Jean-Eric Vergne won the first of the two rounds of the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup on the Hungaroring in Budapest (Hungary) last weekend.
On Saturday, Jean-Eric stared from second place on the grid and made an excellent getaway. He drove an attacking race and saw the chequered flag in first place with 10 seconds advantage putting his 2009 title chase back on course. In the second event, he started from eighth spot and finished the first lap in sixteenth place after he had been slowed by a collision in front of him on the first lap. On a circuit on which overtaking is difficult, the Frenchman put on a scintillating display, and saw the flag in eighth place scoring some more precious points.
Vergne is currently lying 6th in the Eurocup Championship (31 pts) after three meetings. His aim is to close the gap to the leader at Silverstone, which is hosting the next Eurocup round on 4t h – 5th July.
THE WEEKEND IN THREE QUESTIONS
Jean-Eric, hiow did your weekend go? J
EV: “Better than the first two in Barcelona and at Spa-Francorchamps! I was finally able to show our level of performance in this championship. The first race went off perfectly as I won it after starting from the front row and making an excellent getaway. The car was competitive, well balanced and it helped me make the difference.
Was it more difficult the next day, to fight your way up through the field?
JEV: “The second race got off to a bad start. To begin with I was in eighth place on the grid. Then on the first lap, I had to go wide to avoid an out-of-control car and my off-track excursion cost me a lot of time. I rejoined in sixteenth place and I decided to keep pushing; it was the right choice. Budapest isn’t an easy circuit on which to overtake, but I managed to pick off my rivals one-by-one. When the track was clear in front of me I was a second quicker than the leaders. I finished eighth and I scored a few additional points, so I limited the damage. But I reckon I’d have finished much higher up if I’d been able to stay in the top ten at the start of the race.”
What are your aims for the rest of the championship? J
EV: “It was very important to close the gap in Budapest, and also to show that I’m a potential championship contender after a rather unsuccessful period. The Eurocup Championship is very important and I intend to make my mark. My Budapest victory has a special significance. It gives the team’s morale a fresh boost after a few difficult races and it bodes well for more podium finishes – that’s for sure!”
