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Renault 3.5

Silverstone 3-5 July

Charles Pic starts the chase

Pole-sitter Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing) led the race from start to finish on Sunday, to claim his first win of the season in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, putting a welcome end to his poor run of luck. The French driver finished ahead of Britons James Walker (P1 Motorsport) and Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport) at the Silverstone circuit. Walker leaves Silverstone second in the championship, six points behind leader Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing), who finished 6th.

For the second time this weekend, Charles Pic lined up on the start grid in pole position ahead of James Walker, supported by a big home following. The Tech 1 Racing drivers made a dream start. Charles Pic led into the first turn ahead of Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing), who left James Walker standing as the lights went out. Charles Pic completed lap 1 in the lead, ahead of Brendon Hartley, James Walker, Oliver Turvey and Fairuz Fauzy (Mofaz Fortec Motorsport).

While Charles Pic pulled away, team-mate Brendon Hartley was busy containing James Walker, Oliver Turvey and Fairuz Fauzy. Just behind the foursome, Marcos Martinez led the main field of drivers, in tight formation as far back as Adrian Zaugg (Interwetten.com Racing), in 12th. The pecking order was upset in this group when Bertrand Baguette moved past Jaime Alguersuari into 8th place.

James Walker was the first of the leaders to go in for the compulsory pit stop, changing two of his wheels. Meanwhile, Charles Pic was pushing hard and put in a series of fast laps. He was five seconds ahead of Brendon Hartley when Hartley stormed into the pits. The New Zealander was to see his chances ruined though, picking up a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

Charles Pic and Oliver Turvey were among the last drivers to pit. When he came out, the French driver was still in first ahead of James Walker. A fierce duel between British drivers then ensued for the prize of second place, as Oliver Turvey got closer and closer to James Walker. Further back, Fairuz Fauzy was now in 4th place ahead of Marcos Martinez and Bertrand Baguette. With 15 minutes to go, Baguette managed to oust the Formula Renault 3.5 Series leader from 5th place.

Despite attacks from Turvey on Walker and from Martinez on Baguette, the order was to remain the same right up to chequered flag. So Charles Pic put an end to his disappointing form this season, and claimed his first victory of the season. The Frenchman drove home ahead of James Walker and Oliver Turvey. With his 6th place, Marcos Martinez stays in the lead of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship, but now has James Walker behind him in second, six points behind.

Quote, unquote: Charles Pic: "The season started poorly, but we were never discouraged. This win does us a lot of good, for me just like for all the team. The start of the race went very well, the end was tougher. We'd opted for a quick car at the beginning. The championship is still a possibility. We've got to repeat this at Le Mans."

James Walker: "After qualifying I was disappointed not to be on pole position, but in the end I'm very pleased today. This is a good weekend, I go second in the overall standings, that's perfect. The end of the race was difficult because Oliver Turvey came back really strong. I managed to hold him off, but it was very complicated".

Oliver Turvey: "Two podiums, in front of such a big crowd, it's perfect. James didn't make an error, so impossible to get past him. I'm not thinking about the title, it's my first season, I'm here to learn. I'm savouring every result and we'll see what happens --".

Martinez stretches his lead

Before getting behind the wheel of the Reanult F1 R28 for the ING Reanult F1 Team exhibition, in front of a big Silverstone crowd, Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing) got a good result for himself, driving to his fourth win of the season in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, stretching his points lead in the overall standings. He finished ahead of Malaysian driver Fairuz Fauzy (Mofaz Fortec Motorsport) and British driver Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport).

The reverse grid rule gave the advantage to Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing) and Marcos Martinez. Equal on points in the overall standings of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, the two drivers shared the front row, with the Belgian on pole and the Spaniard number 2. Marcos Martinez got the best start and led into turn one ahead of Bertrand Baguette, Daniil Move (P1 Motorsport) and Fairuz Fauzy.

The leader group stayed compact behind Marcos Martinez. Bertrand Baguette had to stave off the attacks from Daniil Move, himself under pressure from Fairuz Fauzy. Just behind them, Oliver Turvey battled it out with James Walker (P1 Motorsport), Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing), Jaime Alguersuari (Carlin Motorsport) and Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing). The situation shifted when Move went onto the grass and the Russian driver dropped back to 8th.

