Home Featured Sacha Fenestraz wins again in interrupted second Nurburgring NEC race

Sacha Fenestraz wins again in interrupted second Nurburgring NEC race

by Peter Allen

Sacha Fenestraz took another win in the second Formula Renault Northern European Cup race at the Nurburgring, which had to be red-flagged after Dan Ticktum and Thomas Neubauer collided.

From pole, Fenestraz kept the lead at the start while fellow front-row starter Ticktum came under attack from Gabriel Aubry.

Aubry secured second late on the brakes into Turn 3, forcing Ticktum wide, although the Red Bull Junior then attempted to fight back?on the inside of Turn 4.

When Aubry shut the door, his Tech 1 team-mate Neubauer was able to get alongside Ticktum but with the Arden drifting wide, they clashed wheels and Neubauer was sent upside down and then back onto his wheels again and into the barrier.

This initially triggered a safety car but this became a red flag while Neubauer received attention.

After the restart from behind the safety car, Fenestraz built a 4.3-second advantage over Aubry on his way to victory.

Yifei Ye came from seventh on the grid to claim his second podium of the weekend, passing Charles Milesi at the restart and then also finding a way past Michael Benyahia and then Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, who still recorded his best Formula Renault finish to-date in fourth.

Gilles Magnus produced a storming drive from 14th to finish sixth.

He still lost the championship lead to Aubry in the standings by a point, but Aubry has now already contested the maximum of two NEC events that Eurocup regulars are allowed to enter.

Milesi, who lost his fourth-place finish in race one due to a technical infringement, held off Thomas Maxwell for seventh.

Formula Renault debutant James Pull worked his way up from 15th and last on the grid to finish ninth in front of Luis Leeds.

Ticktum dropped to the back after his clash with Neubauer and finished 13th behind Bartek Mirecki and Theo Coicaud.