Valencia test notes, day two

PORTEIRO SMASHES HIS OWN RECORD IN VALENCIA

The first ever World Series by Renault test in Valencia -- with a total of 29 cars on the track -- finished today with a new, unofficial lap record for the World Series category. Felix Porteiro set a timed lap of 1.20.352 this morning, which is 2.6 seconds faster than the previous best timed lap on this circuit, set in a Dallara-Nissan car (Vilariño, 1.22.989).

Epsilon Euskadi's Team Principal, Joan Villadelprat, was the happiest man in the Paddock when the red light came on at 5 pm. "It's our first test with both cars and I must admit that it has been a good start. There are a lot of new faces in our team this year and it is important to work together, for us to get to know each other, drivers, technicians and mechanics. With Felix on top and Kubica setting the second fastest lap (ex-aequo with Gommendy) I think that we are in with a good chance of being successful in the forthcoming season."

Porteiro's achievement sets him out as the one to watch in the race for the title, but the gap between him and the other drivers, such as his own team-mate Robert Kubica or Tristan Gommendy (KTR), is extremely narrow. With twelve drivers packed into one second and seven different teams featured in the top 10 positions, it's very difficult to make any predictions at all!

At the moment, 29 drivers from 16 different countries are confirmed to take part in the all-new single-seater series backed by the French car manufacturer. Avelon has still to confirm its second drive, but the arrival of a Brazilian driver in Paul Ricard may close the final entry list at thirty drivers.

Andy Zuber (Carlin Motorsport) finished at the top of the time sheets at the end of the last session, followed by the impressive RDD driver Pastor Maldonado (Dams), and again, Tristan Gommendy, taking his KTR team into a frontrunner position!

In fact, it has been quite an exhausting schedule since the first test of the Formula Renault 3.5 took place in Le Mans. Never ending days for the technical staff and a lot of travelling around Europe. The last test for the 15 entered teams in the World Series by Renault will be at the French circuit of Paul Ricard (19 and 20 April).

Circuito de la CC.VV Ricardo Tormo
Air Temp: 20˚C
Sunny

<pre> Best Registered Laps (All sessions combined)

World Series by Renault F Renault 3.5 12-13 APRIL 2005

Rk No Driver                Team                Nat     Final Time      Gap             TL
1   7 PORTEIRO, Felix       EPSILON EUSKADI     SPA     1:20.352        0:00.000        131
2   8 KUBICA, Robert        EPSILON EUSKADI     POL     1:20.669        0:00.317        150
3  15 GOMMENDY, Tristan     KTR                 FRA     1:20.669        0:00.317         96
4   3 ZUBER, Andreas        CARLIN M.S.         AUT     1:20.787        0:00.435        174
5  18 WINKELHOCK, Markus    DRACO M.R.          USA/GER 1:20.934        0:00.582        109
6  25 PAVLOVIC, Milos       GD RACING           YUG     1:20.951        0:00.599        135
7   5 VALLES, Adrian        PONS RACING         SPA     1:21.117        0:00.765        133
8  21 SALIGNON, Eric        CRAM COMP.          FRA     1:21.132        0:00.780        130
9  19 MONTANARI,Christian   DRACO M.R.          USA/RSM 1:21.160        0:00.808        101
10  4 POWER, Will           CARLIN M.S.         AUS     1:21.253        0:00.901        155
11 20 PASINI, Damien        CRAM COMP.          ITA     1:21.331        0:00.979        172
12 23 MALDONADO, Pastor     DAMS                VEN     1:21.344        0:00.992        140
13 14 LAGEN, Jaap Van       KTR                 NED     1:21.447        0:01.095        106
14 16 PAGENAUD, Simon       SAULNIER R.         FRA     1:21.535        0:01.183         89
15 22 DANIELSSON, Alx       DAMS                SWE     1:21.559        0:01.207        139
16 27 PILET, Patrick        JENZER MS           FRA     1:21.578        0:01.226        153
17 29 LA ROSA, Daniel       INTERWETTEN.COM     GER     1:21.659        0:01.307        120
18 28 FLEMING, Colin        JENZER MS           USA     1:21.738        0:01.386        138
19 32 TEDESCHI, Giovanni    RC MOTORSPORT       ITA     1:21.744        0:01.392        173
20 17 FUKUDA, Ryo           SAULNIER R.         JPN     1:21.842        0:01.490         81
21 31 CHANDHOK, Karun       RC MOTORSPORT       IND     1:21.857        0:01.505        126
22  6 MIGUEZ, Celso         PONS RACING         SPA     1:22.059        0:01.707         78
23  1 MONDINI, Giorgio      EUROINTERNATIONAL   ITA     1:22.096        0:01.744        136
24  9 TOCCACELO, Enrico     VICTORY ENGIN.      ITA     1:22.186        0:01.834        163
25 10 KOSTKA, Tomas         VICTORY ENGIN.      CZE     1:22.264        0:01.912        128
26 30 PROETTO, Stefano      INTERWETTEN.COM     ITA     1:22.265        0:01.913        125
27  2 MENEGHELLO, Matteo    EUROINTERNATIONAL   ITA     1:22.629        0:02.277        142
28 12 BELLAROSA, Ivan       AVELON FORMULA      ITA     1:23.000        0:02.648        134
29 24 SURESHWAREN, Parthiva GD RACING           IND     1:23.970        0:03.618         74
30 11 T.B.A.                AVELON              -       1:25.792        0:05.440         11

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