World Series by Renault, Round 8 - Estoril

[WSR Fan]

The penultimate round of the season is taking place this weekend at Estoril in Portugal, the home round for both Alvaro Parente and Filipe Albuquerque. Parente currently leads Ben Hanley by 15 points, with 4 races left and a maximum of 70 points still to play for.

There are also three driver changes for this weekend to note. Canadian Robert Wickens has replaced Michael Ammermuller at Carlin, Frederic Vervisch has taken over Luiz Razia's seat at GD Racing and although it hasn't been reported, it looks like Alex Ciompi has left Eurointernational to be replaced by Johannes Theobald.

These are the results of Thursday's first Collective Testing session:

1. Fairuz Fauzy         1:27.526
2. Filipe Albuquerque   1:27.651  +0.125
3. Alvaro Barba         1:27.877  +0.351
4. Marco Bonanomi       1:27.908  +0.382
5. Julien Jousse        1:27.925  +0.399
6. Milos Pavlovic       1:27.986  +0.460
7. Miguel Molina        1:28.150  +0.624
8. Giedo van der Garde  1:28.197  +0.671
9. James Walker         1:28.357  +0.831
10. Ben Hanley          1:28.401  +0.875
 
16. Alvaro Parente      1:28.645  +1.119
18. Mikhail Aleshin     1:28.700  +1.174
19. Salvador Duran      1:28.805  +1.279

[JamesRamone]

It sounds like Red Bull have dropped Ammermuller from the scheme going by his comments in autosport. Looks like he may end up in A1GP at one point. Back on topic, just off the top of my head i will predict a Van der garde victory in one race this weekend, no logic behind it.

[WSR Fan]

Originally Posted by JamesRamone

Back on topic, just off the top of my head i will predict a Van der garde victory in one race this weekend, no logic behind it.

You could well be right going by his pace today. He's actually the only driver in the Top 18 of the championship not to have been on the podium yet this year!

Not a very good day for either of the title challengers. Parente seems to be off the pace and Hanley only completed 11 laps in the second two-hour session. And for some unknown reason, Charlie Kimball didn't take part in any track action today.

Second Collective Testing Times:

1. Filipe Albuquerque     1:27.103
2. Giedo van der Garde    1:27.389  +0.286
3. Davide Valsecchi       1:27.458  +0.355
4. Mikhail Aleshin        1:27.565  +0.462
5. Alejandro Nunez        1:27.572  +0.469
6. Bertrand Baguette      1:27.668  +0.565
7. Carlos Iaconelli       1:27.793  +0.690
8. Alvaro Barba           1:27.865  +0.762
9. Fairuz Fauzy           1:27.923  +0.820
10. Salvador Duran        1:27.978  +0.875
11. Milos Pavlovic        1:28.012  +0.909
12. Marco Bonanomi        1:28.146  +1.043
13. James Walker          1:28.187  +1.084
14. Julien Jousse         1:28.187  +1.084
15. Robert Wickens        1:28.259  +1.156
16. Alvaro Parente        1:28.340  +1.237
17. Michael Herck         1:28.367  +1.264
18. Guillaume Moreau      1:28.383  +1.280
19. Miguel Molina         1:28.464  +1.361
20. Clivio Piccione       1:28.517  +1.414
21. Frederic Vervisch     1:28.546  +1.443
22. Richard Philippe      1:28.787  +1.684
23. Ben Hanley            1:29.115  +2.012
24. Julien Theobald       1:29.191  +2.088
25. Pasquale di Sabatino  1:29.262  +2.159
26. Xavier Maassen        1:29.455  +2.352
27. Pippa Mann            1:29.749  +2.646
28. Johannes Theobald     1:29.903  +2.800
29. Danill Move           1:30.209  +3.106

[bluelite]

Kimball crashed in first session this morning.

Hanley, Parente, Vervisch, etc did not use new tyres, whereas all of the top fifteen drivers did.

[J.R]

Does anyone know where i can find the schedule for the Estoril weekend? when is qualyfing? and tomorrow, some practice time again?