Fairuz Fauzy inherited third, with Turvey and Walker breathing down his throat. The battle for tenth place was just as contested, with dog-fighting between Spanish drivers Marco Barba (International Draco Racing), Adrian Valles (Epsilon Euskadi) and Miguel Molina (Ultimate Motorsport). Molina overtook Valles in lap 6, then moved up to attack Barba. Molina got the upper hand and found himself in 10th place. A 10th place shortly to become 9th as Daniil Move stopped in the pits to clear out side pods clogged with grass.

Half way through the race, Marcos Martinez had earned a one second lead. Behind him, the fight between Baguette and Fauzy was raging hard but fair. Fairuz Fauzy moved up level with Bertrand Baguette in lap 19. The Belgian driver braked as late as he could but couldn't stay on the tarmac. He came out 6th, just ahead of Jaime Alguersuari who promptly got past him as well. Ten minutes from the chequered flag, it was Marcos Martinez in command ahead of Fauzy, Turvey, Walker, Hartley, Alguersuari, Baguette, Pic and Molina.

However, the end of the race saw Marcos Martinez suffer, his wheels regularly locking up in braking. Fairuz Fauzy asked for nothing better than to come back at the leader. The Spaniard nevertheless managed to hold onto his position right up to the chequered flag. By notching up his fourth victory of the season, he reinforces his position as overall leader. Other podium places went to Fairuz Fauzy and Oliver Turvey.

Quote, unquote: Marcos Martinez: " I got a good start, but I really had to push to contain Bertrand Baguette. The middle of the race was quieter, then I had to push to the limit again at the end with Fairuz Fauzy coming back at me. It's a good result for the Championship standings. I'm going to discover the F1 on the dry now, after yesterday on the wet track. This is a fantastic experience, winning in Formula Renault 3.5 Series then driving an F1, just incredible."

Fairuz Fauzy: "My start was nothing special. It took me a few laps to get the better of Daniil Move. Then the battle with Bertrand Baguette was really fun, very fair. I tried everything I knew at the end, but Marcos Martinez did the business. This podium is very good for all the team."

Oliver Turvey: " For my first season in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, I'm happy to be on the podium a second time, and being at Silverstone is a bonus. As always, we were very well prepared for the race. Now we just need to do as well tomorrow!"

Hungaroring 13-14 June

Fortune favours DiSabatino

Having opted for a very early change of tires, Pasquale DiSabatino (RC Motorsport) took advantage of an incident-packed race to claim his first win in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, ahead of Marco Barba (International Draco Racing) and Julian Leal (Prema Powerteam), the three on the same winning race strategy. Despite retiring, Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing) holds onto his overall leadership of the Championship and will therefore get to drive in the ING Renault F1 Team exhibition at Silverstone.

For the first time of the season, Marcos Martinez started from pole position ahead of countryman Miguel Molina (Ultimate Motorsport). Martinez and Molina held their positions as the race got underway. It was Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing) who made the best start, slotting into third place, ahead of Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing), James Walker (P1 Motorsport), Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing) and Jaime Alguersuari (Carlin Motorsport).

The first lap was marked by a multiple collision, which forced the Safety Car out. For Adrian Zaugg (Interwetten.com Racing), Adrian Valles (Epsilon Euskadi), Filip Salaquarda (Prema Powerteam), Greg Mansell (Ultimate Motorsport) and Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport), the race was over while Edoardo Mortara (KMP Group / SG Formula) got off more lightly and had to pit to change his front wing.

As the green flag was shown, Marcos Martinez was held up at the side of the track with a gearbox sensor failure, and had to leave his rivals to resume the fight without him. Bertrand Baguette made the perfect restart and got past Miguel Molina at the end of the pit straight. The Belgian led from Miguel Molina, Charles Pic, James Walker and Brendon Hartley, Hartley pressed by Jaime Alguersuari. As the Spanish driver tried an overtaking manoeuvre, they came into contact, resulting in Brendon Hartley dropping back to last place, while Jaime Alguersuari took the advantage to move up to fifth.

