Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0

Nurburgring – Race 2 - Valtteri Bottas… who else!

Second in the first race behind Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Euskadi), Valtteri Bottas (Motopark Academy) made a comeback today finishing head and shoulders above the rest of the field. He claims his second victory of the season while Roberto Merhi scored some serious points, finishing second ahead of Andrea Caldarelli.

Albert Costa (Epsilon Euskadi) and Carlos Munoz (Epsilon Euskadi) were both penalized four places on the starting grid after yesterday's race. The two drivers started in tenth and twenty-first positions respectively.

In the bright Nürburgring sunshine, poleman Valtteri Bottas made a perfect start to lead Roberto Merhi, Andrea Caldarelli, Jean-Eric Vergne (SG Formula) and Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula).

Several incidents occurred in the main field.  Daniel Zampieri (BVM Minardi Team) and Luciano Bacheta (Hitech Junior) collided. Then Miki Monras (Hitech Junior), hit from behind on the exit of bend on the start finish straight lost control of his car and hit the wall. The safety car had to be called out as a result.

Valtteri Bottas held onto his lead when the race restarted, ahead of Merhi and the three SG Formula cars which were locked in a ferocious battle. Caldarelli, Vergne and Ricciardo also had to contend with Albert Costa (Epsilon Euskadi) who had joined the fight for third place.

After six laps, the situation was becoming clear. Valtteri Bottas had built up a clear lead over Roberto Merhi who was busy fending off an attack from Andrea Caldarelli. Further back, Jean-Éric Vergne led a tight pack made up of Daniel Ricciardo, Albert Costa, Antonio Felix Da Costa (Motopark Academy), Tobias Hegewald (Motopark Acedemy), Kuba Giermaziak (Motopark Academy) and Alex Morgan (Fortec Competition).

Albert Costa stepped up the pace and shook up the positions, overtaking Daniel Ricciardo on lap seven. Before long, the Spaniard was right on Vergne's wing and passed him on the following lap. Costa was now in fourth while Vergne and Ricciardo were busy holding off Da Costa, Hegewald and Giermaziak. The Motopark Academy gang was piling the pressure onto the SG Formula drivers.

Daniel Ricciardo, becoming more and more of a threat, overtook his teammate to grab fifth place. At the same moment, Antonio Felix Da Costa made a mistake and dropped back to twelfth place.

The Finn, Valtteri Bottas claimed victory for the second time this season with more than eight seconds lead over Roberto Merhi and Andrea Caldarelli. Finishing fifth today, Daniel Ricciardo still leads the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship, but Robert Merhi and Valtteri Bottas have both done well out of the weekend.

Valtteri Bottas: «We did a lot of work on the car yesterday evening as I wasn't entirely happy with the general handling in the race. It was perfect today. I was very focused at the start, mostly on the all important first bend. This win puts me back in the running. I'm hoping for a good second half of the season.»

Roberto Merhi: It was a good weekend for me with lots of points. At the start I had a scare with my gearbox, then Caldarelli began to prove a threat. I was able to break away after the safety car came out and everything went smoothly.»

Andrea Caldarelli: «It's a big thing to take home points compared to Daniel Ricciardo who only finished fifth. I'm confident for the Le Mans weekend as we were very quick there in collective testing last winter.»

