RENAULT ENG 03 2014.Qxp 0
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
>n.13 August 2014 Storming Rookies l Chasing de Vries l Dream Tracks l Getting to know: Pietro Fittipaldi l Clio Cup, the final showdown 2 Chasing de Vries There are just two rounds to go before the end of the championship, Mugello and Jerez. Action will be back in September but so far the McLaren junior driver has 70 points more than his closest rival, rookie Charles Leclerc 3 Matevos Isaakyan Imola, Pau, Red Bull Ring, Spa- limited to that as he's probably the top man Francorchamps and Monza. It seems of the field given his long F.Renault 2.0 yesterday when everything got started, but experience as he's at his third year. Putting the Formula Renault ALPS series already him at the top of the list is thus a logical Ilined-up for five of its seven rounds of 2014. choice. Behind him, a fight developed The first part of the season flowed away between several drivers and there hasn't tightly but smoothly before the well-deserved been a clear contender able to recover the break after Monza in June. The summer points that Koiranen Racing driver rarely lost break will be useful for many driver in order along the way. It could have been Matevos to recharge their batteries and line-up again, Isaakyan, but in the Monza round, the and ready to impress, for the closing stint Russian JD Motorsport driver didn't take the scheduled between September and October occasion and leaving way to Charles between Mugello and Jerez de la Frontera. A Leclerc. The young Monaco-based driver, stint that will also deliver the name of the fielded by Fortec Motorsport, is growing up 2014 Champion. The list of possible well and fought for wins after progressively candidates is getting shorter and shorter, improving his experience as he's at his first with a name clearly on top of it: Nyck de season in open-wheel racing, in a process Vries. The Dutch racer was the dominator of that required some time. Now he's second in the early part of the year, scoring all the points, followed by Isaakyan closely. On the points he could and now he's leading the other hand, the latter can recriminate for championship with seventy points more than missing Round 1 due to age limits as he was his closest rival. But his strengths are not still not 16. 4 Drivers Standings 1 – Nyck de Vries 200 2 – Charles Leclerc 130 3 – Matevos Isaakyan 122 4 – George Russell 77 5 – Simon Gachet 68 6 – Alessio Rovera 65 7 – Dario Capitanio 45 8 – Luke Chudleigh 36 9 – Ben Barnicoat 32 10 – Sebastien Morris 31 11 – Alex Bosak 30 12 – Akash Nandy 25 13 – Andrew Tang 24 14 – Philo Paz Patric Armand 23 15 – Denis Korneev 22 16 – Martin Kodric 18 17 – Stefan Riener 15 18 – Hugo De Sadeleer 15 19 – Pietro Fittipaldi 10 20 – Marek Boeckmann 7 21 – Semen Evstigneev 6 22 – Matteo Gonfiantini 5 23 – Dennis Anoschin 2 24 – James Allen 2 Matevos Isaakyan with Leclerc and Rovera at Monza 5 While waiting to understand how the points score who fought with Isaakyan in the first part of the situation will develop, Monza delivered two more race. The JD Motorsport driver kept the lead of the spectacular races. As said, the wins went to charts, but he was soon passed by his opponent, Leclerc who, after a difficult start of the season, gaining ground on each lap and cruising to another continued to grow up as he moved from points win in a weekend that will remain steeped in his finishes to podiums and then victories. He experience. After the tough outcome of Race 1, accomplished what isn't an extremely easy climb Isaakyan was back to the podium although for a driver coming from karts, but it showed that he had to fend off the wild attacks of Rovera and the skills and dedication that everybody pointed out Dario Capitanio, who gave their 100% in an effort for the Monaco-based driver are real. After starting to score second place and fight with each other for in second, the Fortec Motorsport driver took the podium. In the end, it was the advantage of the jump-start of Stefan Riener, who Cram Motorsport driver to end up in thirds as he got a 10-second penalty for the infraction. So brought home the second best points score of the Leclerc, who was in second, only had to control the weekend. For Capitanio, the great fourth place situation, making sure that his gap didn't go over confirms the skills showed so far by the BVM that amount. So this is how his first open-wheel Racing-fielded