“We were all pushing it to the limit on the first two laps.”
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António Félix da Costa (Arden Caterham) won the second race of the weekend at Monza to secure his fifth victory in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series.
The Portuguese finished ahead of Kevin Magnussen (Dams) and Stoffel Vandoorne (Fortec Motorsports) at the end of a breathless race, one that hints at a hard-fought season ahead. Vandoorne leaves Italy with the championship lead, with Magnussen and da Costa second and third respectively.
It was a weekend of firsts at the Autodrome Nazionale Monza. After Stoffel Vandoorne stole the headlines yesterday, this morning it was António Félix da Costa’s turn to claim his maiden FR 3.5 Series pole position, and the first for his team, Arden Caterham. Stoffel Vandoorne et Kevin Magnussen qualified behind the Portuguese in second and third respectively.
When the lights went out, António Félix da Costa hesitated slightly, allowing Belgium’s Stoffel Vandoorne to pass and head into the first chicane as the race leader. But in trying to defend his position, Vandoorne cut the chicane and had to allow rival da Costa to retake the lead.
Behind the leaders, Kevin Magnussen fought to defend third place from Nico Müller (International Draco Racing). The Dane then pounced on a mistake by Vandoorne to move up into second, before taking the lead after da Costa went wide and brushed the grass.
At the end of lap two, 604 milliseconds was all that separated the front four. There was no let-up in the intensity until the chequered flag, and for 29 laps there was never more than one second between da Costa and Magnussen. Stoffel Vandoorne lost ground on the front pair and had to fend off Arthur Pic, who had worked his way up from 16th on the grid to finish fourth. Nico Müller (International Draco Racing), Norman Nato (Dams), Pietro Fantin (Arden Caterham), Christopher Zanella (ISR), Oliver Webb (Fortec Motorsports) and Mihai Marinescu (Zeta Corse) all finished in the top ten.
The result ensures that Stoffel Vandoorne retains the championship lead with 40 points, ahead of Kevin Magnussen, 36 points, and António Félix da Costa, 25.
What they said
António Félix da Costa: “We were all pushing it to the limit on the first two laps. After that, it was like driving 30 qualifying laps. I tried to preserve my tyres, but I had to push hard to stay ahead of Kevin [Magnussen]. I’m very pleased with this victory after the disappointment of yesterday’s race.”
Kevin Magnussen: “These two podium finishes relieve some pressure for the rest of the season. The first few kilometres were amazing! But unfortunately they didn’t go in my favour. I had to put pressure on António [Félix da Costa], but I couldn’t afford any mistakes because Stoffel [Vandoorne] would have pounced. I enjoyed this race hugely from start to finish.”
Stoffel Vandoorne: “I made a mistake on turn one. It cost me dearly as I ended up losing contact with the leading pair. Still, this podium finish is a great follow-up to yesterday’s victory, and I’m very happy to be at the top of the championship.”
source: worldseriesbyrenault.fr
Pic delivers overtaking masterclass at Formula Renault 3.5 opener
Arthur Pic demonstrated his overtaking prowess during the season-opening Formula Renault 3.5 event at Monza (6/7 April) by making up a total of 28 places over the two races to net 20 championship points.
Having switched to the new AV Formula squad for 2013 Pic spent the off-season focusing on delivering improved race performances and, if the opening round is anything to go by, that work is beginning to pay dividends.
The Frenchman was left frustrated by a lack of qualifying pace in wet conditions, lining up 22nd for the opening encounter and 16th for the second.
But in that first race Pic made rapid progress towards the front, immediately leaping 11 spots and then swiftly climbing into the top 10. He continued to scale the order as the race progressed and by the final laps was engaged in a close battle with Nigel Melker, ultimately crossing the line just behind the Tech 1 driver in sixth.
In Sunday’s second race Pic had made up eight places by lap two before overhauling Sergey Sirotkin, Norman Nato and Oliver Webb in quick succession to snatch fifth position.
