Formula Renault 3.5 championship came in mid-season with one of the most demanding weekend of this year, from a logistical and driver‘s point of view.
Saturday’s qualifying was extremely clouse this year, 16 drivers were in one second. The Czech Lotus team didn´t get lost in this competition. Excellent performance came from Filipino driver Marlon Stockinger, who scored the first ever top10 result, and immediately it was sixth position on the grid. Dane Marco Sørensen started the first Moscow race from tenth.
Marlon and Marco managed to avoid contacts or collision at the start, which is not easy at this circuit. Both rode balanced and competitive all the race. Stockinger finally, after 46 minutes, cut through the finish line in eighth and made this year’s first points and rookie podium as well. Sørensen kept his position and was awarded with one point for tenth place.
Marlon Stockinger and Marco Sørensen ended Saturday race without points compared to the first race, even though they were very close.
Marco Sørensen did very well in Sunday’s qualifying. In the end he set the second fastest time, but a few seconds before he cut through the finish line, was qualifying interrupted by a red flag due to parked car of Nikolay Martsenko. The Dane´s fastest time was subsequently deleted and it moved him down to 17th position on the grid. Marlon Stockinger qualified nineteen.
On the start Marco beat several opponents, but in the approach to the first corner was forced to go off the track and fell almost to the end of the field. Marlon has gradually worked his way forward and, as in Belgium, in Moscow chose very late compulsory pit stop too. This strategy was working well and moved him into second place, but also gave him a clean line and the ability to maintain the gap on his opponents. The tactic paid off and Filipino came on the 13th position after the pit with 21 minutes remaining just behind a group of cars battling for tenth place. Stockinger finished 12th. Sørensen 17th.
Drivers can now relax a bit, next weekend will be held from 20th – 21th July. Red Bull Ring will host World Series by Renault for hte first time. Formula Renault 3.5 will start its second half of the season in Austria.
Robert Vavřík, team manager: ” I am very disappointed because we had a lot of bad luck again. Today maybe one thing came out – with Marlon strategy, he pitted as last and gain a lot of positions. He fought to the end, it wasn´t easy and finished just outside the points. Red flag again completely ruined qualification for Marco. ”
Marlon Stockinger: “It was in my point of view quite a nice race today. Due to the qualification that went wrong, we than drove probably optimum. The team did a good job, strategy worked and by the end we got closer to points, which was our target. Certainly guys gained maximum from situation.”
Marco Sørensen: “In qualification I managed second fastest time, but 3s before i crossed the line red flag came out and my time was deleted. I started from back of the grid. I gained a few positions, but in the first corner it was very tight, I tried to do something a little gamble, which did not work and I had to go off track. Thus I fell back again. In the future, we must have more luck at first.”