Pos Number Driver  Team  Laps Time GapFirst KPH 

1 11 Valtteri BOTTAS MOTOPARK ACADEMY 13 27:43.851 - 156.2   2 8 Roberto MERHI EPSILON EUSKADI 2 13 27:51.870 +8.019 155.0   3 14 Andrea CALDARELLI SG FORMULA 13 27:53.326 +9.475 154.9   4 7 Albert COSTA EPSILON EUSKADI 2 13 27:56.733 +12.882 154.9   5 12 Daniel RICCIARDO SG FORMULA 13 27:57.420 +13.569 154.2   6 6 Jean Eric VERGNE SG DRIVERS PROJECT 13 28:00.997 +17.146 154.2   7 10 Tobias HEGEWALD MOTOPARK ACADEMY 13 28:01.087 +17.236 154.1   8 22 Kuba GIERMAZIAK TEAM MOTOPARK 13 28:01.500 +17.649 154.1   9 44 Alex MORGAN FORTEC COMPETITION 13 28:01.972 +18.121 153.8   10 70 Antonio Felix DA COSTA MOTOPARK ACADEMY 13 28:02.784 +18.933 154.0   11 25 Cesar RAMOS BVM MINARDI TEAM 13 28:03.820 +19.969 154.2   12 16 Sergio CAMPANA PREMA POWERTEAM 13 28:05.224 +21.373 154.3   13 41 Dean SMITH FORTEC MOTORSPORT 13 28:06.003 +22.152 154.1   14 9 Carlos MUÑOZ EPSILON EUSKADI 2 13 28:07.313 +23.462 153.8   15 36 Richard SINGLETON HITECH JUNIOR TEAM 13 28:07.629 +23.778 154.0   16 27 Michele FACCIN JENZER MOTORSPORT 13 28:09.794 +25.943 154.0   17 31 Himar ACOSTA IQUICK 13 28:10.825 +26.974 153.8   18 29 Christopher ZANELLA JENZER MOTORSPORT 13 28:11.010 +27.159 154.0   19 1 Jake ROSENZWEIG EPSILON EUSKADI 1 13 28:14.108 +30.257 153.5   20 21 Nathanaël BERTHON BOUTSEN ENERGY RACING 13 28:14.535 +30.684 153.2   21 28 Pal VARHAUG JENZER MOTORSPORT 13 28:15.690 +31.839 153.7   22 43 Gabriel DIAS FORTEC COMPETITION 13 28:16.202 +32.351 153.7   23 18 Patrick REITERER PREMA POWERTEAM 13 28:17.109 +33.258 153.8   24 35 Stephane RICHELMI EPSILON SPORT 13 28:17.615 +33.764 153.8   25 26 Adrian QUAIFE-HOBBS BVM MINARDI TEAM 13 28:18.328 +34.477 154.1   26 23 Juan Pablo GARCÍA TEAM MOTOPARK 13 28:19.212 +35.361 153.7   27 4 Ramez AZZAM SG DRIVERS PROJECT 13 28:22.007 +38.156 153.0   28 17 Vasiliauskas KAZIMIERAS PREMA POWERTEAM 13 28:26.651 +42.800 153.0   29 45 Nicolas MARROC TCS RACING 13 28:27.189 +43.338 153.1   30 71 Vinicius SAMMARONE TEAM MOTOPARK 13 28:29.149 +45.298 153.4   31 42 Daniel MCKENZIE FORTEC MOTORSPORT 13 28:30.185 +46.334 153.0   32 3 Richard CAMPOLLO EPSILON EUSKADI 1 13 28:32.881 +49.030 154.2   33 30 Miguel OTEGUI IQUICK 13 28:33.701 +49.850 153.2   34 2 Pablo MONTILLA EPSILON EUSKADI 1 13 28:39.082 +55.231 152.9   35 39 Juan JACOBO HITECH JUNIOR RACING 13 28:39.325 +55.474 154.0   36 40 Dino BUTORAC RB RACING TEAM 13 29:01.562 +1:17.711 150.2   37 19 Adam KOUT KRENEK MOTORSPORT 12 26:45.683 1 Lap 152.9   38 33 Paul MEIJER EPSILON SPORT 11 28:46.036 2 Laps 154.8     5  Anton NEBILITSKYI SG DRIVERS PROJECT 7 16:20.182   152.4     37 Miki MONRAS HITECH JUNIOR TEAM 1 2:13.935         24 Daniel ZAMPIERI BVM MINARDI TEAM 0           38 Luciano BACHETA HITECH JUNIOR RACING 0        


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