 1:30.143
15th – No. 20, Najiy Razak, MYS, Fortec Motorsports, 1:30.007
Lap 2 of Cars No. 2 and 31 deleted due to track limits
Lap 3 of Car No. 14 deleted due to track limits
Lap 4 of Car No. 16 deleted due to track limits
Lap 7 of Car No. 13 deleted due to track limits
Lap 8 of Cars No. 17 and 9 deleted due to track limits
Lap 9 of Cars No. 31 and 33 deleted due to track limits
Race 1
1st – No. 7, Max Fewtrell*, GBR, Tech 1 Racing, 18 laps, 27:04.761
2nd – No. 11, Sacha Fenestraz, FRA, Josef Kaufmann Racing, Gap: 0.463
3rd – No. 9, Max Defourny, BEL, R-ace GP, Gap: 0.916
4th – No. 16, Thomas Randle, AUS, AVF by Adrián Vallés, Gap: 4.384
5th – No. 4, Gabriel Aubry, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, Gap: 5.191
6th – No. 10, Robert Shwartzman*, RUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, Gap: 5.948
7th – No. 13, Henrique Chaves, POR, AVF by Adrián Vallés, Gap: 6.561
8th – No. 1, Yifei Ye*, CHN, Josef Kaufmann Racing, Gap: 10.317
9th – No. 33, Daniel Ticktum*, GBR, Arden Motorsport, Gap: 11.106
10th – No. 18, Alexey Korneev, RUS, Fortec Motorsports, Gap: 25.912
11th – No. 29, Richard Verschoor*, NLD, MP Motorsport, Gap: 27.171
12th – No. 8, Will Palmer, GBR, R-ace GP, Gap: 28.097
13th – No. 30, Jarno Opmeer*, NLD, MP Motorsport, Gap: 28.259
!4th – No. 17, Alex Peroni, AUS, Fortec Motorsports, Gap: 28.386
15th – No. 5, Thomas Maxwell*, AUS, Tech 1 Racing, Gap: 28.611
16th – No. 23, Alexander Vartanyan, RUS, JD Motorsport, Gap: 28.777
17th – No. 6, Thomas Neubauer*, FRA, Tech 1 Racing, Gap: 33.150
18th – No. 31, Neil Verhagen*, USA, MP Motorsport, Gap: 33.401
19th – No. 2, Luis Leeds*, AUS, Josef Kaufmann Racing, Gap: 34.220
20th – No. 22, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer*, FRA, JD Motorsport, Gap: 34.621
21st – No. 21, Sun Yue Yang*, CHN, JD Motorsport, Gap: 34.821
22nd – No. 12, Raul Guzman*, MEX, R-ace GP, Gap: 35.063
23rd – No. 26, Presley Martono*, IND, Mark Burdett Motorsport, Gap: 35.480
24th – No. 20, Najiy Razak, MYS, Fortec Motorsports, Gap: 36.925
25th – No. 19, Frank Bird*, GBR, Fortec Motorsports, Gap: 37.782
26th – No. 25, Julia Pankiewicz, POL, Mark Burdett Motorsport, Gap: 52.773
27th – No. 14, Xavier Llovers*, ESP, AVF by Adrián Vallés, Gap: 53.019
28th – No. 34, Ghislain Cordeel, BEL, Arden Motorsport, Gap: 1 lap
29th – No. 93, Zane Goddard*, AUS, Arden Motorsport, Gap: 2 laps
Not Classified
No. 15, Axel Matus*, MEX, AVF by Adrián Vallés, Lap 10
Fastest Lap
No. 33, Daniel Ticktum*, GBR, Arden Motorsport, Lap 16, 1:29.267, 174.5 kph
Car No. 29 – 15 second penalty
Car No. 33 – 10 second penalty
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