Jean-Eric Vergne won the second Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Championship race last weekend on the Silverstone circuit in Great Britain in front of 135 000 spectators.
Jean-Eric started from pole and controlled the race perfectly keeping his rivals at bay. He never stopped pushing and crossed the line first for the second time in two meetings. The day before, he had also started from pole, but due to chassis balance and fuel pump problems he finally finished third. Vergne was the man on the ball throughout the weekend as he bagged 2 poles and a victory.
Today, he lies third in the Eurocup Championship (59 points) after 4 meetings; His next mission is another faultless weekend at the coming Eurocup round on 18th – 19th July. With 6 races to go till the end of the season, his aim is still the 2009 title.
THE WEEKEND IN 3 QUESTIONS J
ean-Eric, how did your weekend go?
JEV: “It went off almost perfectly. On Friday, though, things got off to a bad start. The car’s handling wasn’t all that good and I had problems getting into the rhythm on the Silverstone circuit. The SG Formula engineers and drivers did a lot of work to try and get the car working well. We took the right decisions and I bagged both poles the next day. The first race was a bit difficult as I finished third. The car was over steering a lot at the entry to the corners and I had difficulties getting the best out of it. In the last three laps I also had a fuel pump problem. I reckon I can count myself lucky to have finished on the podium!”
The race went off better the next day, didn’t it?
JEV: “Yes, but it was very hotly contested as well. I came out of the first corner in the lead and I had to fight to defend my position. My main rival then made a mistake and that helped me control the race more easily. We made a few changes to the setup and the car’s balance was much better.”
The Silverstone results are a big boost to your morale…
JEV: “I’m now in third place in the championship with six races to go. We’ve scored forty-six points in the last four events; it’s better than all the other drivers entered in the Eurocup. So my aim is still to win the title. What’s very reassuring is the way in which the whole team and drivers have worked together this weekend to improve the setups. We all want to continue in the same vein and we’re feeling optimistic for the next round on the Le Mans circuit.”
