Dennis Olsen raced to his best Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup (NEC) result of the 2015 season at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday, 24th May, with an excellent drive to second place in round four of the campaign for Manor MP Motorsport.
On the same weekend the sister squad celebrated podium success in Monte-Carlo with Sergio Canamasas finishing third in round five of the GP2 season, the Formula Renault arm of the Anglo-Dutch team also enjoyed podium success with a highly competitive outing at Silverstone.
Added to fourth place in round three on Saturday, 23rd May, Olsen’s runner-up finish in round four elevated the Norwegian youngster into the championship top three and also helped Manor MP move up into third in the team standings.
Italian team-mate Ignazio D’Agosto, who started the NEC season superbly on home ground at Monza last month with a podium, took a best of seventh at Silverstone’s Grand Prix Circuit in race one. With more points for 13th place in the second contest, D’Agosto is now up to fifth in the standings.
“It’s really been a great weekend for the whole team, taking podiums at Silverstone and Monaco is fantastic and a big reward for everyone’s hard work”, said Manor MP’s Sander Dorsman, “Dennis did a great job in race two, it’s been a strong start to the year for him and to end the weekend in the championship top three is exactly where we need to be at this stage.
“Ignazio was a bit unlucky in race two but overall it’s been a strong event for him, he’s scored well again and is now fifth in the championship so everything is going in the right direction. So far so good for us this season!”
Beginning Saturday’s race from fifth on the grid, Olsen held position off the start and then set about challenging for fourth place. Looking set to pounce at Brooklands, he was squeezed into Luffield but still managed to gain the place from Darius Oskoui with some great driving. Running within just 0.7 seconds of the podium into lap three, Olsen pushed on but remained fourth to the chequered flag.
D’Agosto, from ninth on the grid, moved into the top eight on lap one and immediately started to pressurise Kevin Jorg for seventh. Swarming all over the back of the Swiss racer’s car on lap three, D’Agosto brilliantly took the position and instantly pulled clear. Although Jorg closed back in late on, the Manor MP driver kept him at bay.
Round four on Sunday morning was interrupted by a lengthy Safety Car period which resulted in only about half of the race distance being completed at full racing speed. Starting in third position, Olsen made a terrific launch and tried to challenge for second into Maggotts before the race fell under the cautionary period. D’Agosto, meanwhile, climbed from 11th place into the top 10.
When the action finally resumed on lap five, with less than 12 minutes remaining on the clock, Olsen was glued to the back of Jorg’s second placed FR 2.0 and after a good run out of Chapel and onto the long Hangar Straight, he produced a terrific pass into Stowe to grab the place. Despite pressure from Jorg during the remaining five laps, Olsen wasn’t flustered and deservingly claimed a great podium.
While team-mate D’Agosto initially made good progress after the re-start, moving into ninth place at Stowe, the Italian was nudged back to 10th on lap seven but a lap later he was shuffled back several places after being initially challenged into Abbey. Meaning the Manor MP car was on the wrong line for the Loop, D’Agosto was edged back to 13th place which is where he stayed to the finish.
Manor MP Motorsport will return to action in the flagship Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 category next weekend, 30th/31st May, at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Provisional Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Driver Standings (after Rd4): 3rd Dennis Olsen, 70pts; 5th Ignazio D’Agosto, 46pts; 16th Lasse Sorensen, 23pts
Provisional Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Team Standings (after Rd4): 3rd Manor MP Motorsport, 80pts
