All change at the top - Estoril – Race 2

Valtteri Bottas (Motopark Academy) can be happy with his day's work. The Finnish driver's fourth win of the season propels him to the top of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 standings. After a poor start, Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula) could only finish tenth. A single point separates the two men going into the season finale at Barcelona.

With the sun shining, Valtteri Bottas lined up on the front row with Richard Singleton (Hitech Junior Team) alongside him. The Finn got the strongest start and entered the first bend ahead of the British driver, while behind them Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula), Andrea Caldarelli (SG Formula) and Jean-Éric Vergne (SG Formula) got in each other's way. Ricciardo and Caldarelli lost ground and Vergne ended up in the gravel trap. He would take no further part in the race.

Further back, Miguel Ramos (BVM Minardi Team) and Nathanaël Berthon (Thierry Boutsen Energy Racing) collided, causing fluid from Berthon's gearbox to spill onto the track. The safety car was brought out to enable the stewards to clean up.

When the green flag was given, Bottas was still leading, with Richard Singleton second ahead of Alex Morgan and Antonio Felix da Costa (Motopark Academy). Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, yielded his eighth position to Tobias Hegewald (Motopark Academy).

Valtteri Bottas increased his lead lap on lap, while Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Euskadi), and Daniel Ricciardo, lying seventh and ninth respectively, attempted to claw their way back up the field. Merhi could not get past Dean Smith (Fortec Motorsport). Daniel Ricciardo managed to overtake Hegewald, but Michele Faccin (Jenzer Motorsport) exploited the opportunity afforded to him to snatch eighth place.

Behind Valtteri Bottas, Richard Singleton now had to contend with mounting pressure from Alex Morgan and Antonio Felix da Costa. The tussle for second spot was interrupted, however, when the safety car made its second appearance to clear the cars of Adrian Quaife-Hobbs (BVM Minardi team) and Patrick Reiterer (Prema Powerteam) from the track.

The race resumed for one last lap, Bottas conserving his lead and notching up his fourth win of the season ahead of Richard Singleton and Alex Morgan. Kuba Giermaziak (Motopark Academy) enjoyed a productive final lap, overtaking Michele Faccin and Daniel Ricciardo to finish eighth. Daniel Ricciardo's tenth place gives him only one point and sees him lose top spot in the Eurocup Formula Renaut 2.0 standings.

Valtteri Bottas: «It was really hard work in the heat, but I managed to get a decent start and get ahead. The safety car coming on twice could have put me under pressure, but both times I did ok at the restart. I'm happy to be going to Barcelona in the lead.»

Richard Singleton: «I'm very happy. This is my first podium finish. We did very well in qualifying and I was in a good rhythm today. The safety car helped me a lot as my tyres were really suffering and Alex Morgan was gaining fast. I couldn't be happier if I'd won!»

Alex Morgan: «We had problems in qualifying because of the red flag but we were competitive. I got a very good start and went into the first bend in third place. After the safety cars, I tried to put Richard Singleton under pressure. This podium finish is as sweet as a win!»

Pos Number Driver  Team  Laps Time GapFirst KPH 

1 11 Valtteri BOTTAS MOTOPARK ACADEMY 15 26:46.098 - 154.0   2 36 Richard SINGLETON HITECH JUNIOR TEAM 15 26:47.155 +1.057 153.5   3 44 Alex MORGAN FORTEC COMPETITION 15 26:47.518 +1.420 153.6   4 70 Antonio Felix DA COSTA MOTOPARK ACADEMY 15 26:47.872 +1.774 153.7   5 28 Pal VARHAUG JENZER MOTORSPORT 15 26:48.992 +2.894 152.9   6 41 Dean SMITH FORTEC MOTORSPORT 15 26:49.890 +3.792 153.2   7 8 Roberto MERHI EPSILON EUSKADI 2 15 26:50.277 +4.179 152.9   8 22 Kuba GIERMAZIAK TEAM MOTOPARK 15 26:52.334 +6.236 153.2   9 27 Michele FACCIN JENZER MOTORSPORT 15 26:53.212 +7.114 152.9   10 12 Daniel RICCIARDO SG FORMULA 15 26:53.301 +7.203 153.4   11 23 Juan Pablo GARCÍA TEAM MOTOPARK 15 26:54.627 +8.529 152.7   12 14 Andrea CALDARELLI SG FORMULA 15 26:55.153 +9.055 152.5   13 9 Carlos MUÑOZ EPSILON EUSKADI 2 15 26:55.376 +9.278 152.8   14 16 Sergio CAMPANA PREMA POWERTEAM 15 26:55.675 +9.577 152.5   15 7 Albert COSTA EPSILON EUSKADI 2 15 26:56.449 +10.351 152.8   16 31 Johan JOKINEN IQUICK 15 26:56.470 +10.372 152.7   17 5  Anton NEBILITSKYI SG DRIVERS PROJECT 15 26:56.909 +10.811 152.3   18 43 Gabriel DIAS FORTEC COMPETITION 15 26:57.202 +11.104 152.3   19 42 Daniel MCKENZIE FORTEC MOTORSPORT 15 26:57.768 +11.670 152.3   20 17 Vasiliauskas KAZIMIERAS PREMA POWERTEAM 15 26:58.955 +12.857 153.1   21 71 Vinicius SAMMARONE TEAM MOTOPARK 15 26:59.132 +13.034 152.2   22 3 Richard CAMPOLLO EPSILON EUSKADI 1 15 26:59.709 +13.611 152.4   23 19 Adam KOUT KRENEK MOTORSPORT 15 27:00.066 +13.968 152.3   24 4 Ramez AZZAM SG DRIVERS PROJECT 15 27:00.424 +14.326 152.2   25 30 Miguel OTEGUI IQUICK 15 27:01.290 +15.192 152.5   26 2 Pablo MONTILLA EPSILON EUSKADI 1 15 27:01.645 +15.547 152.4   27 29 Luis SANTOS JENZER MOTORSPORT 15 27:01.896 +15.798 151.8   28 39 Juan JACOBO HITECH JUNIOR RACING 15 27:08.513 +22.415 153.1   29 1 Jake ROSENZWEIG EPSILON EUSKADI 1 14 25:13.567 1 Lap 152.6     38 Luciano BACHETA HITECH JUNIOR RACING 12 27:04.957   153.9     18 Patrick REITERER PREMA POWERTEAM 11 19:42.990   152.3     26 Adrian QUAIFE-HOBBS BVM MINARDI TEAM 10 18:12.112   153.5     15 Miki MONRAS SG FORMULA 10 18:20.868   152.4     10 Tobias HEGEWALD MOTOPARK ACADEMY 8 14:55.536   152.6     34 Mathieu ARZENO TCS RACING 8 15:03.624   152.3     32 Marcelo CONCHADO AMITER GALUPPO SPORT 6 11:48.529   149.3     21 Nathanaël BERTHON BOUTSEN ENERGY RACING 1 2:19.183         6 Jean Eric VERGNE SG DRIVERS PROJECT 0           25 Cesar RAMOS BVM MINARDI TEAM 0