Roman. In fifth came the surprise of and Formula Renault ALPS win developed. Behind the weekend, Pietro Fittipaldi. him, Alessio Rovera scored his second podium The Brazilian-American youngster, nephew of finish of the season, delivering a clean race and Emerson Fittipaldi, raced well and scored his first keeping recovering de Vries at bay. For Rovera, points in the series. After making his debut driving a Cram Motorsport-prepared car, it's been a at Spa-Francorchamps, he showed what he's good satisfaction and, in the end, he was followed capable of in Italy as he topped for the whole race by team-mate Riener, who recovered well in a de Vries, who suffered from a chronic lack series he only approached at Spa-Francorchamps. of top-end speed. With four races remaining, the de Vries took fourth place in a good comeback fight will be among three drivers. Seventy points are after qualifying brought him only to a spot in row 5. a lot to recover, but it's clear that Leclerc and A DNF came for Matevos Isaakyan, who retired Isaakyan will try to keep the championship alive after a contact with a lapped car.ì until the end. It's almost impossible, but never say The second race confirmed the strength of Leclerc, never in racing. Simon Gachet Alessio Rovera Stefan Riener Luke Chudleigh 6 Danylo Pronenko 7 8 Interview with Charles Leclerc “The ALPS is the perfect way to learn” The Monaco-based rookie, who took two brilliant wins at Monza and who is now second in the championship, tells us more on his season start and future commitments 9 10 Charles Leclerc came from karting and good result at the end of the weekend". For me his help is really important because made his F.Renault ALPS debut. After a he takes care of the things that are not short time to regroup, he cruised to victory Was it difficult to move from karting to driving so I can focus on that Cin ALPS and went consistently on the single seaters? compartment". podium in Eurocup competition. Born and "It's a completely different world. In karting raised in Monaco, he's part of the "young everything is agitated, here your much What do you think of your former driver" camp of Nicolas Todt. A man who more calm. Technically-wise, for example karting colleagues that moved straight brought many talented drivers to success. the braking is something that has nothing to F.3? The 16-year-old racer shared some to do with it and that you have to learn "It's just another road you can choose. thoughts about his experiences, again. But more than that it's the Everybody can do what they want, but we expectations and motivations. environment. You need to have an open decided to follow the Renault path because mind and listen to the engineers. On a kart it's the best one. The level is high and you you rely on the feeling, while here you have can learn how to drive in extreme How the season is going? Are you a lot more telemetry, and if you listen what competition, more than in Formula 3. In satisfied? is told to you, you learn tons of things. Sure Eurocup we're all in 3 or 4 tenths and every "At the moment, it's going really well. Im it's difficult having to change what you rival can be quick soon. And for that second in the ALPS championship and learned so far". reason, who wins proves his talent". we're improving race-by race. In the Eurocup, in the first round I entered at Spa- And for the close-quarter battles, does You live in Monaco. What do you like Francorchamps I didn't know the track and karting help? about it? it hasn't been easy to navigate the pack, "It's different, also in that compartment. In "I love it. There is always good weather, the while at the Nurburgring, a track that I kart racing there's no time to think. You sea, great chances to train in open air. I already knew, it's been better and the have to act quickly and based on instinct. don't like to be shut in a gym. It's boring. results came with a podium finish. Although That's why there are more contacts and And Monte Carlo is the ideal solution". I have to say that the level is quite high". crazy moves. In a car you have more time, and usually the drivers act in a 'smarter' When did you start thinking about a What's the main difference between way". professional career? Where do you ALPS and Eurocup for a driver? see yourself in the future? "The difference is the competition at the How the relationship with Nicolas Todt Up to 2009 it was all about having fun, but top.