Formula Renault 2.0
After setting the fastest time on the first day of collective testing, Esteban Ocon (ART Junior Team) returned to top the timesheets again on day two. The young Frenchman beat the 2012 pole time along the way, further underlining the great potential of the new Formula Renault 2.0.
The new season’s first round of collective testing ended in positive fashion, with the 36 drivers at Spain’s Motorland Aragon circuit covering an impressive 2,500 laps between them. And they did so with complete confidence, thanks to the reliability of their new car.
By completing short runs of five to 10 laps, interspersed with technical debriefings with their engineers, the drivers were able to deepen their understanding of the car’s handling. And at the end of each of the day’s two sessions, the drivers pushing for the best times took full advantage of their allocation of fresh tyres.
No fewer than 12 drivers beat the 2012 pole time in the morning session, with 19 others coming within a second. But it was Esteban Ocon (ART Junior Team) who again stormed to the top of the timesheets, setting the fastest time ahead of Koiranen Motorsports duo Victor Franzoni and Nyck de Vries, who finished second and third respectively.
In the evening, Esteban Ocon confirmed his dominance by beating his own lap record and finishing the session two-tenths quicker than compatriot Matthieu Vaxivière (Tech 1 Racing).
Simon Tirman (Arta Engineering) : “It’s a great pleasure to drive this car. For me it’s a step up compared with the single-seaters I’ve driven before, particularly on the technical side, where there are lots of settings to manage as well as simply driving. I’ve had one or two problems with the tyres as I’ve been getting excessive wear from them, but hopefully we’ll be able to fix that quickly and move things up a gear.”
Ignazio d’Agosto (KTR) : “Things are looking very good. Yesterday I had the sixth-best time of the day, and this morning I was eighth. This car is very different from the last version, particularly through the quick corners, thanks to the aerodynamic grip it provides. The front axle performs differently and we also had more grip through the tight sequences, which suits my driving style very well.”
Victor Franzoni (Koiranen Motorsports) : “The car is beautiful and very pleasant to drive. This is only the second day of testing but it’s really exciting to work with this car and this team. The technical side is important and you mustn’t neglect it, because mastering all the settings can also give you the edge. It’s my first season in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and I hope to fight for the title.”
Official Renault Sport Press Release.