Collective testing – Valencia
The first collective test sessions of the 2008 season in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 were held on the Valencia track on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 February. Two studious days during which the Eurocup youngsters could measure up to one another for the first time this year. Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula) impressed most, taking the best time.
The tone for the 2008 season was set from the outset on Monday. After an initial warm-up session held on a wet track, following heavy rain from the previous night, the action really heated up in the afternoon. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who already had four Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 starts to his name, managed to come out on top, setting the time to beat at 1'32''656. Valtteri Bottas (Motopark Academy), third in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, was second quickest, just ahead of Mathieu Arzeno (Epsilon Sport), runner up in the 2007 French Formula Renault 2.0 championship. The Spaniard Albert Costa (Epsilon Euskadi 2) and Polish driver Kuba Giermaziak (Motorsport Arena) rounded off the top 5.
On Tuesday morning, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas continued to fight it out for top spot. Bottas took the session's best time with a 1''32'781, but he fell just shy – by a mere 12 thousandths – of Ricciardo's overall best time, set on Monday. Behind these two, new faces were challenging for the top positions as the Brazilian César Ramos (BVM Minardi Team) took the third best time, in front of Dean Smith (Fortec Motorsport) and Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Eukadi 2).
Daniel Ricciardo proved himself once again to be the man in form in the test's final session held on a very hot track, during which the lap times changed very little. The Australian can be satisfied with two days of solid practice, and leaves Valencia having made a strong impression with his turn of speed and consistency. Valtteri Bottas ended the two days in second spot, having also demonstrated a level of consistency that augurs well for the rest of the season.
These two were followed by César Ramos, Dean Smith and Roberto Merhi, with little to choose between them. With thirteen drivers separated by less than a second, this season looks like it will be very open once again and the pecking order is far from decided. All the teams took the two days of testing very seriously, so that they can gradually improve performance ahead of the season's opening weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in May.
The next collective test sessions will be held in Barcelona on March 26-27.
Pos. Pilote Nationalité Team Temps Ecart
1 RICCIARDO,Daniel AUT SG FORMULA 1:32.656 0:00.000 2 BOTTAS,Valtteri FIN MOTOPARK ACADEMY 1:32.781 0:00.125 3 RAMOS,César BRA BVM MINARDI TEAM 1:33.341 0:00.685 4 SMITH,Dean GBR FORTEC MOTORSPORT 1:33.353 0:00.697 5 MERHI,Roberto SPA EPSILON EUSKADI 2 1:33.357 0:00.701 6 GIERMAZIAK,Kuba POL MOTORSPORT ARENA 1:33.449 0:00.793 7 COSTA,Albert SPA EPSILON EUSKADI 2 1:33.454 0:00.798 8 CALDARELLI,Andrea ITA SG FORMULA 1:33.495 0:00.839 9 JULIA,Miquel SPA EPSILON EUSKADI 2 1:33.513 0:00.857 10 ARZENO,Mathieu FRA EPSILON SPORT 1:33.580 0:00.924 11 VERGNE,Jean Eric FRA SG DRIVERS PROJECT 1:33.609 0:00.953 12 HEGEWALD,Tobias GER MOTOPARK ACADEMY 1:33.640 0:00.984 13 VAUTIER,Tristan FRA EPSILON SPORT 1:33.651 0:00.995 14 QUAIFE,Adrian GBR BVM MINARDI TEAM 1:33.695 0:01.039 15 ACOSTA,Himar SPA IQUICK 1:33.752 0:01.096 16 BACHETA,Luciano ITA HITECH JUNIOR T. 1:33.761 0:01.105 17 CUNILL,Siso SPA JENZER MOTORSPORT 1:33.765 0:01.109 18 SINGLETON,Richard GBR HITECH JUNIOR T. 1:33.770 0:01.114 19 MONTILLA,Pablo SPA EPSILON EUSKADI 1 1:33.881 0:01.225 20 RICHELMI,Stephane MON EPSILON SPORT 1:33.935 0:01.279 21 NEBILITSKYI,Anton RUS SG DRIVERS PROJECT 1:33.942 0:01.286 22 GARCIA,Juan Pablo MEX MOTORSPORT ARENA 1:33.944 0:01.288 23 VARHAUG,Pal NOR JENZER MOTORSPORT 1:33.952 0:01.296 24 FACCIN,Michele ITA JENZER MOTORSPORT 1:33.979 0:01.323 25 ZAMPIERI,Daniel ITA BVM MINARDI TEAM 1:34.063 0:01.407 26 MONRAS,Miki SPA HITECH JUNIOR T. 1:34.082 0:01.426 27 MUÑOZ,Carlos COL PREMA POWERTEAM 1:34.104 0:01.448 28 DIAS,Gabriel BRA FORTEC MOTORSPORT 1:34.109 0:01.453 29 LUKES,Nelson FRA SG FORMULA 1:34.131 0:01.475 30 BERTHON,Nathanaël FRA BOUTSEN ENERGY R. 1:34.146 0:01.490 31 CAMPOLLO,Richard DOM EPSILON EUSKADI 1 1:34.210 0:01.554 32 AZZAM,Ramez CAN SG DRIVERS PROJECT 1:34.232 0:01.576 33 ROSENZWEIG,Jake GER EPSILON EUSKADI 1 1:34.387 0:01.731 34 MCKENZIE,Daniel GBR FORTEC MOTORSPORT 1:34.437 0:01.781 35 OTEGI,Mikel SPA IQUICK 1:34.572 0:01.916 36 KOUT,Adam CZE KRENEK MOTORSPORT 1:34.670 0:02.014 37 REITERER,Patrick ITA PREMA POWERTEAM 1:34.673 0:02.017 38 JACOBO,Juan COL HITECH JUNIOR T. 1:34.694 0:02.038 39 VASILIAUSKA,Kazimieras LTU PREMA POWERTEAM 1:34.812 0:02.156 40 CONCHADO,Marcelo SPA IQUICK 1:35.511 0:02.855 41 MARROC,Nicolas FRA TCS RACING 1:35.806 0:03.150 42 BUTORAC,Dino CRO RB RACING TEAM 1:40.480 0:07.824
