Home News Matthieu Vaxiviere remains on top on Friday at Aragon

Matthieu Vaxiviere remains on top on Friday at Aragon

by Peter Allen
Matthieu Vaxiviere

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Matthieu Vaxiviere continued his imposing form in Formula Renault 3.5 at Aragon, topping the second of Friday’s pre-event sessions by over four tenths of a second.

The Lotus driver – who topped both pre-season test days at the Spanish circuit at the end of March and a total of four days over the winter – posted a time of 1m42.337s, three tenths slower than he had gone in the earlier session.

Vaxiviere took over at the top of the times from Fortec duo Jazeman Jaafar and Oliver Rowland, who were then split before the chequered flag by Strakka signing Tio Ellinas.

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion Nyck de Vries led for much of the session but ended up sixth, just behind his DAMS team-mate Dean Stoneman.

Tom Dillmann was seventh for the returning Carlin squad ahead of Arden rookie Egor Orudzhev, Draco returnee Pietro Fantin and AVF ace Beitske Visser.

Alfonso Celis and Roy Nissany triggered a red flag each, with the former getting back on track to take 15th at the end of the session while the latter propped up the 20 runners.

Session results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus 1:42.337 13
2 Jazeman Jaafar Fortec Motorsports 1:42.767 0.430 14
3 Tio Ellinas Strakka Racing 1:42.805 0.468 15
4 Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsports 1:42.820 0.483 14
5 Dean Stoneman DAMS 1:42.914 0.577 16
6 Nyck de Vries DAMS 1:43.145 0.808 14
7 Tom Dillmann Carlin 1:43.183 0.846 15
8 Egor Orudzhev Arden Motorsport 1:43.230 0.893 18
9 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1:43.256 0.919 18
10 Beitske Visser AVF 1:43.332 0.995 16
11 Gustav Malja Strakka Racing 1:43.334 0.997 14
12 Meindert van Buuren Lotus 1:43.362 1.025 14
13 Nicholas Latifi Arden Motorsport 1:43.582 1.245 15
14 Roberto Merhi Pons Racing 1:43.887 1.550 14
15 Alfonso Celis AVF 1:43.973 1.636 10
16 Sean Gelael Carlin 1:44.114 1.777 17
17 Philo Paz Armand Pons Racing 1:44.261 1.924 16
18 Aurelien Panis Tech 1 Racing 1:44.358 2.021 11
19 Bruno Bonifacio International Draco Racing 1:44.703 2.366 17
20 Roy Nissany Tech 1 Racing 1:45.701 3.364 12