Formula Renault

AFR: Series C1 Shanghai qualifying report

AFR championship qualifying: Tire drama The AFR championship came back to Shanghai International Circuit on Aug 22nd-23rd. The championship featured drivers from 7 teams, 8 countries. The qualifying of AFR started at 3:45pm, it was hot and ...

Published: Oct 2, 2009, 4:22 PM

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AFR championship qualifying: Tire drama

The AFR championship came back to Shanghai International Circuit on Aug 22nd-23rd. The championship featured drivers from 7 teams, 8 countries.

The qualifying of AFR started at 3:45pm, it was hot and humid. Due to the shower in the earlier afternoon, most of the teams chose wet tyre in qualifying session. However, few laps later the track became more suitable for slick tyres, so most of the teams were back to the pit then change the tyre to continue the race. Alon Day, the young driver from Israel, set the best lap of the session (1:52.597). Luis SA SILVA and Benjamin Rouget from team ART were 2nd and 3rd. Shohei Shiromoto from team Pena and Tengyi Jiang of FRD racing team, were 4th and 5th, respectively.

The drama unveiled after the qualifying by a traffic jam started by the AFR teams at weighing area. Most of the teams used the wet tyre in qualifying without any 'wet' instruction from the race committee and those who used wet tyre during the session had their results excluded, which means 10 cars out of 14 were disqualified. In the end, SA SILVA, Rouget, Luca Ferigutti and Suriya Bala Kerisnan Thevar qualified 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th, respectively. Team ART would certainly enjoy the favorable starting grid on Sunday race.

Alon Day, who set the best lap yet failed to grab pole indicated that he was sorry about the results as it was his first ever wet race in his life (Israel never rains) "I was literally panicked when I realized that the qualifying session will be a wet one. My best lap was set after the tyre change and I believe I still need to get more experience in wet condition."

The championship will have 2 rounds on Sunday.

-credit: frd

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