More drama followed with James Walker crashing at the entrance to the pit lane and Edoardo Mortara crashing out of the race at the same moment. The safety car came out action ahead of Bertrand Baguette, Miguel Molina, Charles Pic and Jaime Alguersuari. The race positions stayed the same as the race restarted, but the leaders now had to pit for tire changes, unlike drivers who'd gone for the early change. By pitting before the Safety Car neutralized the race, Pasquale DiSabatino, Marco Barba, Julian Leal, Chris Van der Drift (Epsilon Euskadi) and Michael Herck (Interwetten.com Racing) executed the perfect -- if unwitting -- race strategy. Bertrand Baguette now found himself back in 6th, ahead of Fairuz Fauzy and Charles Pic, while Miguel Molina retired with a faulty accelerator sensor.

Pasquale DiSabatino took his first win in this Formula Renault 3.5 Series. Despite having to retire, Marcos Martinez stays top of the overall standings, on equal points with Bertrand Baguette. But with three wins to his credit, it's the Spanish driver who gets to drive in the ING Renault F1 Team exhibition at the next meeting in Silverstone.  

Pasquale DiSabatino: "From 15th place on the grid, I never dreamt of winning here. But we took perfect advantage of events. I've been working towards this success for some time. I was a little bit fortunate today, but we were quick. It's a big moment for me and I want to thank all my team."

Marco Barba: "It's a good weekend with two podium finishes. That's a handful of points on the board. I was lucky today, but that makes a change from the start of the season!"

Julian Leal: "I'm really happy, and lucky too. Refuelling early was the right strategy today, because when the Safety Car came out, that helped us. I really fought to hold on to third place."  

First win for Fairuz Fauzy

Fairuz Fauzy (Mofaz Fortec Motorsport) led the race from start to finish to take his first win in Formula Renault 3.5 Series. Benefitting from the reverse grid procedure, the Malay driver led into the first bend and successfully contained Marco Barba (International Draco Racing) and Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing) all the way to the chequered flag.

With the advantage of the reverse grid procedure, Fairuz Fauzy started the first race on pole ahead of Marco Barba, Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing) and Bertrand Baguette. When the lights went out, Fauzy led into corner one despite the threat from Brendon Hartley. But the Briton braked too late and span off. Fauzy led the race from then on, chased by Marco Barba, Bertrand Baguette, James Walker (P1 Motorsport) and Jaime Alguersuari (Carlin Motorsport). Further back, Michael Herck (Interwetten.com Racing) hit the pit wall at the start after making contact with Federico Leo (Pons Racing).

The four leaders quickly created a gap, with Fauzy ahead of Barba, Baguette and Walker. Behind them, Jaime Alguersuari had to contend with Marcos Martinez and Miguel Molina, always looking for opportunities to pass. Back in the main field, Daniil Move (P1 Motorsport), in eleventh place, was also doing his best to fend off challenges from Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing) and Edoardo Mortara (KMP Group / SG Formula). The two chasers got increasingly impatient with every passing lap. Then Charles Pic made a first attack and Edoardo Mortara took advantage of it to get past the Frenchman before moving on Daniil Move.

At the front, the positions stabilized with seven cars spread over just six seconds. With drivers settling into observation mode, the arrival of the safety car, after Filip Salaquarda (Prema Powerteam) went off the track, produced a regrouping of the field. At the restart, Fairuz Fauzy held his lead, ahead of Barba, Baguette, Walker and Alguersuari. Meanwhile Marcos Martinez was obliged to contain Miguel Molina, Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport) and Jon Lancaster (Comtec Racing), all determined to shake up the established order.

But the rankings were to stay put to the finish. So Fairuz Fauzy succeeded in taking his first win of the season ahead of Marco Barba and Bertrand Baguette. The Belgian driver caught up some points on Marcos Martinez, who finished sixth. Jaime Alguersuari, in fifth place, was the first of the Rookies.

Fairuz Fauzy: "We were hoping for points this weekend, but we weren't expecting to win. The start was dicy, when Brendon Hartley braked very late-- Afterwards, my brakes tended to get very hot. With the others chasing me, I had to keep very focussed. The safety car helped me a bit too. After that I managed the situation to the end of the race. I'm really happy with this first win."

