World Series by Renault - Round 1 - Barcelona

[WSR Fan]

Right, as Practice begins tomorrow I thought I'd get this thread up and running for the weekend.

First of all, here is the weekend schedule:

Saturday 18th April

09:00 - 09:20 - Qualifying (Group A)
09:25 - 09:45 - Qualifying (Group B)
10:45 - 11:00 - Superpole
13:45 - 14:35 - Race 1

Sunday 19th April
13:00 - 13:50 - Race 2

And those all important Eurosport TV times (all on British Eurosport):

Saturday 18th April

12:45 - 13:45 (UK Time) - Race 1 LIVE

Sunday 19th April

12:00 - 13:00 (UK Time) - Race 2 LIVE
22:45 - 23:45 (UK Time) - Highlights

And lastly, a few important links:

Live Timing
Renault-Sport Official site
Weather Forecast

[WSR Fan]

And here is the entry list for the weekend:

1. Brendon Hartley (NZL) - Tech 1 Racing R
2. Charles Pic (FRA) - Tech 1 Racing
3. Greg Mansell (GBR) - USR R
4. Miguel Molina (ESP) - USR
5. James Walker (GBR) - P1 Motorsport
6. Daniil Move (RUS) - P1 Motorsport
7. Omar Leal (COL) - Prema Powerteam R
8. Frankie Provenzano (ITA) - Prema Powerteam R
9. Oliver Turvey (GBR) - Carlin Motorsport R
10. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) - Carlin Motorsport R
11. Bertrand Baguette (BEL) - International DracoRacing
12. Marco Barba (ESP) - International DracoRacing
14. Adrian Zaugg (RSA) - Interwetten.com
15. Mihai Marinescu (ROM) - Interwetten.com R
16. Alexandre Marsoin (FRA) - Comtec Racing
17. Anton Nebylitskiy (RUS) - Comtec Racing R
19. Fairuz Fauzy (MAL) - Mofaz Fortec Motorsport
20. Sten Pentus (EST) - Mofaz Fortec Motorsport
21. Adrian Valles (ESP) - Epsilon Euskadi
22. Chris Van Der Drift (NZL) - Epsilon Euskadi R
23. Marcos Martinez (ESP) - Pons Racing
24. Federico Leo (ITA) - Pons Racing R
25.
26. Pasquale di Sabatino (ITA) - RC Motorsport

R = Series rookie

NOTE: RC Motorsport have entered a single car for the event, and rumours have it that Comtec Racing will also run just a single car (for Anton Nebylitskiy).

[Sev]

Woo. Thanks for starting a thread

Will be interesting to see, there's quite a few who could potentially crack the podium this time: Hartley, Pic, Molina, Walker, Turvey, Alguesuari, Baguette, Barba, Zaugg, Fauzy, Valles and vdDrift all have a good chance in my opinion. That's 12 of the 23 cars, not a bad ratio.

[chunterer]

Good work, thanks for kicking off a thread!

Agreeed, the quality ofm drivers this year has actuall turned out to be equally as strong, or even stronger than ever.

We await qualifying with interest!!

[Alex K]

There is no need to half qualifying session with 22 entries, they should give them all go ahead for 45 minute qual session... more time for setting the cars and doing good time at the end of session.

[sauber11]

First practice
1 - Miguel Molina - Ultimate - 1'33"542 - 11 giri
2 - Jaime Alguersuari - Carlin - 1'34"145 - 19
3 - James Walker - P1 - 1'34"223 - 17
4 - Bertrand Baguette - Draco - 1'34"336 - 23
5 - Daniil Move - P1 - 1'34"466 - 15
6 - Charles Pic - Tech 1 - 1'34"492 - 15
7 - Adrian Valles - Epsilon Euskadi - 1'34"560 - 19
8 - Marco Barba - Draco - 1'34"561 - 17
9 - Oliver Turvey - Carlin - 1'34"616 - 16
10 - Sten Pentus - Fortec - 1'34"852 - 20
11 - Chris Van der Drift - Epsilon Euskadi - 1'34"910 - 18
12 - Marcos Martinez - Pons - 1'34"923 - 20
13 - Pasquale Di Sabatino - RC - 1'35"095 - 23
14 - Fairuz Fauzy - Fortec - 1'35"245 - 16
15 - Greg Mansell - Ultimate - 1'35"266 - 19
16 - Julian Leal - Prema - 1'35"583 - 21
17 - Adrian Zaugg - Interwetten - 1'35"601 - 22
18 - Harald Schlegelmilch - Comtec - 1'35"813 - 22
19 - Federico Leo - Pons - 1'36"033 - 23
20 - Frankie Provenzano - Prema - 1'36"163 - 23
21 - Anton Nebilistkiy - Comtec - 1'36"204 - 21
22 - Mihai Marinescu - Interwetten - 1'36"363 - 21
23 - Brendon Hartley - Tech 1 - 1'36"788 - 20

