EU 1.6: Series Silverstone preview

Who can stop Vandoorne?

Before the big final sprint on the circuit of Catalunya, the academicians are getting ready to discover another mythical circuit: Silverstone, the temple of speed from across the Channel. Situated on a former air base, will the English track see Stoffel Vandoorne fly towards victory? One thing is certain, he is going to be the man to beat as, during the last stage, the RACB National Team driver really dug the distance. Author of a perfect weekend in Hockenheim, he made himself clear with 42 points beforehand! In England, his main rivals will do everything to stop him in his ascent.

This stage is therefore determining as Stoffel Vandoorne has no need to take all risks by himself. But he has no intention in remaining on his accomplishments. If he has the opportunity in pocketing more victories, you can bet he will! His direct opponent, Norman Nato, is the only driver of the Top Five to have pocketed points in all races but, to this day, he only counts one victory, picked up during the inaugural event. This first season in car racing is without doubt not what he expected but the former driver of the French FFSA Go-Kart Team has not given up. He will be presenting himself on the Silverstone track ready to make the leader stumble. Even more so that Franck Matelli, author of five podiums out of which one victory, is in only five units away from him, virtually only one because, according to the regulations, the two less good results are deducted. The Corsican driver is determined to add a 3rd and why not a 4th consecutive podium. In any case, he indeed hopes to be on the final podium he missed by little in 2009.

The young Mathieu Jaminet could indeed ruin his dreams by regaining his position he occupied before the German stage after a magnificent domination on the Hungarian circuit, 4th event of the season. However, still on a virtual point of view, Paul Lanchere is better placed. He totalizes six podiums but, compared to his colleagues in the Top Five, has no victory. His aim in Silverstone will without doubt be to change this! But many of his competitors hope to step onto the highest step of the podium. To begin with, Paul-Loup Chatin who made a superb jump of 3 ranks in the classification thanks to his good results in Germany with a first podium in car racing. Some points away from him, Pierre Sancinena has not yet been able to honour the hopes placed in him. His results don't really reflect all of his potential but in England, he will be doing his best to reverse the tendency. Same report as far as Alexandre Mantovani is concerned and Jean-Baptiste Lahaye who will both be aiming the first step of the podium in order to save a season that hasn't given the expected results. All hoped to be better placed than in the Top Ten but by observing the perseverance and the competitiveness of these drivers, we can suppose that their time has come.

Absent from the track in Hockenheim, Sebastien le Bras will be over-motivated. He remains in the same place but indeed hopes to climb up in the hierarchy to mark the spirits at the end of season. During the last race, the young Nicolas De Moura, signed his best result by reuniting the arrival in 6th position. He is now equal in points with Tristan Papavoine who has known a bad patch with two consecutive meetings without any points being marked. Alexandre Jouannem-Sivan and Valentin Simonet are also credited with the same number of points, just like Maxime Raphoz and Alexandre Anezo. Will the English track succeed in deciding between them or will it allow the girls: Marie Baus Coppens and the youngest driver of the group Giada De Zen (Draco Drivers Development), or Maxime Bourcet, Hamza El Fatouaki or even Pierre Nicolet to pocket at least their very first point of the season?

-source: renault sport