Home News Fantin leads Fontana on first morning of Jerez FR3.5 test

Fantin leads Fontana on first morning of Jerez FR3.5 test

by Peter Allen
Pietro Fantin

Photo: Florent Gooden/ DPPI

Pietro Fantin set the pace in the opening session of Formula Renault 3.5 post-season testing at Jerez, followed closely by debutant Alex Fontana.

Continuing with the Draco team with which he finished 15th in the 2014 standings, the Brazilian – who set the fastest lap in both races at Jerez at the weekend – posted a time of 1m27.915s.

Just 0.062s slower on his final lap of the session was Fontana, who was having his first drive in a Formula Renault 3.5 car with the Lotus-branded Charouz team. A tenth behind him in third was regular Lotus driver Matthieu Vaxiviere.

Nicholas Latifi continued the strong pace that saw him finish second in the season finale, setting the fourth best time for Strakka. Luca Ghiotto was fifth with Fortec while AVF racer Beitske Visser took sixth.

Jordan King was seventh for Arden ahead of Pons-contacted Oscar Tunjo. Double FR2.0 champion Nyck de Vries was ninth quickest on his first drive of an FR3.5 car, in the ex-Carlos Sainz DAMS machine he will race in 2015.

His rival Dennis Olsen completed the top ten in the second Strakka entry.

Session results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1:27.915 44
2 Alex Fontana Lotus 1:27.977 0.062 30
3 Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus 1:28.071 0.156 28
4 Nicholas Latifi Strakka Racing 1:28.160 0.245 30
5 Luca Ghiotto Fortec Motorsports 1:28.206 0.291 28
6 Beitske Visser AVF 1:28.259 0.344 36
7 Jordan King Arden Motorsport 1:28.433 0.518 39
8 Oscar Tunjo Pons Racing 1:28.452 0.537 43
9 Nyck de Vries DAMS 1:28.804 0.889 31
10 Dennis Olsen Strakka Racing 1:28.823 0.908 39
11 Steijn Schothorst Comtec Racing 1:28.916 1.001 32
12 Richard Gonda Tech 1 Racing 1:28.921 1.006 39
13 Bruno Bonifacio International Draco Racing 1:28.936 1.021 41
14 Egor Orudzhev Fortec Motorsports 1:28.978 1.063 40
15 Robert Visoiu Pons Racing 1:29.035 1.120 32
16 Gustav Malja ISR 1:29.086 1.171 39
17 Andrea Pizzitola ISR 1:29.554 1.639 44
18 Dean Stoneman Arden Motorsport 1:29.625 1.710 22
19 Jimmy Eriksson DAMS 1:29.992 2.077 35