J.D. Motorsport's Chris van der Drift claimed his second win of the weekend yesterday in Valencia, Spain, despite pre-race rain and an eighth-place starting position. The 22-year-old now leads the Drivers Classification by nine points.
Having won yesterday's race, Van der Drift began the race from the fourth row due to the reverse grid regulations. After starting round two behind the safety car, deployed due to rain just before the race, the J.D. Motorsport driver made up four places in two laps before working his way through the rest of the field and eventually taking the win.
Trident Racing's Harald Schlegelmilch began today's race from pole position but a mistake on his first lap allowed second-placed man Filip Salaquarda, driving for ISR, to take the lead. Schlegelmilch eventually claimed his place back before succumbing to Van der Drift's relentless place and finished second in the race; still taking the best Rookie result.
Third place finisher Fabio Leimer survived several close battles throughout the race to take his first podium of the year. The Jenzer Motorsport driver was involved in a third-way fight with Cram Competition's Pablo Sanchez Lopez and Van der Drift before eventually passing Sanchez Lopez and Salaquarda for third place.
Russian Sergey Afanasiev climbed from 12th to a fifth place finish for J.D. Motorsport with Iris Project's Michael Ammermüller finishing in sixth place. Japanese Yuhi Sekiguchi claimed seventh place for Euronova Racing despite a spin on lap five, which saw him relegated to 11th place from sixth.
Trident Racing's Alejandro Núñez claimed the last point-finishing place in eighth, having started the race in 11th. The Spaniard was promoted to his finishing position following an incident between ISR's Tim Sandtler and Pro Motorsport's Marcello Puglisi put both drivers out of the race.
Team-mates Chris van der Drift and Sergey Afanasiev proved the best pairing of the field for J.D. Motorsport once again thanks to Van der Drift's win and Afanasiev's fifth place.
Chris van der Drift, J.D. Motorsport
"I knew today would be hard to win; from eighth place, there was a lot of work to do. It rained just before the race so the track was very slippery, which made it even more of a challenge but we did it!
"There was quite a few risky passes; first with Sanchez Lopez and Leimer, then with Salaquarda. With Salaquarda we both used the grass a bit, as he went wide, but I got the position by the next corner.
"The next round, Pau, was good for me last year; I won a race and we want to keep this weekend's momentum. Winning is obviously the goal but you have to take each race as it comes so we'll see."
Harald Schlegelmilch, Trident Racing
"This is my first race weekend in Formula Master and I've got a very good first impression. We have a good car, good series and I like it.
"For today's race, in the beginning I made a mistake, which allowed Salaquarda through. I was taking it easy at the beginning but as the race went on I got quicker and was able to take my place back.
"After that, I knew through the radio that the fast guy was coming through! I defended my place but fair play to Chris; he was the faster driver today."
Fabio Leimer, Jenzer Motorsport
"The beginning of the race was very difficult as the track was slippery. Overtaking wasn't easy either but as the track dried I was able to go faster and move up through the field.
"It's a good first weekend but we know we can do better!"