[J.R]

combined times (collective test 1 and 2) thursday 18th

1 - Filipe Albuquerque - Epsilon - 1'27"103
2 - Giedo Van der Garde - Victory - 1'27"389
3 - Davide Valsecchi - Epsilon - 1'27"458
4 - Fairuz Fauzy - Cram - 1'27"526
5 - Mikhail Aleshin - Carlin - 1'27"565
6 - Alejandro Nunez - Comtec - 1'27"572
7 - Bertrand Baguette - KTR - 1'27"668
8 - Carlos Iaconelli - Pons - 1'27"793
9 - Alvaro Barba - Draco - 1'27"865
10 - Marco Bonanomi - RC - 1'27"908
11 - Julien Jousse - Tech 1 - 1'27"925
12 - Salvador Duran - Interwetten - 1'27"978
13 - Milos Pavlovic - Draco - 1'27"986
14 - Miguel Molina - Pons - 1'28"150
15 - James Walker - Fortec - 1'28"187
16 - Robert Wickens - Carlin - 1'28"259
17 - Alvaro Parente - Tech 1 - 1'28"340
18 - Michael Herck - Comtec - 1'28"367
19 - Guillaume Moreau - KTR - 1'28"383
20 - Ben Hanley - Prema - 1'28"401
21 - Pippa Mann - Cram - 1'28"492
22 - Clivio Piccione - RC - 1'28"502
23 - Frederic Vervisch - GD - 1'28"546
24 - Richard Philippe - Fortec - 1'28"787
25 - Pasquale Di Sabatino - GD - 1'28"912
26 - Julian Theobald - Eurointernational - 1'29"191
27 - Xavier Maassen - Prema - 1'29"197
28 - Johannes Theobald - Eurointernational - 1'29"903
29 - Daniil Move - Interwetten - 1'30"209

[WSR Fan]

Originally Posted by J.R

Does anyone know where i can find the schedule for the Estoril weekend? when is qualyfing? and tomorrow, some practice time again?

Here you go J.R

Saturday:

09:00 - 09:20 - Qualifying (Group B)
09:25 - 09:45 - Qualifying (Group A)
13:40 - Race 1

Sunday:

13:00 - Race 2

[bluelite]

Originally Posted by bluelite

Kimball crashed in first session this morning.

Sorry, Charlie didn't crash. He's ill and that's why he didn't start in practice. Maybe he won't start at all this weekend.

[OJB]

Kimball has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and will probably miss the last round too. Big shame.

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/rena...t_estoril.html

[OJB]

Tech 1 front row, Parente 'just' ahead of Jousse. Hanley 4th behind Molina.

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/rena...-_estoril.html

[JamesRamone]

Hope Kimball can deal with this illness well, and keep his career on track. All the best Charlie

[strider]

So the Tech 1 drivers were fastest in each of the two sessions. Interesting.

Combined times:

1. Alvaro Parente Tech 1 1m 25.742s
2. Julien Jousse Tech 1 1m 25.762s
3. Miguel Molina Pons 1m 25.889s
4. Ben Hanley Prema 1m 25.879s
5. Bertrand Baguette KTR 1m 26.113s
6. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin 1m 25.890s
7. Fairuz Fauzy Cram 1m 26.161s
8. Filipe Albuquerque Epsilon 1m 25.991s
9. Giedo van der Garde Victory 1m 26.259s
10. Alvaro Barba Draco 1m 26.204s
11. Guillaume Moreau KTR 1m 26.507s
12. James Walker Fortec 1m 26.230s
13. Milos Pavlovic Draco 1m 26.529s
14. Michael Herck Comtec 1m 26.451s
15. Davide Valsecchi Epsilon 1m 26.530s
16. Marco Bonanomi RC 1m 26.607s
17. Robert Wickens Carlin 1m 26.696s
18. Clivio Piccione RC 1m 26.689s
19. Richard Philippe Fortec 1m 26.810s
20. Frederic Vervisch GD 1m 26.699s
21. Carlos Iaconelli Pons 1m 26.883s
22. Alejandro Nunez Comtec 1m 26.776s
23. Salvador Duran Interwetten.com 1m 27.100s
24. Pasquale di Sabatino GD 1m 27.098s
25. Xavier Maasen Prema 1m 27.644s
26. Daniil Move Interwetten.com 1m 27.933s
27. Johannes Theobald Eurointernational 1m 27.347s
28. Julian Theobald Eurointernational 1m 28.877s
29. Pippa Mann Cram No Time

[P3ndula]

Very nasty accident for Hanley. Looks like he went over the top off Parente and rolled over...

[P3ndula]

Parente running in 8th, car looks undamaged.

[P3ndula]

Molina gets maiden win. Jousse, Barba join him on the podium.

Parente sixth or seventh.

Piccione and Pavlovic on front row for tomorrow's race.

