Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Paul Ricard, Race 2
The 2013 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season had a lot going for it ? a mighty roster of drivers, a spectacular edge-of-your-seat title fight and quality racing in an accessible, distilled format. Out of the seven rounds, there was a lot to remember ? but not many events came close to reaching the entertainment produced by the second race of the penultimate round at Paul Ricard.
With the conditions in place, the race was always going to be a classic. While qualifying saw the two best Eurocup rookies top the groups (Luca Ghiotto and Egor Orudzhev, the former taking pole), it also had potentially championship-deciding repercussions as title contender Oliver Rowland qualified all the way down in 19th. The changing, unpredictable weather further added to the intrigue.
And the race in question duly delivered. Different strategies were at play even before the race start, as teams were frantically picking between wet and dry compounds ? and there were plenty of takers for both. As the race commenced, Ghiotto and Orudzhev dropped down the order in no time, the race now being run by those who opted for the wet compounds. Ignazio D’Agosto and Aurelien Panis ran the show throughout the earlier laps, engaged in a supremely entertaining fight for the lead. At halfway point, it seemed Panis had the race in the bag, as he finally overtook D’Agosto with the Italian also receiving a time penalty for track limit infringements.
However, by that point, the wet tyres were no longer the preferred option and those who struggled at the start were now catching up at an alarming rate. Jake Dennis, leading the charge on slicks, caught up to Panis at last and had little trouble overtaking him.
It seemed Dennis was well en route to take his first win in the Eurocup, but his lead immediately came under threat by Esteban Ocon, also seeking a maiden victory. The Frenchman had the pace on Dennis and, despite valiant defending from the latter, took the lead on the penultimate lap and held on to it until the checkered flag.
A whole fifteen seconds behind, Panis was involved in a photo-finish for third and, after post-race review, was handed fourth, having lost out to none other than Oliver Rowland. The Briton, therefore, kept his title chances alive with an electrifying drive from 19th on the grid, but the title advantage still rested with Gasly, who finished a respectable fifth and would later go on to secure the title at Catalunya.
Valentin Khorounzhiy