He then set about closing in on Nico Muller, who could not resist the Frenchman beyond lap 16, and was now free to chase down race one winner Stoffel Vandoorne. He set about the task with aplomb, eroding the Belgian’s significant advantage only to feel a slight issue with his front-right tyre and settle for a highly impressive P4.
Pic had made his outright pace clear, registering the fastest lap of the race and making up more places than any other driver over the course of the weekend.
And while he may feel there is still work to be done on the car’s single lap and wet weather pace he has left his rivals in no doubt as to the abilities he possesses when the lights go out.
Arthur Pic: “The first qualifying session was really tough. The weather wasn’t good and we gambled on slick tyres right at the end, but it was still too wet so we ended up P22. In the race things went a lot better. I made a good start and from there the car was excellent, allowing me to pick up a few more places to finish sixth.
“Sunday’s qualifying was wet too and we still didn’t have a perfect setup, so we could only manage 16th. But again the race went extremely well, beginning with another good start. The car was even better than Saturday and I was able to pass several competitors to climb all the way to fourth. I was close to making a move for the podium, but I felt something strange on my front-right tyre and decided to play it safe and secure the points.
“Overall I’m really happy with how the first weekend of the season went. The car was excellent in the dry and our race pace was fantastic, so I’m sure that if we can get qualifying right I’ll be able to fight for victories. The aim at the next round will be to find that one-lap pace and compete for the win.”
Pic sits a strong fourth in the drivers’ standings ahead of the series’ trip to Spanish venue Motorland Aragon (27/28 April) where he will be hoping to combine his stellar race pace with improved qualifying form.
source: arthurpic.com
A good start for DAMS
The Formula Renault 3.5 Series Championship got off to a great start for DAMS thanks to Kevin Magnussen’s double top-3 finish and Norman Nato’s promising points-scoring debut. After the Italian round, the French squad and its Danish driver are lying second in both the drivers’ and teams’ championships.
Throughout the weekend at Monza the weather played havoc with the strategists’ plans. This did not prevent the DAMS drivers from showing that they were on the pace right from the first free practice held in wet conditions. The team, though, was disappointed with the first qualifying session – still in the wet – in which Magnussen and Nato set the seventh and thirteenth-fastest times.
The first race on Saturday in dry confirmed that the French outfit was on the pace. The Danish driver made a good start and was soon involved in the battle at the front of the field as he was glued to the tail of the leaders. Towards the end of the heat Magnussen took advantage of Da Costa’s puncture to snatch second place. Nato made a solid debut and he finished his first FR 3.5 race in tenth spot setting excellent times.
The weather was still up to its tricks on Sunday. Qualifying again took place on a wet track and Magnussen set the third-best time and Nato the tenth.
The start of the second heat took place in fine weather. The Dane was battling for first place with Da Costa and Vandoorne and he even led the race briefly before the Portuguese passed him again. Throughout, the gap was never more than second and Kevin scored another very promising second place. Nato also put on a great performance by fighting his way up to sixth at a stunning pace!
François Sicard, managing director: “It’s been a very positive first weekend. The team did a great job; already we’re all working very well together and the results are coming in. We knew that Kevin was quick and he confirmed it this weekend. He’s a title contender. We’re absolutely delighted with Norman’s debut; he‘s made progress and scored points in his first two races. Overall we’re very satisfied – and it’s only the start!”
Kevin Magnussen: “In general, the season’s got off to a good start. We knew the car was quick right from the opening practice session. It’s a pity I didn’t start from higher up the grid in the first race. We’ve just got to find that little extra edge in performance and I’m confident we’re working in the right direction. Rendezvous at the next round!”
Norman Nato: “I’m pretty happy with my debut. First of all, a big thanks to the team who did a great job. I’ve scored points, but I was hoping to do a bit better after the first free practice session. Now, I know the areas in which I have to work to improve. In particular I’ll have to qualify better; that’ll be a big help. I’m aiming to score points in each race and I’m hoping for greater things very quickly – like the podium!”
Next round: Motorland Aragon: 27-28 April 2013
source: dams.fr