[Alex K]

Looks like noit even a thunder can avoid Parente of taking the crown. Sorry friends, IMHO he is the driver of the year, bloke w/o sufficient backing behind him, in new team racing for glory. All the best to him... next year. I hope he can sign something where he will be able to get money out of it, Super GT, WTCC, FIA GT, ALMS, he really deserves it.

[OJB]

Ditto - both he and Hanley have been the best drivers this year. My only worry is that Parente could go the way of Danielsson....

[Alex K]

Let him go that way, but let he get something out of it. Danielsson is good sponsored, if he wants he can get drive in STCC, Alvaro doesn't have the money priviladge, he must wait for offers. That's why, I wish him good contract in good series.

[strider]

Parente had his pole position taken away for speedding in the pit lane, so he actually started behind Hanley.

Race 1 results:

1. Miguel Molina Pons 40mins 36 310secs 27 laps
2. Julien Jousse Tech 1 +10.730s
3. Alvaro Barba Draco +16.669s
4. Giedo van der Garde Victory +22.151s
5. Filipe Albuquerque Epsilon +22.654s
6. Alvaro Parente Tech 1 +23.677s
7. James Walker Fortec +24.558s
8. Fairuz Fauzy Cram +25.109s
9. Milos Pavlovic Draco +27.533s
10. Clivio Piccione RC +28.037s
11. Marco Bonanomi RC +29.296s
12. Robert Wickens Carlin +30.187s
13. Davide Valsecchi Epsilon +30.765s
14. Frederic Vervisch GD +31.621s
15. Pasquale di Sabatino GD +33.604s
16. Michael Herck Comtec +37.540s
17. Carlos Iaconelli Pons +38.873s
18. Richard Philippe Fortec +39.900s
19. Salvador Duran Interwetten.com +42.518s
20. Bertrand Baguette KTR +42.740s 
21. Daniil Move Interwetten.com +1min 02.587s
22. Xavier Maasen Prema +1min 03.165s
23. Guillaume Moreau KTR +1min 03.386s
24. Pippa Mann Cram +1 lap
25. Johannes Theobald Eurointernational +1 lap
26. Julian Theobald Eurointernational +1 lap

Obviously Hanley wasn't classified. I didn't see the accident, but hope he is okay.

[Alex K]

Check ItaliaRacing.net for pic.

[P3ndula]

Second win for Miloš. Too bad he doesn't have the same financial backing as Barba.

[strider]

Originally Posted by P3ndula

Second win for Miloš. Too bad he doesn't have the same financial backing as Barba.

Could we have a link sometimes? Anyway, Race 2 results:

1. Milos Pavlovic Draco 40mins 16.424secs 27 laps
2. Clivio Piccione RC +5.114s
3. Fairuz Fauzy Cram +6.261s
4. Giedo van der Garde Victory +7.072s
5. Filipe Albuquerque Epsilon +7.566s
6. Alvaro Barba Draco +8.239s
7. Alvaro Parente Tech 1 +14.434s
8. Marco Bonanomi RC +16.654s
9. Julien Jousse Tech 1 +17.718s
10. Robert Wickens Carlin +18.037s
11. Davide Valsecchi Epsilon +19.406
12. Guillaume Moreau KTR +19.878s
13. Richard Philippe Fortec +24.959s
14. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin +26.062s
15. Pippa Mann Cram +26.502s
16. Michael Herck Comtec +36.188s
17. Salvador Duran Interwetten.com +42.800s
18. Daniil Move Interwetten.com +47.488s
19. Johannes Theobald Eurointernational +1min 10.596s
20. James Walker Fortec +1min 14.104s
21. Pasquale di Sabatino GD +1min 27.962s
22. Alejandro Nunez Comtec +1 lap
23. Ben Hanley Prema +3 laps

[JamesRamone]

Terrible weekend for Hanley. Title gotta be over now

[WSR Fan]

Well then, barring any unfortunate events, it looks like Parente will wrap up the title in Barcelona this weekend, and a throughly deserved title it will be too. That was a nasty roll Hanley took in Race 1 from the pics I've seen, glad he was OK after that.

I'm really happy that Molina has won his first WSR race, he's shown good pace this year despite Pons Racing not being one of the outright fastest teams. And to think that he's still only 18 years old as well. It's great to see talented young Spanish drivers like Molina, Villa, Soucek etc. coming through the ranks in the last few years or so.

And that's not very good news about Charlie Kimball is it. Let's hope he can manage his illness and be back out racing soon.