Formula Renault 2.0
Esteban Ocon (ART Junior Team) took his maiden Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 pole position in qualifying for race two at Moscow Raceway. The Frenchman will start ahead of championship leader Pierre Gasly (Tech 1 Racing), with Oliver Rowland (Manor MP Motorsport) third on the grid.
Under a threatening sky, the Group B drivers were the first in action. After a hard-fought start to the session in which various drivers traded the fastest time, Esteban Ocon moved top of the timesheets and produced several improvements. With a lap of 1:31.451, Ocon finished on top, ahead of Oliver Rowland and Mikko Pakari (Fortec Motorsports).
"Yesterday, we had to do a lot of catching up after a very disappointing day of testing. We're still improving and we're delighted," said Esteban Ocon. "Starting on pole will give us a big advantage, as it's very hard to overtake here."
Ignazio D’Agosto (KTR) dominated the opening exchanges in Group A, before Pierre Gasly set the fastest time halfway through the session. The Frenchman twice improved his benchmark time, before lapping in 1:31.543 to finish ahead of D’Agosto and Oscar Tunjo (Josef Kaufmann Racing).
"Things will be a lot trickier today. I'll need to get past Esteban [Ocon] if I want to win," said Pierre Gasly. "The goal remains to score a lot of points. So, qualifying on the front row is a good result. The performance is there and we'll wait and see what happens in the race."
The second race of the weekend at Moscow Raceway starts at 15:55, local time.
Official Renault Sport Press Release.