Eurocup Mégane Trophy
Mirko Bortolotti (Oregon Team) dominated both collective testing sessions on Friday in his first drive at Moscow Raceway. The Italian, who leads the Eurocup Megane Trophy championship, finished the day ahead of his team-mate, Kevin Gilardoni (Oregon Team), and Erik Janis (Gravity Charouz).
The first collective testing session of the day began under sunny skies in Moscow, with Kelvin Snoeks (Oregon Team) and Erik Janis battling for the lead right from the start. Mirko Bortolotti, though, was the first to lap in under 1:40, and in doing so he moved top of the timesheets.
The action intensified in the final 15 minutes, with Erik Janis regaining the lead from Mirko Bortolotti. The Italian quickly responded, however, and set the fastest time with a lap of 1:39.305. That effort ensured that Bortolotti, the championship leader, finished the session ahead of Erik Janis, Pieter Schothorst (Las Moras by Equipe Verschuur), Kevin Gilardoni and Kelvin Snoeks.
Performance improved in the afternoon, with Mirko Bortolotti and Pieter Schothorst trading fastest times in the first part of the second session. Erik Janis led briefly after the halfway point, but was soon replaced at the top by Kevin Gilardoni and, later, Mirko Bortolotti.
Bortolotti signed off with a fastest time of 1:38.747, and was the only driver to lap in under 1:39. Kevin Gilardoni and Erik Janis finished three tenths behind in second and third respectively, with Pieter Schothorst and Mike Verschuur (McGregor by Equipe Verschuur) rounding out the top five.
What they said
Mirko Bortolotti: "It's been an important day for me, as it was my first time on this track. My goal today was to get to know the circuit and exploit it to the full. Next we'll focus on getting the most out of the car. We've already got good pace, which is always a positive thing."
Erik Janis: "That was a good way to start the weekend. We've still got work to do in terms of our set-ups, because we're not quick enough on the new tyres. The performance is there with the old tyres, so we need to find a solution for tomorrow. That will be the key in the first race."
Pieter Schothorst: "It's great to be back. The Megane Trophy is a really fast, fun and challenging car to drive. I love it! We can take some positives from today's sessions. I think there's still progress to make if we want to aim for a podium finish."
Official Renault Sport Press Release.