Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 - Barcelona – Qualifying

Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula) made the most of the difficult conditions by achieving a good result and going for the remaining two pole positions of the season. The extra point for pole position took him to the top of the overall standings. The Australian may well be able to take advantage of the good performance put in by the all of the SG Formula drivers to claim the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. title.

Group AThe track was soaked by a shower just a few minutes before the green flag was waved. The drivers went onto the track with slick tyres, before opting for wet tyres. Marcelo Conchado (Amiter Galuppo) and Patrick Reiterer (Prema Powerteam) attempted to complete several laps using slick tyres.

Tobias Hegewald (Motopark Academy) and Valtteri Bottas (Motopark Academy) took the top two times just before the red flag was brought out when Juan Jacobo (Hitech Junior Team) crashed off the track. The session eventually got back underway with about three minutes remaining. The drivers had just one chance to qualify for the SuperPole. The two Motopark Academy drivers retained their position as top-placed drivers. Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Euskadi) slipped into third place in front of Michele Faccin (Jenzer Motorsport) and Pablo Montilla (Epsilon Euskadi).

Group BThe downpour had set in. There was no other alternative but for the drivers to take to the track in wet tyres. Albert Costa made a costly error at the start of the session. He therefore won't qualify for the SuperPole.

Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula) set the best time ahead of his team-mates Andrea Caldarelli (SG Formula) and Anton Nebilitsky (SG Formula). Daniel Zampieri (BVM Minardi Team) stole the top spot from Ricciardo. The Australian, who was full of confidence didn't waste any time in hitting back. He set the best time ahead of Zampieri and Caldarelli.

SuperPoleThe SG Formula drivers set the pace for this year's final session of the Super Pole, which was held on a wet track. Andrea Caldarelli took the initial lead. With a lap time of 1'59''237, Daniel Ricciardo took the provisional pole position ahead of Andrea Caldarelli, Jean-Eric Vergne and Anton Nebilitskyi.

Ricciardo kept up his momentum in order to claim pole position in all of the start grids, which he managed to achieve the minute it started rain harder. The SG Formula team achieved a good result by dominating the first two rows of each of the start grids.

Apart from Andrea Caldarelli, the two other contenders lost out in a big way during their qualifying sessions. Valtteri Bottas will start off in eleventh place on Saturday afternoon and in sixth place on Sunday. It's even worse for Roberto Merhi, who in eighteenth and nineteenth place chose to race on a drying track!

According to Daniel Ricciardo, «It's started well. Yesterday I knew that I would be driving a single-seater to go and take the pole position…on a dry track! However, my car performed just as well on this wet track. We decided to get in a good time quickly, just in case the rain got worse. This paid off because by the end of the session it was no longer possible to drive. I have regained the lead in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 thanks to the point gained from winning the top spot. The SG team did a great job. My team-mates are behind me. It's up to all of us to be smart in these two races.»

