Spa-Francorchamps
After the season-opening meeting at Motorland Aragón, the World Series by Renault continued its 2012 tour in Belgium, at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The weather may not have been ideal on Sunday, but that did not stop 43,000 spectators from attending what has become an unmissable event in Belgium. On the track, it was a memorable weekend for the Danish contingent in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, with victories for Marco Sorensen and Kevin Magnussen. Daniil Kvyat and Bas Schothorst strengthened their respective leads in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Eurocup Megane Trophy, while Marc Guillot made a good start to the Eurocup Clio season. The spectators also enjoyed a host of activities laid on especially for the occasion, including popular Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull Racing exhibition.
Philippe Portal, General Manager of Renault Belgium: “Saturday was a great day and the attendance was excellent. The weather was not so kind to us on Sunday, but we are nonetheless very happy with this edition of the event. In terms of attendance we are just behind the F1 Grand Prix, so this is one of the largest automobile events held in Belgium. We used this meeting to showcase the entire Renault range and the whole Dacia range, as well as the electric range, with educational workshops based around these new innovations. For the first time, we set up a test centre for the Twizzy, which proved well suited to the exercise. Aside from the Brussels Motor Show, this is the event where we have the most contact with our customers. Here we are in contact not only with fans, but also with a family-oriented clientele, which is why our network was so actively engaged. The Belgian round at Spa-Francorchamps has become an essential part of the World Series by Renault.”
Formula Renault 3.5 Series: Danish delight for Sorensen and Magnussen
On Saturday, Marco Sorensen emerged victorious at the end of an eventful race that was full of overtaking. “I took advantage of the battle between Kevin Magnussen and Sam Bird to take the lead,” said the Danish driver after his first victory in the category. “It’s an important victory for me and for the team, who are realising the potential shown since the beginning.” Jules Bianchi, who finished second, and Sam Bird, third, added important points to their championship tallies. On Sunday, with the rain falling, it was Kevin Magnussen’s turn to claim his first victory in the competition. “I’ve had ups and downs this weekend,” said the son of former F1 driver Jan Magnussen. “This race was incredibly difficult. With the drivers not having made their stops, I didn’t really know if I was in the lead. But I won, which is the most important thing, and it feels really good.” With five winners from five races to date, the championship is more open than ever, even though Sam Bird did maintain his lead in Belgium.
Race 1: 1- M.Sorensen, DEN (Lotus), 2- J.Bianchi, FRA (Tech 1 Racing) 3- S.Bird, GBR (ISR)
Race 2: 1- K.Magnussen, DEN (Carlin), 2- N.Yelloly, GBR (Comtec Racing), 3- R.Frijns, NED (Fortec Motorsports)
Overall standings: 1- S.Bird, 70 pts, 2- R.Frijns, 61 pts, 3- N.Yelloly, 51 pts
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: Norman Nato gets first win, Daniil Kvyat continues charge
After leading from start to finish and driving the perfect race, Norman Nato picked up his maiden victory in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, just a few weeks after his first wins in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps. “It’s my first victory in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, so it’s obviously an important moment,” said the Frenchman, who won the race ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne and Pierre Gasly, with the latter finishing on the podium for the first time. On Sunday, in the rain, Daniil Kvyat resumed his forward march, winning an eventful race to extend his lead at the top of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 standings.
Race 1 : 1- N.Nato, FRA (RC Formula), 2- S.Vandoorne, BEL (Josef Kaufmann Racing), 3- P.Gasly, FRA (R-Ace GP)
Race 2: 1- D.Kvyat, RUS (Koiranen Motorsport), 2- J.Dennis, GBR (Fortec Motorsports, 3- S.Vandoorne
Overall standings: 1-D.Kvyat 87 pts, 2- S.Vandoorne 60 pts, 3- N.Nato 52 pts…
Eurocup Megane Trophy: All-conquering weekend for Bas Schothorst
Bas Schothorst took advantage of the retirements of his two main rivals, Albert Costa and Niccolo Nalio, to drive to victory in the first race. Things were far from straightforward for the TDS Racing man, however, as he experienced difficulties restarting his car after his mandatory pitstop. The following day, with the rain coming down, it was the pitstop that made the difference and helped Schothorst secure his fourth win in four races. “Last year I had nothing but bad luck, but this year it seems to be all smiles,” said the Dutchman. “In the first race I nearly lost it all in the pits, but in the second that’s where I won it, as I came out in first position. I’d like to say thanks to my team – what we’re achieving at the moment is incredible.”
Race 1: 1- B.Schothorst, NED (TDS Racing), 2- K.Gilardoni, ITA (Oregon Team), 3- K.Snoeks, NED (TDS Racing)
Race 2: 1- B.Schothorst, 2- N.Nallio, ITA (Oregon Team), 3- A.Costa, ESP (Oregon Team)
Overall standings: 1- Schothorst, 100 pts, 2- N.Nallio, 51 pts, 3- A.Costa, 48 pts…
Eurocup Clio: Guillot and Verschuur start with wins
Marc Guillot recorded the first victory in the Eurocup Clio this year after a perfect team drive with team-mate Rafael Villanueva, second, on a circuit where slipstreaming plays a massive role. “Rafa and I pulled away from the rest. He stayed behind me until the end, without really attacking me,” said the first winner of the new Eurocup Clio season. On Sunday, nobody could come close to Mike Verschuur. The Dutchman, runner-up in the 2011 Eurocup Clio, bounced back in perfect style after his retirement the day before. “We weren’t expecting to win here this weekend as we hadn’t done a single kilometre of testing in the winter,” said Verschuur. “I hope it’s a good sign for what’s to come.” Already first in the Clio Cup France and Clio Cup Spain before the weekend, Marc Guillot now leaves Belgium top of the Eurocup Clio after the first round.
Race 1: 1- M.Guillot, FRA (Milan Compétition), 2- R.Villanueva, ESP (Milan Compétition), 3- C.Ricciarini, ITA (Composit Motorsport)
Race 2: 1- M.Verschuur, NED (Equipe Verschuur), 2- R.Villanueva, 3-M.Guillot
Overall standings: 1- M.Guillot, 40 pts, 2- R.Villanueva, 36 pts, 3- M. Verschuur, 25 pts…
Official Renault Sport Press Release.