The Formula Renault Eurocup arrives at Silverstone

After a successful first meeting for Formula Renault FR-19, the competitors entered in the Formula Renault Eurocup are now tackling another motorsport monument: Silverstone (May 10-12). The young hopefuls will try to confirm or reverse the first trends on one of the fastest circuits on the calendar.

Theater of the first Grand Prix of the World Championship F1 in 1950 and Renault's debut in the premier discipline in 1977, Silverstone is a true justice of the peace with its high-speed sequences requiring total commitment.

On this track having hosted some of the most beautiful duels in the history of Formula Renault, the drivers and teams will once again benefit from a day of testing on Thursday to continue, refine and perfect their learning of the new car. For the occasion, the Formula Renault FR-19s will display BRM watches on their side fins, all personalized according to the liveries and colors of each team.

Quinté in order?

If all the competitors can claim to seize the reins of the general classification before the meeting in Monaco, five contenders have already taken a step ahead last month.

Victor Martins (MP Motorsport) arrives as leader at Silverstone. Fourth then second in Italy, the member of the Renault Sport Academy demonstrated his consistency, but he is now keen to win in order to widen the gap on his pursuers as quickly as possible.

Made up of four drivers standing at two points, the chasing group is led by Leonardo Lorandi (JD Motorsport). Also regular at Monza, the Italian rookie is one unit ahead of the first two winners of the season, Alexander Smolyar (R-ace GP) and Ugo de Wilde (JD Motorsport), as well as Kush Maini (M2 Competition).

If Leonardo Lorandi and Ugo de Wilde are preparing to discover a new circuit, both can count on their adaptability to counter the experience of their three rivals... And especially that of Kush Maini, the only member of the "Club of five » to have already popped the champagne at Silverstone!

Potential to exploit

After having confirmed all his talent in the qualifying exercise at Monza, Lorenzo Colombo (MP Motorsport) hopes to convert his burst of speed into a first victory in the Formula Renault Eurocup. It is also the aim ofOscar piastri (R-ace GP), author of a mixed first weekend after being the strong man in winter testing. Both will be all the more formidable as they finished a breath away from the podium last year at Silverstone.

Faithful to the appointment, the British public is counting on Frank Bird (Arden Motorsport) to extend the series of successes at home initiated by Jack Aitken and continued by Will Palmer and Max Fewtrell. On home soil, Arden Motorsport can also aim big with Patrik Pasma (Arden Motorsport), the Finnish rookie who has raced at Silverstone for the last three years.
Very offensive in the race for their debut, the rookies Federico Malvestiti (Bhaitech Racing), João Vieira (JD Motorsport) and Caio Collet (R-ace GP) have already opened their respective counters. Their goal is to do it again at Silverstone, but they will surely find Yves Baltas (M2 Competition), Petr Ptáček (Bhaitech Racing) and Amaury Cordeel (MP Motorsport) on their way.

Learning in progress

Returning empty-handed from Monza, Callan O'Keeffe (FA Racing by Drivex) wants to rely on his knowledge of the British track to score his first points of the season, but also the first for his team in the Formula Renault Eurocup. Still in the learning phase, his teammates Brad Benavides and Patrick Schott are aiming for the same result to reward the efforts of the Spanish structure headed by Fernando Alonso.

After having lacked success in Italy, Xavier Lloveras (Global Racing Service) will seek to bounce back to quickly find a rank more in line with his expectations and ambitions. Like his opponents, however, the Spaniard was able to see in Monza that the slightest error could prove costly in an extremely dense and competitive peloton!
Scheduled for Saturday at 13:30 p.m. and Sunday at 13:35 p.m., the two Formula Renault Eurocup races will be broadcast on the Renault Sport Series Facebook page as well as on the Renault Sport YouTube channel.

In short

    • 2 rookies won the first Hankook Trophies put into play: Ugo de Wilde and Kush Maini. Leonardo Lorandi is, however, the highest ranked debutant in the general classification.
    • 3 Britons have won during the last three visits of the Formula Renault Eurocup to Silverstone: Jack Aitken (2015), Will Palmer (2017) and Max Fewtrell (2018).
    • 4 men managed to get into the points in the first two races: Victor Martins, Leonardo Lorandi, Kush Maini and Sebastián Fernández.
    • 16 drivers have already opened their account in 2019.
    • 182,9 km/h average for Christian Lundgaard's pole last year. A figure only beaten at Monza.

Program

Friday, May 10th, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. Group tests 1
14:00 a.m. – 14:50 a.m. Group tests 2
Saturday 11 May 2019
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Qualifications 1
13:30 p.m. – 14:05 p.m. Race 1
Sunday, May 12, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Qualifications 2
13:35 p.m. – 14:10 p.m. Race 2