Formula Renault 2.0
No sooner had Paul-Loup Chatin (Tech 1 Racing) claimed his first pole of the season than he recorded his maiden Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 win, and all on home soil too. The Frenchman held Daniil Kvyat (Koiranen Motorsport) at bay to take the chequered flag, while Carlos Sainz Jr completed the top three to cut the deficit on championship leader Robin Frijns (Josef Kaufmann Racing) by three points. The Dutchman remains in firm control at the top of the standings, however, and can seal the title tomorrow should he maintain his current lead over the Spaniard, which stands in excess of 50 points.
Having held off a stern challenge from Kvyat, Frijns and Stoffel Vandoorne (KTR) in his qualifying group to record his first pole of the season, all in front of his own fans, the Frenchman lined up on the front row ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. Kvyat and Will Stevens (Fortec Motorsports) made up the second row, while Frijns found himself in the unaccustomed position of starting one row further back.
Chatin held his nerve as the lights went out, reaching turn one in the lead, with Sainz Jr resisting severe pressure from Kvyat to stay in second. Completing the top five were Stevens and Frijns.
As the formidable quartet of Sainz Jr, Kvyat, Stevens and Frijns bunched up behind him, Chatin needed to keep his wits about him. The Dutch driver made his intentions clear by edging past Stevens, a move that triggered an instant reaction from Kvyat, who made short work of Sainz Jr and set off in pursuit of Chatin, leaving the Spaniard, second in the overall standings to battle it out for third with the championship pacesetter.
The fight for sixth between Oscar Andres Tunjo (Josef Kaufmann Racing) and Stoffel Vandoorne (KTR) was no less intense, the Belgian eventually getting his way on lap six, leaving the Colombian at the mercy of Norman Nato (R-Ace Grand Prix) and Timmy Hansen (Interwetten.com), who relegated Tunjo to ninth in the space of just a few turns.
Kvyat and Frijns kept the heat on in their respective jousts with Chatin and Sainz Jr, who held off their every move all the way to the line, with the Frenchman taking the flag for the first time as the home fans cheered their approval. In taking third behind Kvyat, meanwhile, Sainz Jr trimmed three points off Frijns’s still-comfortable championship lead.
Official Renault Sport Press Release.