Home Z - Archive seriesFormula Renault Eurocup De Vries takes second Spa pole

De Vries takes second Spa pole

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Gregory Lenormand / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Photo: Gregory Lenormand / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Koiranen racer Nyck de Vries was once again quickest in qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Eurocup’s usual reversal of the order in which qualifying groups take to the track did not faze the McLaren junior, who once again topped his Group A with a time good enough for pole position.

In Group B, which opened up qualifying this time around, the fight for pole was down to the ART Junior Team drivers, Bruno Bonifacio, Alex Albon and Kevin Jorg.

Aurelien Panis was the early pacesetter before being deposed by Albon with five minutes to go. In another couple of minutes, JKR’s Jorg took over at the top, only to be beaten by Bonifacio shortly thereafter.

Finally, in the final minute of qualifying, Panis returned to the top, securing a front row spot. Bonifacio took second back from Callan O’Keeffe narrowly prior to the checkered flag, with Jorg and Albon completing the top five.

Another ART Junior Team racer – Levin Amweg – set the early pace in Group A, before de Vries posted a lap that was quicker than the Group B benchmark, ensuring that pole would be decided in his group. Amweg took the lead back shortly thereafter, before Tech 1’s Egor Orudzhev vaulted to the top.

With three minutes to go, however, it was de Vries who went quickest yet again – and his time would not be toppled for the remainder of the session.

Dennis Olsen managed to slot into second, finishing the group running ahead of Orudzhev, Amweg and Andrea Pizzitola.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Group A Group B
1 Nyck de Vries Koiranen GP 2:16.875
2 Aurelien Panis ART Junior Team 2:17.537
3 Dennis Olsen Prema Powerteam 2:17.005
4 Bruno Bonifacio Prema Powerteam 2:17.688
5 Egor Orudzhev Tech 1 Racing 2:17.051
6 Callan O’Keeffe ART Junior Team 2:17.724
7 Levin Amweg ART Junior Team 2:17.261
8 Kevin Jorg Josef Kaufmann Racing 2:17.946
9 Andrea Pizzitola Manor MP Motorsport 2:17.359
10 Alexander Albon KTR 2:17.979
11 Anthoine Hubert Tech 1 Racing 2:17.472
12 Matevos Isaakyan JD Motorsport 2:17.979
13 Hans Villemi Prema Powerteam 2:17.636
14 Ignazio D’Agosto Koiranen GP 2:18.055
15 Simon Gachet ARTA Engineering 2:17.932
16 Matt Parry Fortec Motorsports 2:18.237
17 Jake Hughes Mark Burdett Motorsport 2:18.240
18 Louis Deletraz AVF 2:18.345
19 Jack Aitken Fortec Motorsports 2:18.255
20 Steijn Schothorst Manor MP Motorsport 2:18.434
21 Josef Zaruba AVF 2:18.284
22 Gustav Malja Josef Kaufmann Racing 2:18.559
23 Nick Cassidy Koiranen GP 2:18.335
24 Charles Leclerc Fortec Motorsports 2:18.687
25 Matthew Graham AVF 2:18.495
26 Luke Chudleigh Tech 1 Racing 2:18.691
27 Dario Capitanio BVM Racing 2:18.497
28 Ryan Tveter Josef Kaufmann Racing 2:18.693
29 Akash Nandy Tech 1 Racing 2:18.678
30 Martin Rump Fortec Motorsports 2:18.695
31 Vasily Romanov Tech 1 Racing 2:19.019
32 Raoul Owens Mark Burdett Motorsport 2:18.739
33 Gregor Ramsay KTR 2:19.047
34 Alex Bosak Prema Powerteam 2:18.791
35 Denis Korneev JD Motorsport 2:19.315
36 Patric Armand Tech 1 Racing 2:18.866
37 Thiago Vivacqua Fortec Motorsports 2:19.661
38 Semen Evstigneev BVM Racing 2:19.297
39 Julio Moreno Manor MP Motorsport 2:19.837
40 James Allen ARTA Engineering 2:19.927