Home News Will Stevens fastest in first practice at Moscow Raceway

Will Stevens fastest in first practice at Moscow Raceway

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Florent Gooden / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Photo: Florent Gooden / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Strakka Racing’s Will Stevens posted the fastest time in Formula Renault 3.5’s first 50-minute practice session at Moscow Raceway.

The Caterham junior was the only driver to go quicker than 1:22s in a field of 20.

Championship leader Carlos Sainz ominously led the field by more than three tenths of a second at halfway point, but he would be dethroned from first by Stevens with 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

The Brit managed to post three session-best sector times to go quicker than the Spaniard and then shaved off 0.078s with one of his subsequent attempts.

Lotus substitute driver Richie Stanaway was an impressive second, only 0.05s down on Stevens.

Norman Nato was narrowly quicker than teammate Sainz in third, while Pierre Gasly managed a top-five result for Arden at the last second, despite having spent most of the session far off the lead.

Sergey Sirotkin overtook Fortec squadmate Oliver Rowland for sixth, while Pietro Fantin led Matias Laine in eighth. Roberto Merhi, representing Russian squad Zeta Corse, rounded out the top ten.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Will Stevens Strakka Racing 1:21.961 23
2 Richie Stanaway Lotus 1:22.013 0.052 23
3 Norman Nato DAMS 1:22.253 0.292 24
4 Carlos Sainz DAMS 1:22.316 0.355 24
5 Pierre Gasly Arden Motorsport 1:22.563 0.602 22
6 Sergey Sirotkin Fortec Motorsports 1:22.581 0.620 21
7 Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsports 1:22.618 0.657 24
8 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1:22.725 0.764 24
9 Matias Laine Strakka Racing 1:22.737 0.776 21
10 Roberto Merhi Zeta Corse 1:22.908 0.947 20
11 William Buller Arden Motorsport 1:22.927 0.966 22
12 Marlon Stockinger Lotus 1:23.071 1.110 26
13 Luca Ghiotto International Draco Racing 1:23.170 1.209 25
14 Zoel Amberg AVF 1:23.272 1.311 22
15 Roman Mavlanov Zeta Corse 1:23.344 1.383 22
16 Meindert van Buuren Pons Racing 1:23.353 1.392 23
17 Marco Sorensen Tech 1 Racing 1:23.382 1.421 23
18 Beitske Visser AVF 1:23.536 1.575 24
19 Jazeman Jaafar ISR 1:23.671 1.710 21
20 Oscar Tunjo Pons Racing 1:24.238 2.277 23