04/07/08 - Hungaroring – Collective testing day 2 - FORMULA RENAULT 2.0
After a wet start to the morning, the track dried with each passing lap. As a result, the two groups of Formula Renault 2.0 drivers did not enjoy the same track conditions. In any case, Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula) and Valtteri Bottas (Motopark Academy) continued their current domination, clocking the fastest times in their respective groups.
Rain during the night had left the track wet for the first session. For the second day of testing, the forty-one cars were divided into two groups. The drivers in group two were the first to go out, and did so sporting wet-tread tyres.
Albert Costa (Epsilon Euskadi), then Adrian Quaife-Hobbes (BVM Minardi Team) took control at the beginning of the session. As the track dried, the drivers re-entered the pits to put on slicks. Before long, Valtteri Bottas had the upper hand over his opponents. The Finn took the lead and, lap on lap, improved his provisional fastest time. He finished the session in top spot, ahead of Richard Singleton (Hitech Junior Team) and Daniel McKenzie (Fortec Motorsport) with a lap of 1'54''415.
The track had dried out further by the time group 1 took their turn. It was no surprise to see Daniel Ricciardo, Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Euskadi) and Paul Meijer (Epsilon Sport) fighting for first position as track conditions continued to improve. Firmly in the lead, Ricciardo ended up with a fastest lap of 1'45''244, within a second of his best time of the previous day. Miki Monras (Hitech Junior Team) climbed into second position.
The track had dried completely by the start of the second session. Valtteri Bottas, Albert Costa and Daniel Zampieri (BVM Minardi Team) were the first to set times sub 1'45''. Bottas just managed to hold onto his lead when on the last lap, Costa came within seventeen thousandths of the Finn. Sergio Campana (Prema Powerteam) grabbed third position just before the chequered flag.
By the time group one took to the track for the final session of the morning, conditions were perfect. Shortly before the end of the session, Tobias Hegewald (Motopark Academy) was leading. Then Daniel Ricciardo went on the offensive. With a lap of just 1'43''852, the Australian set a new record. Team-mate Andrea Caldarelli was second, just ahead of Roberto Merhi.
Andrea Caldarelli: «As always during the first day, we tried various set-ups on the SG Formula cars. Today, we've all got the same basic set-up. My car is more competitive. I think I could still gain a couple of tenths. I will need to put in a perfect lap in qualifying and then in the SuperPole. That's an interesting challenge.»
Albert Costa: «I'm very happy. Usually, you set the fastest time on the second or third lap with new tyres. I did it right at the end of the session, after five or six laps. We're much more competitive than at Silverstone, our car is quick and consistent. It's the first time I've driven here, but I'm confident and above all, very motivated for the SuperPole.»
Pal Varhaug: «I drove here two months ago in Italian Formula Renault 2.0 and I won both races. I hope things go just as well this time round! The car is good, we're up there with the leaders and we mean business.»
- Blanca de Foronda -
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