[sauber11]

Test 2, Barcelona

1. Jaime ALGUERSUARI CARLIN MOTORSPORT ESP 22 laps 1:33.537
2. Brendon HARTLEY TECH 1 RACING NZL 21 laps 1:34.214 +0.677
3. Bertrand BAGUETTE INTERNATIONAL DRACO RACING BEL 19 laps 1:34.221 +0.684
4. Oliver TURVEY CARLIN MOTORSPORT GBR 17 laps 1:34.237 +0.700
5. Adrian ZAUGG INTERWETTEN.COM RACING RSA 21 laps 1:34.268 +0.731
6. Charles PIC TECH 1 RACING FRA 18 laps 1:34.454 +0.917
7. Miguel MOLINA ULTIMATE MOTORSPORT ESP 21 laps 1:34.568 +1.031
8. Chris VAN DER DRIFT EPSILON EUSKADI NZL 16 laps 1:34.612 +1.075
9. Federico LEO PONS RACING ITA 18 laps 1:34.825 +1.288
10. Marco BARBA INTERNATIONAL DRACO RACING ESP 20 laps 1:35.062 +1.525
11. James WALKER P1 MOTORSPORT GBR 19 laps 1:35.366 +1.829
12. Mihai MARINESCU INTERWETTEN.COM RACING ROM 20 laps 1:35.416 +1.879
13. Anton NEBYLITSKIY COMTEC RACING RUS 18 laps 1:35.439 +1.902
14. Adrian VALLES EPSILON EUSKADI ESP 14 laps 1:35.444 +1.907
15. Julian LEAL PREMA POWERTEAM COL 21 laps 1:35.613 +2.076
16. Daniil MOVE P1 MOTORSPORT RUS 17 laps 1:35.627 +2.090
17. Haralds SEGELMILHS COMTEC RACING LET 17 laps 1:35.718 +2.181
18. Fairuz FAUZY MOFAZ FORTEC MOTORSPORT MAL 12 laps 1:35.854 +2.317
19. Sten PENTUS MOFAZ FORTEC MOTORSPORT EST 18 laps 1:36.146 +2.609
20. Greg MANSELL ULTIMATE MOTORSPORT GBR 20 laps 1:36.148 +2.611
21. Frankie PROVENZANO PREMA POWERTEAM ITA 22 laps 1:36.195 +2.658
22. Pasquale DI SABATINO RC MOTORSPORT ITA 26 laps 1:36.642 +3.105
23. Marcos MARTINEZ PONS RACING ESP 13 laps 1:36.848 +3.311

[smtfhw]

Regarding Test 2, I'm getting a case of deja vu here after last year's British F3 battle.

[Martin Haven]

Surprised James Walker and P1 are so low down... Likewise Chris van Der Drift - will this be an 'off' year for Epsilon?

Good to see a few empty seats finally filled, even if just for this weekend...

[runshaw]

Walker isn't that low down, on combined times he is 4th fastest overall. He had gearbox problems in the 2nd session so couldn't improve his time.

[gomick]

I suppose we shouldnt be suprised by the speed of the spanish drivers...

[wannab-aracer]

Originally Posted by gomick

I suppose we shouldnt be suprised by the speed of the spanish drivers...

You would hope Molina knows the circuit pretty well considering he's part of the Catalunya Acadmey.

I've a feeling it could be a very interesting battle between him and Alguersuari.

Live in HD on Eurosport !

[gomick]

Molina impressed last year, had never heard of him before last year & he came out & won races or took pole positions in wsr - my memory is fading

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Walker isn't that low down, on combined times he is 4th fastest overall. He had gearbox problems in the 2nd session so couldn't improve his time.

