Photo: ACI Sport
US Racing’s Gabriel Gomez and PHM Racing’s Reno Francot won the first two races of the E4 season at Paul Ricard last weekend.
Prema’s Kean Nakamura Berta lined up for the season-opening race on pole. but a fast-starting Gomez was able to clear Nakamura’s team-mate Sebastian Wheldon off the line and then go around the outside of the poleman at turn one in an expertly judged move.
Kabir Anurag (US) overtook Sasha Bondarev (Prema) for fourth, and behind them were Francot, Enea Frey (Jenzer Motorsport), Alex Powell (R-ace GP) and Maximilian Popov (Van Amersfoort Racing).
There was a fight between US’s Andrija Kostic and Prema’s Newman Chi over 10th at Signes on lap two, and at turn one on lap three Frey hit the kerbs then got loose and into the path of Powell. It both out, and Popov fell to the back as he avoided them. Kostic now held seventh, and Prema’s Salim Hanna Hernandez was up to 14th from 27th on the grid.
Francot attacked Bondarev at multiple corners through lap six, and got past a few laps later.
A battle near the front finally emerged on lap 13, as Nakamura defended against Wheldon down the Mistral Straight. Wheldon attacked him at Beausset on lap 14, as Gomez remained unchallenged and finished the 16-lapper 0.837 seconds ahead. Hanna made a few more overtakes to come home 10th.
Nakamura and Francot shared race two’s front row, but Gomez made the best start to take second on the inside before turn one. Frey cut two chicanes while battling Powell for ninth on lap one, but did not crash this time as they went wheel-to-wheel.
There was a gap of around a second between the top two for the first four laps, then Gomez began closing in. Nakamura had to weave down the Mistral on lap seven and then went deep into its chicane, allowing Gomez to get alongside on the run to Signes. There was no lead change, and Nakamura had to get defensive again on lap eighth.
A failed overtake by Gomez at Signes allowed Francot to take a tighter line and go past him at Beausset, with Wheldon also trying to overtake Gomez at the final corner.
Francot pounced on Nakamura two laps later, getting alongside at Beausset and taking the lead into Bendor. He then began to pull away, and won by 4.1s.
Gomez attacked Nakamura at Signes again on lap 12, with Anurag pressuring Popov for sixth. Nakamura went off at both chicanes on lap 14 and Gomez took second on the inside of Signes before switching to defence, while Anurag finally got his move done lap 15 as both cleared Bondarev.
Powell, who had to fight past Chi early on and was followed through by Frey before race control sent Chi to the pits, also overtook Bondarev on the penultimate lap. This time Hanna recovered from 20th to 13th.
Results round-up
Race 1 (16 laps)
1 Gabriel Gomez US Racing 34m06.761s
2 Kean Nakamura Berta Prema +0.837s
3 Sebastian Wheldon Prema +1.749s
4 Kabir Anurag US Racing +6.814s
5 Reno Francot PHM Racing +7.976s
6 Sasha Bondarev Prema +11.912s
7 Andrija Kostic US Racing +12.169s
8 Newman Chi Prema +15.009s
9 Alexander Ruta Van Amersfoort Racing +15.529s
10 Salim Hanna Hernandez Prema +17.978s
Fastest lap: Wheldon, 2m07.133s
Race 2 (16 laps)
1 Francot 34m10.048s
2 Gomez +4.125s
3 Nakamura +4.898s
4 Wheldon +5.513s
5 Anurag +7.947s
6 Maximilian Popov Van Amersfoort Racing +8.492s
7 Alex Powell R-ace GP +8.783s
8 Bondarev +9.538s
9 Enea Frey Jenzer Motorsport +10.243s
10 Bart Harrison Jenzer Motorsport +18.553s
FL: Francot, 2m07.156s
Championship standings
1 Gomez 43 2 Francot 35 3 Nakamura 33 4 Wheldon 27 5 Anurag 22 6 Bondarev 12 7 Popov 8 8 Powell 6 9 Kostic 6 10 Chi 4