Marco Barba: "The podium feels good after a difficult start to the season. I'm at last scoring some important points and that is pleasing, because I arrived full of hope for this season and things haven't gone to plan up to now. Bertrand is on the podium too, that's very positive for the team."

Bertrand Baguette: "It's not a bad result. I catch up a few points on Miguel Molina, James Walker and Marcos Martinez. I was never in a position to attack Marco. I got dirt on my front tires and I never really got them cleaned up, so I was lacking a little grip. It's good to put some podium finishes together. We have some things to improve for tomorrow's race and we'll try to be in the first three again!"

Round 1 Barcelona

Marcos Martinez in new terrritory

After leading the race from start to finish, Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing) takes the win in the first round of this season's Formula Renault 3.5 Series, claiming his first success in the discipline. The Spaniard finishes ahead of Bertrand Baguette (International Draco) and Adrian Valles (Epsilon Euskadi). Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport) is best rookie driver.

The reverse grid system was in operation for the first race of the season, so it was Adrian Valles on pole position this afternoon under the Barcelona sun, with Marcos Martinez, Bertrand Baguette and Oliver Turvey behind him at the start. The first mishap came in the formation lap with Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing) losing control and crashing into a tyre wall. The race was over before it started for the hapless French driver! Adrian Valles span his wheels on the start grid, letting Marco Martinez through to lead into the first turn, with Bertrand Baguette, Adrian Valles, Jaime Alguersuari (Carlin Motorsport) and Oliver Turvey in hot pursuit.

Federico Leo (Pons Racing) and Frankie Provenzano (Prema Powerteam) found themselves limping back into the pits after a coming together in what was an eventful first lap. Behind leader Marcos Martinez, Adrian Valles, Jaime Alguersuari and Oliver Turvey were all putting the pressure on second placed Bertrand Baguette. Further back down the field, Miguel Molina (Ultimate Motorsport), in 13th, was in a hurry to get past Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing). Molina's greater experience eventually told as he found the way through.

Up front, there were changes in the race order when Oliver Turvey got the better of team mate Jaime Alguersuari, to move up into 4th place in the 7th lap. Meanwhile Martinez was pulling away. After the first quarter hour, he had stretched his lead to almost two seconds. Behind him the battle between Bertrand Baguette and Adrian Valles got critical as the Spaniard moved up alongside the Belgian driver at the end of the straight. Baguette bent but didn't snap and held onto his second place. Oliver Turvey took advantage of the tussle to get back to within striking distance of the two drivers.

Miguel Molina was the one providing the race action further back in the field. After getting past Brendon Hartley and Greg Mansell (Ultimate Motorsport), he moved to attack Daniil Move in a struggle for 9th position. The Russian defended his position tooth and nail, bur the Spaniard finally found the opening in lap 15. Move then had to cope with constant pressure from Pasquale DiSabatino (RC Motorsport), Greg Mansell, Brendon Hartley, Adrian Zaugg (Interwetten.com Racing) and Haralds Segelmilhs (Comtec Racing). It was Zaugg who was to come out on top in this group, taking over 10th place, ahead of DiSabatino and Hartley.

The last few minutes of the race were interminable for the whole Pons Racing team. Marcos Martinez had to deal with a comeback from Baguette and Valles towards the end of the race, but he held his lead to the finish line, to take the win ahead of Bertrand Baguette and Adrian Valles. Oliver Turvey was best rookie, finishing ahead of Jaime Alguersuari and Chris Van der Drift (Epsilon Euskadi).

Marcos Martinez: "In free practice, we had a problem with the differential, so we couldn't work properly. In qualifying, I managed to get into the first eight and that was my goal. The car worked like clockwork today. It's great to take my first win here."

Bertrand Baguette: "It was a very difficult race. Our car wasn't performing perfectly. Adrian put me under pressure all through the race. It's good to start with a second place. Tomorrow will be difficult for us, but I'm sure we will be on top form for Spa, in front of my home crowd."

Adrian Valles: "First I must thank Epsilon Euskadi for giving me this chance to get back into Formula Renault 3.5 Series. The conditions are right for us to be able to compete for the title. I messed up my start today-- it has to be said it's a while since I had to handle a standing start! The car was good during the race, but Bertrand fought like a lion and I couldn't get past him."