Formula Master - Valencia
Round two provisional result
1. Chris van der Drift (NED), JD Motorsport (#6)
2. Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT), Trident Racing (#31)
3. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#23)
4. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5)
5. Michael Ammermüller (GER), Iris Project (#27)
6. Alberto Costa (ITA), Cram Competition (#3)
7. Yuhi Sekiguchi (JAP), Euronova Racing (#45)
8. Alejandro Núñez (ESP), Trident Racing (#33)
9. Josef Kral (CZH), Team JVA (#29)
10. Michele Caliendo (ITA), ADM Motorsport (#22)
11. Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BUL), JD Motorsport (#4)
12. Arturo Llobell (ESP), Cram Competition (#1)
13. Michael Meadows (GBR), Euronova Racing (#15)
14. Fabrizio Crestani (ITA), Euronova Racing (#14)
15. Daniel Mancinelli (ITA), Euronova Racing (#46)
16. Frankie Provenzano (ITA), ADM Motorsport (#21)
17. Pablo Sanchez Lopez (MEX), Cram Competition (#2)
18. Carlos Iaconelli (BRA), Pro Motorsport (#10)
19. Matei Mihaescu (ROM), Jenzer Motorsport (#24)
20. Octavio Freitas (BRA), ADM Motorsport (#16)
Not classified
Tim Sandtler (GER), ISR (#19)
Marcello Puglisi (ITA), Pro Motorsport (#9)
Tor Graves (GBR), Team JVA (#30)
Filip Salaquarda (CZH), ISR (#18)
Luca Persiani (ITA), Scuderia Famà (#25)
Dominik Schraml (GER), Scuderia Famà (#26)
Norbert Siedler (AUT), ADM Motorsport (#17)
Kasper Andersen (DEN), Trident Racing (#32)
F.Master driver classification - top eight
1. Chris van der Drift (NED), JD Motorsport (#6), 20 points
2. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#23), 11 points
3. Michael Ammermüller (GER), Iris Project (#27), 10 points
4. Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT), Trident Racing (#31), 9 points
5. Kasper Andersen (DEN), Trident Racing (#32), 8 points
6. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5), 5 points
7. Arturo Llobell (ESP), Cram Competition (#1), 4 points
8. Filip Salaquarda (CZH), ISR (#18), 3 points
F.Master team classification - top seven
1. J.D. Motorsport, 25 points
2. Trident Racing, 18 points
3. Jenzer Motorsport, 11 points
4. Iris Project, 10 points
5. Cram Competition, 9 points
6. ISR, 3 points
7. Euronova Racing, 2 points
F.Master rookie classification - top eight
1. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#23), 16 points
2. Michael Ammermüller (GER), Iris Project (#27), 15 points
3. Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT), Trident Racing (#31), 15 points
4. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5), 8 points
5. Yuhi Sekiguchi (JAP), Euronova Racing (#45), 8 points
6. Filip Salaquarda (CZH), ISR (#18), 6 points
7. Alejandro Núñez (ESP), Trident Racing (#33), 6 points
8. Josef Kral (CZH), Team JVA (#29), 2 points
F.Master team-mate classification - top eight
1. Chris van der Drift & Sergey Afanasiev, J.D. Motorsport, 129 points
2. Alejandro Núñez & Harald Schlegelmilch, Trident Racing, 101 points
3. Vladimir Arabadzhiev & Chris van der Drift, J.D. Motorsport, 100 points
4. Alberto Costa & Arturo Llobell, Cram Competition, 95 points
5. Kasper Andersen & Harald Schlegelmilch, Trident Racing, 93 points
6. Alberto Costa & Pablo Sanchez Lopez, Cram Competition, 86 points
7. Arturo Llobell & Pablo Sanchez Lopez, Cram Competition, 85 points
8. Fabio Leimer & Matei Mihaescu, Jenzer Motorsport, 84 points
Lap-by-lap analysis
Lap 1: race started under safety car conditions
Lap 2: safety car in at the end of the lap
Lap 3: Andersen spins at Turn 2 and rejoins the race / Graves spins and rejoins / Salaquarda passes Schlegelmilch for the lead
Lap 4: Llobell spins and rejoins / Van der Drift passes Leimer for fifth / Andersen spins into the gravel - retired / Sekiguchi outbreaks Ammermüller for sixth
Lap 5: Sekiguchi spins on track and moves down to 11th from sixth place
Lap 6: Siedler spins into the gravel at Turn 8 whilst trying to pass Núñez - retired /
Lap 10: Sanchez Lopez under pressure from Van der Drift
Lap 11: Van der Drift passes Sanchez Lopez for third place
Lap 13: Schlegelmilch passes Salaquarda for the lead at Turn 1 / Leimer passes Sanchez Lopez for fourth place
Lap 14: Close fight between Afanasiev, Ammermüller, Costa and Sanchez Lopez / Contact between Ammermüller and Sanchez Lopez, which allows Afanasiev through to fifth place
Lap 15: Van der Drift passes Salaquarda for second place
Lap 17: Caliendo spins at Turn 2 and rejoins
Lap 18: Leimer passes Salaquarda for third at Turn 1 / Sandtler under pressure from Puglisi for eighth place
Lap 19: Salaquarda spins into gravel at Turn 12 - retired
Lap 21: Van der Drift passes Schlegelmilch for the lead
Lap 22: Contact between Sandtler and Puglisi sends both drivers into spin at Turn 5 - both retired
Lap 25: Crestani and Mancinelli both spin at Turn 4
Chequered flag: 14:51