POS NUMBER DRIVER TEAM LAP TIME GAP_FIRST KPH LAPS 

1 12 Daniel RICCIARDO SG FORMULA 4 1:59.237 - 140.5 8   2 14 Andrea CALDARELLI SG FORMULA 4 2:00.135 +0.898 139.5 8   3 6 Jean Eric VERGNE SG DRIVERS PROJECT 4 2:00.332 +1.095 139.3 8   4 5  Anton NEBILITSKYI SG DRIVERS PROJECT 4 2:00.384 +1.147 139.2 8   5 26 Adrian QUAIFE-HOBBS BVM MINARDI TEAM 3 2:00.819 +1.582 138.7 6   6 10 Tobias HEGEWALD MOTOPARK ACADEMY 3 2:00.901 +1.664 138.6 8   7 27 Michele FACCIN JENZER MOTORSPORT 3 2:01.069 +1.832 138.4 8   8 34 Mathieu ARZENO TCS RACING 4 2:01.215 +1.978 138.3 7   9 15 Miki MONRAS SG FORMULA 4 2:01.267 +2.030 138.2 8   10 19 Adam KOUT KRENEK MOTORSPORT 4 2:01.361 +2.124 138.1 8   11 11 Valtteri BOTTAS MOTOPARK ACADEMY 4 2:01.433 +2.196 138.0 8   12 28 Pal VARHAUG JENZER MOTORSPORT 3 2:01.628 +2.391 137.8 8   13 25 Cesar RAMOS BVM MINARDI TEAM 4 2:02.012 +2.775 137.3 7   14 16 Sergio CAMPANA PREMA POWERTEAM 3 2:02.016 +2.779 137.3 8   15 4 Ramez AZZAM SG DRIVERS PROJECT 2 2:02.068 +2.831 137.3 8   16 1 Jake ROSENZWEIG EPSILON EUSKADI 1 3 2:02.201 +2.964 137.1 7   17 36 Richard SINGLETON HITECH JUNIOR TEAM 3 2:02.517 +3.280 136.8 7   18 8 Roberto MERHI EPSILON EUSKADI 2 2 2:02.662 +3.425 136.6 7   19 42 Daniel MCKENZIE FORTEC MOTORSPORT 3 2:03.067 +3.830 136.2 8   20 17 Vasiliauskas KAZIMIERAS PREMA POWERTEAM 3 2:03.436 +4.199 135.8 7   21 2 Pablo MONTILLA EPSILON EUSKADI 1 4 2:03.618 +4.381 135.6 7   22 23 Juan Pablo GARCÍA TEAM MOTOPARK 4 2:04.017 +4.780 135.1 8   23 24 Daniel ZAMPIERI BVM MINARDI TEAM 2 2:06.968 +7.731 132.0 7   24 41 Dean SMITH FORTEC MOTORSPORT 2 2:08.081 +8.844 130.8 3  

POS NUMBER DRIVER TEAM TIME GAP_FIRST GAP_PREVIOUS 

1 12 Daniel RICCIARDO SG FORMULA 2:00.163 - -   2 6 Jean Eric VERGNE SG DRIVERS PROJECT 2:00.759 +0.596 +0.596   3 14 Andrea CALDARELLI SG FORMULA 2:00.773 +0.610 +0.014   4 15 Miki MONRAS SG FORMULA 2:01.333 +1.170 +0.560   5 10 Tobias HEGEWALD MOTOPARK ACADEMY 2:01.436 +1.273 +0.103   6 11 Valtteri BOTTAS MOTOPARK ACADEMY 2:01.576 +1.413 +0.140   7 5  Anton NEBILITSKYI SG DRIVERS PROJECT 2:01.681 +1.518 +0.105   8 28 Pal VARHAUG JENZER MOTORSPORT 2:01.684 +1.521 +0.003   9 26 Adrian QUAIFE-HOBBS BVM MINARDI TEAM 2:01.875 +1.712 +0.191   10 34 Mathieu ARZENO TCS RACING 2:01.942 +1.779 +0.067   11 27 Michele FACCIN JENZER MOTORSPORT 2:02.277 +2.114 +0.335   12 25 Cesar RAMOS BVM MINARDI TEAM 2:02.343 +2.180 +0.066   13 36 Richard SINGLETON HITECH JUNIOR TEAM 2:02.791 +2.628 +0.448   14 1 Jake ROSENZWEIG EPSILON EUSKADI 1 2:02.816 +2.653 +0.025   15 19 Adam KOUT KRENEK MOTORSPORT 2:03.217 +3.054 +0.401   16 16 Sergio CAMPANA PREMA POWERTEAM 2:03.256 +3.093 +0.039   17 42 Daniel MCKENZIE FORTEC MOTORSPORT 2:03.379 +3.216 +0.123   18 17 Vasiliauskas KAZIMIERAS PREMA POWERTEAM 2:03.749 +3.586 +0.370   19 8 Roberto MERHI EPSILON EUSKADI 2 2:03.999 +3.836 +0.250   20 23 Juan Pablo GARCÍA TEAM MOTOPARK 2:04.104 +3.941 +0.105   21 4 Ramez AZZAM SG DRIVERS PROJECT 2:04.136 +3.973 +0.032   22 2 Pablo MONTILLA EPSILON EUSKADI 1 2:04.201 +4.038 +0.065   23 24 Daniel ZAMPIERI BVM MINARDI TEAM 2:11.834 +11.671 +7.633   24 41 Dean SMITH FORTEC MOTORSPORT   +7.918 +3.880