Motorsports Mondial

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Record-breaking weekend for Renault Sport

Renault Sport flags were flying proudly on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife and Formula One circuits over the weekend, as the legendary German venue hosted the latest round of the World Series by Renault. Friday’s Renault Sport Day was a great success, and saw records fall in the Mégane RS Trophy. Yet another record was broken on Saturday evening when 127 Renault 4s gathered on the track. Finally, the weekend hit new highs in terms of excitement and suspense, with 50,000 fans braving the elements to enjoy an action-packed eight-race programme. There was an extra treat for those who came, as Nicolas Prost put the Lotus Renault GP R30 through its paces in a Formula One demonstration.

Renault Sport Technology’s CEO, Patrice Rati: “This weekend was a real thriller thanks to the weather. Our goal on Friday was to break the front-wheel drive production car lap record that we set on the Nordschleife with the R26R three years ago. It rained the night before and it rained on the day, but we found a small window of opportunity with the weather to make our attempt. Laurent Hurgon performed even better than we’d hoped and beat the old record by 9 seconds with a time of 8:07.97 in the Mégane RS Trophy. On Friday, we also brought the worlds of racing and production together by staging the first ever Renault Sport Day. Our ‘Enthusiasts Day’ brought together more than 100 participants as well as all of our specialist dealers. Almost every aspect of Renault Sport was present at the Nürburgring, with the commercial, competition and technical sides all on display. Renault Sport is all about bringing together people from different professions and allowing them to work together. But it’s also about mixing production cars with racing cars, which is something the fans really enjoy. The paddock was packed once again, despite the dismal weather. The fans that came made the right choice, as they were treated to spectacular and exciting races in all of the categories.”

Formula Renault 3.5 Series: Robert Wickens grabs F1 slot

It was mission accomplished for Robert Wickens this weekend as he took firm control at the top of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship. The Canadian took pole position in both of his races, winning one and finishing second in the other to lead at the season’s mid-point. In doing so, he booked his place behind the wheel of the Lotus Renault GP R30 for a Formula One demonstration at the next round in Budapest. Wickens made a solid start to race two on Sunday, only for Tech 1 Racing’s Kevin Korjus to pull off a surprise victory. The 18-year-old Estonian found the winning formula to move up into second in the championship, and no doubt has his sights set on further success. After the race, Wickens said: “The rain tested our patience for the whole weekend. In terms of the championship, it’s a job well done; I arrived at the Nürburgring in second – one point behind the leader – and I’ve come away in first with a 30-point advantage. It’s a great opportunity to be able to drive an F1 car at Budapest. But the most important thing for me is to win the title and to show all my supporters that I deserve their confidence.”

Race 1: 1st – R. Wickens, CAN (Carlin); 2nd – D. Ricciardo, AUS (ISR); 3rd – K. Korjus, EST (Tech 1 Racing)

Race 2: 1st – K. Korjus; 2nd – R. Wickens; 3rd – F. Fauzy, MAS (Mofaz Racing)

Overall standings: 1st – R. Wickens, 132 pts; 2nd – K. Korjus, 102 pts; 3rd – J.E. Vergne, 102 pts

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: Carlos Sainz Jr. maintains championship lead

Carlos Sainz Jr. may not have won a race this weekend, but he came away from the Nürburgring with the highest points tally in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. Robin Frijns battled bravely on Saturday to reward Josef Kauffman Racing with their first victory in the category. “It wasn’t easy to keep Carlos Sainz Jr. under control, but this win is a great reward for my team in their first Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season,” said the young Dutchman. Under rainy skies on Sunday, Daniil Kvyat engaged in an absorbing duel with team-mate Sainz Jr. that lasted most of the race. Russian youngster Kvyat came out on top to record his second victory of the season.

Race 1: 1st – R. Frijns, NED (Josef Kaufmann Racing); 2nd – C. Sainz Jr., ESP (Koiranen Motorsport); 3rd – N. Nato, FRA (R-Ace Grand Prix)

Race 2: 1st – D. Kvyat, RUS (Koiranen Motorsport); 2nd – C. Sainz Jr.; 3rd – T. Hansen, SWE (Interwetten.com Junior Team)

Eurocup Mégane Trophy: Comini makes it six out of six

Stefano Comini makes no secret of his dislike for racing in the rain. Nonetheless, on a sodden track, the Swiss driver started on pole for both races of the weekend and added two more wins to his tally in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy. With six poles and six wins in his last six races, and a maximum total of 150 points on the board, Comini is in a class of his own this season. “I was pushed to the limit on Saturday and Sunday,” said Comini. “I don’t like the rain and I wasn’t the quickest. I really had to dig deep. I’m sure both races were great to watch, and they’re two wins that will stick in my memory. I didn’t let anything drop. I’ve made a perfect start to the season so far. It’s like a dream.”

Eurocup Clio: Verschuur finally halts Milan’s winning streak

The Eurocup Clio has a reputation for providing excitement, and it did not disappoint this weekend with two spectacular races. Nicolas Milan was on a roll following his wins in Belgium a few weeks ago, and he picked up from where he left off on Saturday. He won the first race of the weekend ahead of Mike Verschuur, who has clawed his way back into contention after a mediocre start to the season. Verschuur had hoped for rain on Sunday, and the Dutchman’s prayers were swiftly answered. The Equipe Verschuur man survived a frenetic race to take the chequered flag ahead of Milan. “The atmosphere was intense, so I bided my time. It paid off and I took the lead right at the end of the race, after Nicolas Milan went straight at the end of the pit straight. Roll on Paul Ricard!” Indeed, the Eurocup Clio’s next stop is at the Paul Ricard HTTT, while competition in the other categories resumes in Budapest, Hungary, in two weeks’ time.

Race 1: 1st – N. Milan, FRA (Milan Compétition); 2nd – M. Verschuur, NED (Equipe Verschuur); 3rd – G. Lenzotti, ITA (Composit Motorsport

Race 2: 1st – M. Verschuur; 2nd – N. Milan; 3rd – C. Ricciarini, ITA (Composit Motorsport)

Overall standings: 1st – N. Milan, 93 pts; 2nd – M. Verschuur, 63 pts; 3rd – S. di Luca, 39 pts

Next meeting: Hungaroring, Hungary, 2 – 3 July 2011.