WSbR En-Garde for Giedo

Spa-Francorchamps – Collective testing

Giedo Van der Garde (P1 Motorsport) once again finished at the top of Formula Renault 3.5 Series standings. With the best performance in both sessions, the Dutchman is clearly man in form at the start of this season. Charles Pic (Tech1 Racing), who recorded the second fastest time of the day, is obviously learning quickly about this category. Rain fell in the afternoon, interrupting everyone's hard work at the end of the second session.

The first session of the day got off to a flying start. The drivers were out to set fast times as soon as the green flag was shown. Giedo Van der Garde grabbed first place with a time of 2'03''379. Marco Bonanomi (Red Devil Team Comtec) then managed to dislodge the Dutch driver with a time of 2'02''678, even faster than that set by Van der Garde yesterday. Guillaume Moreau (KTR), Bertrand Baguette (International Darco Racing) and Robert Wickens (Carlin Motorsport) completed the top five.

After a lively first session, all the drivers lapped then entered the pits before the morning's final assault. Mikhail Aleshin (Carlin Motorsport) got things going, seizing second place. Giedo Van der Garde followed by taking his preferred place - first - with a lap of 2'02''363. The Formula Renault 3.5 Series is clearly getting quicker and quicker.

Before the session was interrupted when Maxim Cortes (Pons Racing) went off the track, Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing), who is racing at Spa-Francorchamps for the first time, stole second place ahead of local driver, Bertrand Baguette. Pablo Sanchez (Interwetten.com Racing Team), another Rookie, also produced a fine performance to finish fourth, ahead of Bonanomi.

"Yesterday morning, I did a lot of driving to familiarize myself with the circuit." explained Pic. "Next, we did a lot of work on data acquisition so that I could start improving. We had enough time overnight to make the changes, so everything went alright this morning. I'm happy with the times, but I need to turn them into results in qualifying. This afternoon we're working in preparation for the race."

At the start of the afternoon, the second session of the day was dedicated to improving the set-up of the single-seaters for the weekend's races. Marco Barba (International Draco Racing) took control. The Spaniard Miguel Molina (Prema Powerteam) produced the fastest lap of the afternoon with 2'02''863. At this point, Giedo Van der Garde decided to shut out the competition. The leader of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series turned in the fastest lap of the session with 2'02''861, just before the rain fell, stopping the rest of the pack in their tracks.

This left Giedo Van der Garde as the fastest man during these two days of collective testing, and means he is confident for qualifying tomorrow: "The car is performing well, we're just getting on with business. Now I need to concentrate on qualifying and try to keep up my momentum."

The second best time overall belonged to Charles Pic. The Frenchman finished ahead of Bertrand Baguette. The driver backed by the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique was obviously right up there at his home event.

On Saturday, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series drivers will try for the first time for a place in the SuperPole.

Pos Driver Team Time S1 Lap S1 Time S2 Lap S2 Time S3 Lap S3 Time S4 Lap S4 Time Gap First Gap Previous 

1 Giedo Van Der GARDE P1 MOTORSPORT 2:03.664 27 2:02.886 16 2:02.363 9 2:02.861 12 2:02.363       2 Charles PIC TECH 1 RACING 2:05.389 37 2:03.695 19 2:02.381 13 2:03.913 11 2:02.381 +0.018 +0.018   3 Bertrand BAGUETTE INTERNATIONAL DRACO RACING 2:04.269 27 2:03.706 18 2:02.447 15 2:03.240 10 2:02.447 +0.084 +0.066   4 Pablo SANCHEZ INTERWETTEN.COM RACING 2:05.666 19 2:04.083 26 2:02.634 13 2:05.161 10 2:02.634 +0.271 +0.187   5 Marco BONANOMI RED DEVIL TEAM COMTEC 2:04.315 20 2:03.003 18 2:02.678 4 2:04.089 8 2:02.678 +0.315 +0.044   6 Salvador DURAN INTERWETTEN.COM RACING 2:05.399 10 2:03.047 30 2:02.702 13 2:03.411 11 2:02.702 +0.339 +0.024   7 Marcos MARTINEZ PONS RACING 2:04.853 23 2:03.395 17 2:02.804 12 2:04.401 4 2:02.804 +0.441 +0.102   8 Miguel MOLINA PREMA POWERTEAM 2:04.560 30 2:03.943 15 2:04.083 4 2:02.863 7 2:02.863 +0.500 +0.059   9 Marco BARBA INTERNATIONAL DRACO RACING 2:04.365 17 2:04.845 7 2:03.188 12 2:02.976 9 2:02.976 +0.613 +0.113   10 Mikhail ALESHIN CARLIN MOTORSPORT 2:04.913 25 2:04.019 16 2:03.086 8 2:03.862 11 2:03.086 +0.723 +0.110   11 Julien JOUSSE TECH 1 RACING 2:05.456 14 2:03.515 19 2:03.180 12 2:04.706 3 2:03.180 +0.817 +0.094   12 Borja GARCIA RC MOTORSPORT 2:04.610 10 2:03.418 22 2:03.217 13 2:04.284 12 2:03.217 +0.854 +0.037   13 Robert WICKENS CARLIN MOTORSPORT 2:04.772 12 2:03.281 21 2:03.772 6 2:03.745 12 2:03.281 +0.918 +0.064   14 Pasquale DiSABATINO RED DEVIL TEAM COMTEC 2:05.875 22 2:03.805 14 2:03.282 8 2:05.112 4 2:03.282 +0.919 +0.001   15 Alvaro BARBA PREMA POWERTEAM 2:04.680 30 2:04.477 17 2:03.294 11 2:03.782 9 2:03.294 +0.931 +0.012   16 James WALKER FORTEC MOTORSPORT 2:05.359 26 2:04.529 22 2:03.398 14 2:03.624 8 2:03.398 +1.035 +0.104   17 Aleix ALCARAZ RC MOTORSPORT 2:05.987 28 2:04.652 18 2:03.431 13 2:04.354 11 2:03.431 +1.068 +0.033   18 Guillaume MOREAU KTR 2:05.519 22 2:03.924 11 2:03.439 10 2:04.422 8 2:03.439 +1.076 +0.008   19 Fabio CARBONE ULTIMATE-SIGNATURE 2:04.711 27 2:03.944 14 2:04.213 3 2:03.699 9 2:03.699 +1.336 +0.260   20 Pippa MANN P1 MOTORSPORT 2:05.838 31 2:04.733 19 2:05.145 10 2:03.869 10 2:03.869 +1.506 +0.170   21 Daniil MOVE KTR 2:07.105 6 2:05.488 13 2:04.047 15 2:05.483 7 2:04.047 +1.684 +0.178   22 Mario ROMANCINI EPSILON-EUSKADI 2:05.569 30 2:04.619 28 2:05.250 11 2:04.108 11 2:04.108 +1.745 +0.061   23 Maximo CORTES PONS RACING 2:07.357 25 2:05.526 17 2:05.658 7 2:04.646 8 2:04.646 +2.283 +0.538   24 Julian THEOBALD FORTEC MOTORSPORT 2:07.885 37 2:05.875 36 2:04.693 11 2:04.714 9 2:04.693 +2.330 +0.047   25 Alexandre MARSOIN EPSILON-EUSKADI 2:05.720 34 2:04.752 22 2:05.464 4 2:05.354 4 2:04.752 +2.389 +0.059   26 Claudio CANTELLI ULTIMATE-SIGNATURE 2:06.009 18 2:05.761 16 2:05.959 5 2:05.146 13 2:05.146 +2.783 +0.394  


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