Season 10 of the World Series by Renault officially got underway with the opening day of collective testing for the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. 33 drivers were on hand this Sunday at the Motorland Aragón circuit with Kevin Jörg (Josef Kaufmann Racing) setting best time in 1’56’’288.
This year’s contenders in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 began their preparation for the 2014 season at Motorland Aragón. Drivers and teams could test the new PFC Brakes that were supplied to them for the first time at the circuit that will host the opening round of the World Series by Renault.
Mathéo Tuscher (China BRT by JCS) was first to set a lap time, but Aurélien Panis (ART Junior Team) then Nyck de Vries (Koiranen GP) quickly took control. With nine minutes remaining, Matevos Isaakyan (AVF) lowered best time previously set by the Dutchman in 1’56’’508. Alexander Albon (KTR) was third on the time sheets ahead of Kevin Jörg (Josef Kaufmann Racing) and Levin Amweg (ART Junior Team) at the end of a session that was interrupted on two occasions.
Matthew Graham (Manor MP Motorsport) dominated the afternoon session before being unseated by Nyck de Vries. As he did in the morning, Matevos Isaakyan went quicker, but the Koiranen GP driver countered. Shod with fresh tyres, Kevin Jörg moved to the top of the order with 23-minutes remaining in the session. And that is where he stayed, followed by Dennis Olsen (Prema Powerteam), Anthoine Hubert (Tech 1 Racing), Matt Parry (Fortec Motorsports) and Matevos Isaakyan at the end of the day.
What they said
Kevin Jörg: ”I was the fastest on new tyres, so it was a good day. I really like the new brakes, I have a better feel for the tyres with them and the risk of locking them up is limited. Yet, it is only the first day. I’m coming off what was a difficult season and I don’t want to set myself expectations too high. I feel comfortable with the team and I am excited for the season to start.”
Dennis Olsen: “We tried the new brakes to study how they work. They are different and you have to apply more pressure to them. We are still searching for the right set-ups and we will work on other things tomorrow. I am pleased with how the day went, we put in good mileage. Last year I finished all the races in NEC, this season I need to push even more to win the championship!”
Matevos Isaakyan: “I didn’t expect to set the best time this morning. This afternoon we were on worn tyres. When everyone put on fresh rubber, mine were gone and my car was slightly damaged. I could not improve as much as I wanted to. I have gained a lot of experience during the winter and this result is confirmation.”
Nyck de Vries: “Right away I felt comfortable in the car. The pace came back quickly as well. In the afternoon, we worked on different set-ups. We tried to understand the changes created by the new brakes to find my preferences. I am going for the title this year. I will not change my approach, I will do my best each weekend and let’s see how it goes!”
Results:
| Pos. | Nr. | Driver | Team |
|
1 |
15 |
Kevin Jörg | Josef Kaufmann Racing |
|
2 |
22 |
Dennis Olsen | Prema Powerteam |
|
3 |
1 |
Anthonie Hubert | Tech 1 Racing |
|
4 |
7 |
Matt Parry | Fortec Motorsports |
|
5 |
72 |
Matevos Isaakyan | AV Formula |
|
6 |
19 |
Nyck de Vries | Koiranen GP |
|
7 |
10 |
Andrea Pizzitola | Manor MP Motorsport |
|
8 |
18 |
Ignazio d’Agosto | Koiranen GP |
|
9 |
9 |
Martin Rump | Fortec Motorsports |
|
10 |
3 |
Egor Orudzhev | Tech 1 Racing |
|
11 |
28 |
Simon Gachet | Arta Engineering |
|
12 |
23 |
Alex Albon | KTR |
|
13 |
21 |
Hans Villemi | Prema Powerteam |
|
14 |
20 |
Bruno Bonifacio | Prema Powerteam |
|
15 |
70 |
Akash Nandy | Tech 1 Racing |
|
16 |
5 |
Levin Amweg | ART Junior Team |
|
17 |
11 |
Matt Graham | Manor MP Motorsport |
|
18 |
16 |
Ryan Tveter | Josef Kaufmann Racing |
|
19 |
14 |
Louis Delétraz | Josef Kaufmann Racing |
|
20 |
27 |
Darius Oskoui | Arta Engineering |
|
21 |
71 |
Luke Chudleigh | Tech 1 Racing |
|
22 |
36 |
Matheo Tuscher | China BRT by JCS |
|
23 |
25 |
Jules Gounon | KTR |
|
24 |
24 |
Gregor Ramsay | KTR |
|
25 |
6 |
Callan O’Keefe | ART Junior Team |
|
26 |
73 |
Roy Geerts | AV Formula |
|
27 |
4 |
Aurelien Panis | ART Junior Team |
|
28 |
12 |
Jakub Dalewski | Manor MP Motorsport |
|
29 |
26 |
James Allen | Arta Engineering |
|
30 |
37 |
Christof Von Grünigen | China BRT by JCS |
|
31 |
2 |
Vasily Romanov | Tech 1 Racing |
|
32 |
17 |
Nicholas Surguladze | Koiranen GP |
|
33 |
74 |
Iñigo Bikuña | AV Formula |
Renault Sport