Thanks for that... are you in Barcelona?

more gearbox problems? Looks like his luck hasn't improved much... but with Roly in charge, he should be a hot favourite...

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by wannab-aracer

Live in HD on Eurosport !

Join me in the 'guess which car is which' lottery...

Live on Eurosport 1 and HD at 12.45 BST

[chunterer]

So what's going down in Qualifiying then?

[wannab-aracer]

Pic on Pole........ Molina set the fastest time for super pole, but demoted to 12th for using Mansell's tyres.

Qually report
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74594

[sauber11]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74594 full report here
http://wsr.gpupdate.net/en/ starting grids here
Super Pole
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Charles Pic Tech 1 Racing 1:32.584 + 0.001
2. James Walker P1 Motorsport 1:32.876 + 0.293
3. Daniel Move P1 Motorsport 1:32.983 + 0.400
4. J.Alguersuari Carlin Motorsport 1:33.106 + 0.523
5. Oliver Turvey Carlin Motorsport 1:33.125 + 0.542
6. B.Baguette International Draco Racing 1:33.256 + 0.673
7. Marcos Martinez Pons Racing 1:33.299 + 0.716
8. Adrian Valles Epsilon Euskadi 1:33.360 + 0.777
9. Fairuz Fauzy Mofaz Fortec Motorsport 1:33.377 + 0.794
10. Marco Barba International Draco Racing 1:33.412 + 0.829
11. C.van der Drift Epsilon Euskadi 1:33.863 + 1.280
12. Miguel Molina Ultimate Motorsport 1:32.583

So far nothing unexpected except Move result. Looks like P1 have best package,if even Walker and Move can drive this fast. Mb Garde having tough time in Gp2 because P1 won his title, not him...

[wannab-aracer]

Pic has binned it on the way to the grid .... oops

[Shaddix]

stream

[Sev]

Ok, can someone explain to me what on earth decided the grid? Walker and Move started near the back, Baguette appeared to be on pole, and Martinez was near the front to - none of which seems to have any relation to the superpole times above.

Or did I just miss a lot of off-the-line overtaking?

[strider]

Originally Posted by Sev

Ok, can someone explain to me what on earth decided the grid? Walker and Move started near the back, Baguette appeared to be on pole, and Martinez was near the front to - none of which seems to have any relation to the superpole times above.

Or did I just miss a lot of off-the-line overtaking?

I share your frustration, Sev.

I think the reason is that they take the fastest 8 qualifiers and then reverse them to set the grid for race 1. All highly logical.

[Shaddix]

reversed grid for race 1
Molina got penalty for using his teammates tyres and Pic crashed the car on the outlap

actual startinggrid of todays race was like this:

01. Adrian Valles (Epsilon Euskadi)
02. Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing)
03. Bertrand Baguette (Draco Racing)
04. Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport)
05. Jaime Alguersuari (Carlin Motorsport)
06. Daniil Move (P1 Motorsport)
07. James Walker (P1 Motorsport)
08. ((((Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing)))))
09. Fairuz Fauzy (Fortec Motorsport)
10. Marco Barba (Draco Racing)
11. Chris van der Drift (Epsilon Euskadi)
12. Miguel Molina (Ultimate Motorsport)
13. Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing)
14. Pasquale di Sabatino (RC Motorsport)
15. Greg Mansell (Ultimate Motorsport)
16. Federico Leo (Pons Racing)
17. Mihai Marinescu (Interwetten Racing)
18. Sten Pentus (Fortec Motorsport)
19. Anton Nebylitskiy (Comtec Racing)
20. Haralds Slegelmilhs (Comtec Racing)
21. Omar Leal (Prema Powerteam)
22. Adrian Zaugg (Interwetten Racing)
23. Frankie Provenzano (Prema Powerteam)

[Sev]

Ah, that makes sense now, thanks

If his performance tomorrow is anything like today, Move is going to be a right mobile chicane. Also, I guess Pic picked the right session to crash his car on the out-lap for :P

Confusing now resolved, I have to be honest - that was a bloody boring race, except for the bit two thirds through where there was a big-old-scrap for 13th position (YAY!).

[bella]

strider is completely correct - saturday's race is the reversed grid, then sundays race is done to the original superpole/qualifying results. it's completely baffling. the superpole thing has worked quite well from a spectator point of view but the reversed grid thing irritates me in any formula they use it in. it negates the whole point of superpole to be honest...