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Home News Vandoorne pips Felix da Costa to top first day at Paul Ricard
NewsWorld Series Formula V8 3.5

Vandoorne pips Felix da Costa to top first day at Paul Ricard

by Peter Allen
written by Peter Allen

Photo: World Series by Renault

Formula Renault 3.5 Series rookie Stoffel Vandoorne showed again he could be a threat for the championship as he beat favourite Antonio Felix da Costa to the fastest time on the first day of the Paul Ricard test.

Following abandoned test at Motorland Aragon due to snow and ice, the teams were greeted in France by rain as the two-day test got underway. Red Bull man Felix da Costa posted the best time at the end of the session, 2.259 seconds clear of Kevin Magnussen.

Sam Bird, back with ISR, took third spot ahead of Daniil Move and Marco Sorensen. Lucas Foresti, Will Stevens and the Carlin pairing of Carlos Huertas and Jazeman Jaafar came next, with the top ten completed by Caterham-liveried Pietro Fantin.

Vandoorne only finished the morning session down in 19th but was back at the front in the dry afternoon running, resuming the first place he held on the one day of action at Motorland. He edged out Felix da Costa by just 0.028s.

Stevens took third just ahead of Sorensen, with Nico Muller narrowly ahead of Draco teammate Andre Negrao in fifth and sixth respectively.

Magnussen was seventh ahead of Nick Yelloly, who has switched to race in GP3 this year but is driving for new entrant Zeta Corse in France. Huertas and Nikolay Martsenko.

Morning session

Pos Name Team Time Gap Laps
1 Antonio Felix da Costa Arden Caterham Motorsport 1:57.555 30
2 Kevin Magnussen DAMS 1:59.814 2.259 31
3 Sam Bird ISR 2:00.954 3.399 32
4 Daniil Move SMP Racing By Comtec 2:01.383 3.828 19
5 Marco Sorensen Lotus 2:01.920 4.365 34
6 Lucas Foresti SMP Racing By Comtec 2:02.154 4.599 31
7 Will Stevens P1 Motorsport 2:02.199 4.644 39
8 Carlos Huertas Carlin 2:02.529 4.974 29
9 Jazeman Jaafar Carlin 2:02.700 5.145 47
10 Pietro Fantin Arden Caterham Motorsport 2:03.065 5.510 42
11 Nico Muller International Draco Racing 2:03.105 5.550 37
12 Andre Negrao International Draco Racing 2:03.195 5.640 36
13 Nikolay Martsenko Pons Racing 2:04.596 7.041 43
14 Yann Cunha AV Formula 2:04.790 7.235 46
15 Oliver Webb Fortec Motorsports 2:04.913 7.358 31
16 Sergey Sirotkin ISR 2:04.976 7.421 37
17 Mikhail Aleshin Tech 1 Racing 2:05.200 7.645 30
18 Nigel Melker Tech 1 Racing 2:05.350 7.795 36
19 Stoffel Vandoorne Fortec Motorsports 2:06.154 8.599 25
20 Matias Laine P1 Motorsport 2:06.337 8.782 41
21 Mihai Marinescu Zeta Corse 2:07.220 9.665 24
22 Norman Nato DAMS 2:07.316 9.761 38
23 Marlon Stockinger Lotus 2:07.817 10.262 42
24 Zoel Amberg Pons Racing 2:07.857 10.302 15
25 Arthur Pic AV Formula 2:08.316 10.761 12
26 Nick Yelloly Zeta Corse No time

 

Afternoon session

Pos Name Team Time Gap Laps
1 Stoffel Vandoorne Fortec Motorsports 1:46.745 25
2 Antonio Felix da Costa Arden Caterham Motorsport 1:46.773 0.028 34
3 Will Stevens P1 Motorsport 1:46.943 0.170 28
4 Marco Sorensen Lotus 1:46.979 0.036 18
5 Nico Muller International Draco Racing 1:47.185 0.206 31
6 Andre Negrao International Draco Racing 1:47.240 0.055 24
7 Kevin Magnussen DAMS 1:47.281 0.041 27
8 Nick Yelloly Zeta Corse 1:47.584 0.303 30
9 Carlos Huertas Carlin 1:47.684 0.100 26
10 Nikolay Martsenko Pons Racing 1:47.705 0.021 42
11 Lucas Foresti SMP Racing By Comtec 1:47.738 0.033 35
12 Sergey Sirotkin ISR 1:47.775 0.037 28
13 Mikhail Aleshin Tech 1 Racing 1:47.989 0.214 38
14 Oliver Webb Fortec Motorsports 1:48.021 0.032 26
15 Norman Nato DAMS 1:48.127 0.106 30
16 Zoel Amberg Pons Racing 1:48.178 0.051 24
17 Daniil Move SMP Racing By Comtec 1:48.202 0.024 29
18 Marlon Stockinger Lotus 1:48.307 0.105 21
19 Matias Laine P1 Motorsport 1:48.372 0.065 21
20 Pietro Fantin Arden Caterham Motorsport 1:48.439 0.067 36
21 Jazeman Jaafar Carlin 1:48.440 0.001 41
22 Yann Cunha AV Formula 1:49.211 0.771 40
23 Nigel Melker Tech 1 Racing 1:49.703 0.492 16
24 Sam Bird ISR 1:49.778 0.075 8
25 Mihai Marinescu Zeta Corse 1:50.220 0.442 29
26 Arthur Pic AV Formula 1:59.888 9.668 4