Day 2 - PORTEIRO SMASHES HIS OWN RECORD IN VALENCIA

The first ever World Series by Renault test in Valencia – with a total of 29 cars on the track – finished yesterday with a new, unofficial lap record for the World Series category. Felix Porteiro set a timed lap of 1.20.352 during the morning, which is 2.6 seconds faster than the previous best timed lap on this circuit, set in a Dallara-Nissan car (Vilariño, 1.22.989).

Epsilon Euskadi’s Team Principal, Joan Villadelprat, was the happiest man in the Paddock when the red light came on at 5 pm. “It’s our first test with both cars and I must admit that it has been a good start. There are a lot of new faces in our team this year and it is important to work together, for us to get to know each other, drivers, technicians and mechanics. With Felix on top and Kubica setting the second fastest lap (ex-aequo with Gommendy) I think that we are in with a good chance of being successful in the forthcoming season.”

Porteiro’s achievement sets him out as the one to watch in the race for the title, but the gap between him and the other drivers, such as his own team-mate Robert Kubica or Tristan Gommendy (KTR), is extremely narrow. With twelve drivers packed into one second and seven different teams featured in the top 10 positions, it’s very difficult to make any predictions at all!

At the moment, 29 drivers from 16 different countries are confirmed to take part in the all-new single-seater series backed by the French car manufacturer. Avelon has still to confirm its second drive, but the arrival of a Brazilian driver in Paul Ricard may close the final entry list at thirty drivers.

Andy Zuber (Carlin Motorsport) finished at the top of the time sheets at the end of the last session, followed by the impressive RDD driver Pastor Maldonado (Dams), and again, Tristan Gommendy, taking his KTR team into a frontrunner position!

In fact, it has been quite an exhausting schedule since the first test of the Formula Renault 3.5 took place in Le Mans. Never ending days for the technical staff and a lot of travelling around Europe. The last test for the 15 entered teams in the World Series by Renault will be at the French circuit of Paul Ricard (19 and 20 April).

Circuito de la CC.VV Ricardo TormoAir Temp: 20˚C - Sunny

Best Registered Laps (All sessions combined)

World Series by Renault F Renault 3.5 12-13 APRIL 2005

Rk N° Rider Team Manufacturer Nat Final Time Gap TL

1 7 PORTEIRO, Félix EPSILON EUSKADI F.RENAULT SPA 1:20.352 0:00.000 1312 8 KUBICA, Robert EPSILON EUSKADI F.RENAULT POL 1:20.669 0:00.317 1503 15 GOMMENDY, Tristan KTR F.RENAULT FRA 1:20.669 0:00.317 964 3 ZUBER, Andreas CARLIN M.S. F.RENAULT AUT 1:20.787 0:00.435 1745 18 WINKELHOCK, Markus DRACO M.R. USA F.RENAULT GER 1:20.934 0:00.582 1096 25 PAVLOVIC, Milos GD RACING F.RENAULT YUG 1:20.951 0:00.599 1357 5 VALLES, Adrián PONS RACING F.RENAULT SPA 1:21.117 0:00.765 1338 21 SALIGNON, Eric CRAM COMP. F.RENAULT FRA 1:21.132 0:00.780 1309 19 MONTANARI,Christian DRACO M.R. USA F.RENAULT RSM 1:21.160 0:00.808 10110 4 POWER, Will CARLIN M.S. F.RENAULT AUS 1:21.253 0:00.901 15511 20 PASINI, Damien CRAM COMP. F.RENAULT ITA 1:21.331 0:00.979 17212 23 MALDONADO, Pastor DAMS F.RENAULT VEN 1:21.344 0:00.992 14013 14 LAGEN, Jaap Van KTR F.RENAULT NED 1:21.447 0:01.095 10614 16 PAGENAUD, Simon SAULNIER R. F.RENAULT FRA 1:21.535 0:01.183 8915 22 DANIELSSON, Alx DAMS F.RENAULT SWE 1:21.559 0:01.207 13916 27 PILET, Patrick JENZER MS F.RENAULT FRA 1:21.578 0:01.226 15317 29 LA ROSA, Daniel INTERWETTEN.COM F.RENAULT GER 1:21.659 0:01.307 12018 28 FLEMING, Colin JENZER MS F.RENAULT USA 1:21.738 0:01.386 13819 32 TEDESCHI, Giovanni RC MOTORSPORT F.RENAULT ITA 1:21.744 0:01.392 17320 17 FUKUDA, Ryo SAULNIER R. F.RENAULT JPN 1:21.842 0:01.490 8121 31 CHANDHOK, Karun RC MOTORSPORT F.RENAULT IND 1:21.857 0:01.505 12622 6 MIGUEZ, Celso PONS RACING F.RENAULT SPA 1:22.059 0:01.707 7823 1 MONDINI, Giorgio EUROINTERNATIONAL F.RENAULT ITA 1:22.096 0:01.744 13624 9 TOCCACELO, Enrico VICTORY ENGIN. F.RENAULT ITA 1:22.186 0:01.834 16325 10 KOSTKA, Tomas VICTORY ENGIN. F.RENAULT CZE 1:22.264 0:01.912 12826 30 PROETTO, Stefano INTERWETTEN.COM F.RENAULT ITA 1:22.265 0:01.913 12527 2 MENEGHELLO, Matteo EUROINTERNATIONAL F.RENAULT ITA 1:22.629 0:02.277 14228 12 BELLAROSA, Iván AVELON FORMULA F.RENAULT ITA 1:23.000 0:02.648 13429 24 SURESHWAREN, Parthiva GD RACING F.RENAULT IND 1:23.970 0:03.618 7430 11 T.B.A. AVELON FORMULA F.RENAULT 1:25.792 0:05.440 11