Photo: Renault Sport / DPPI
Lorenzo Colombo secured his first Formula Renault Eurocup win of the year in the opening Paul Ricard race, enjoying an untroubled run to the chequered flag.
The Italian, starting on pole, made a better start than Oscar Piastri, but didn’t get to enjoy a lead until a rapid getaway after an early safety car restart. He won by 4.945 seconds.
R-ace GP driver Piastri finished second, holding off late pressure from Colombo’s MP Motorsport team-mate Victor Martins.
With the second R-ace GP car of Alexander Smolyar in fourth, Piastri is now the closest to leader Martins in the standings. The team’s third car, driven by Caio Collet, finished a distant fifth.
Having lost several places after running wide at the first corner on the opening lap, Kush Maini recovered to sixth for M2 Competition after a drive back up the field which featured a textbook late-braking manoeuvre on Ugo De Wilde, who ended the race one spot behind.
Eighth went the way of de Wilde’s JD Motorsport team-mate Joao Vieira, with Arden duo Sebastian Fernandez and Frank Bird completing the points. This was despite FA Racing by Drivex’s Callan O?Keeffe pressuring Bird throughout.
The only safety car of the race came from a first corner collision between Amaury Cordeel and Petr Ptacek which put the pair out on the spot ? the latter sporting a broken rear-wing and front-left wheel.
Race results
| Pos | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorenzo Colombo | MP Motorsport | 15 laps |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | R-ace FP | +4.945s |
| 3 | Victor Martins | MP Motorsport | +5.621s |
| 4 | Alexander Smolyar | R-ace GP | +9.122s |
| 5 | Caio Collet | R-ace GP | +11.692s |
| 6 | Kush Maini | M2 Competition | +12.721s |
| 7 | Ugo de Wilde | JD Motorsport | +19.864s |
| 8 | Joao Vieira | JD Motorsport | +21.593s |
| 9 | Sebastian Fernandez | Arden | +22.407s |
| 10 | Frank Bird | Arden | +24.937s |
| 11 | Callan O’Keeffe | FA Racing by Drivex | +26.012s |
| 12 | Xavier Lloveras | Global Racing Service | +39.071s |
| 13 | Federico Malvestiti | Bhaitech | +42.880s |
| 14 | Brad Benavides | FA Racing by Drivex | +43.520s |
| 15 | Patrick Schott | FA Racing by Drivex | +1m02.293s |
| 16 | Leonardo Lorandi | JD Motorsport | +1 lap |
| 17 | Lucas Alecco Roy | M2 Competition | +3 laps |
| Ret | Patrik Pasma | Arden | |
| Ret | Alessio Deledda | Global Racing Service | |
| Ret | Amaury Cordeel | MP Motorsport | |
| Ret | Petr Ptacek | Bhaitech | |
| Fastest lap: Colombo, 1m59.516s
Championship Standings |
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