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Catalunya: Series race two report

The last race of the year belongs to Guerrieri! In the last race of the year, Esteban Guerrieri (Ultimate Signature) claimed his first victory by overtaking James Walker (Fortec Motorsport). The season ended well for Tech 1 Racing who are also the ...

The last race of the year belongs to Guerrieri!

In the last race of the year, Esteban Guerrieri (Ultimate Signature) claimed his first victory by overtaking James Walker (Fortec Motorsport). The season ended well for Tech 1 Racing who are also the first team to win the Teams title twice in Formula Renault 3.5 Series.

Giedo Van der Garde (P1 Motorsport) was back in time from China! The winner of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series will start from the pit lane. Following his accident the previous day, Marco Bonanomi (Red Devil Team Comtec) did not race. When it came to setting off for the warm-up lap, Salvador Duran (Interwetten.com Racing) remained on the start grid. The Mexican also set off from the pits.

Esteban Guerrieri, alone on the front row, took the lead ahead of Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing), Mikhail Aleshin (Carlin Motorsport) and Miguel Molina (Prema Powerteam). At the back of the field, Marco Barba (International Draco Racing) ended the season in the gravel trap, as did Giedo Van der Garde.

The two leaders, Guerrieri in front of Baguette, were bumper to bumper. Bertrand Baguette made a move in the fourth lap. This initial attempt proved unsuccessful.

Miguel Molina was the first to refuel on the fifth lap. The leaders decided to opt for a different strategy. Mikhail Aleshin and Alvaro Barba waited until the twelfth lap to make a pit-stop. The two drivers rejoined the race behind James Walker, Robert Wickens and Julien Jousse.

Esteban Guerrieri stopped on the thirteenth lap and Bertrand Baguette on the fourteenth. The positions changed at the end of the pit-stops. James Walker, one of the drivers who decided to stop early on, led the way with more than two seconds lead over Guerrieri, Wickens, Baguette, Jousse, Aleshin and Fauzy.

Esteban Guerrieri put in a final push to close the gap on James Walker. The Argentinean closed up on the British driver, while Robert Wickens remained a solid third.

With four laps to go, Esteban Guerrieri put the pressure on James Walker. In the final lap this season, Guerrieri saw his chance and sneaked into first place. He was victorious for the first time this season, ahead of James Walker and Robert Wickens. Guerrieri is the ninth different winner in 2008.

With Julien Jousse in fifth place and Charles Pic in eighth, Tech 1 racing is the first team to have won the Teams title twice in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. At the same time, Jousse consolidated his second place in the championship.

According to Esteban Guerrieri, "I got off to a good start, but I was soon suffering from oversteering. On exiting the pit lane, I was fighting it out with Wickens, Aleshin and Jousse. I managed to move to the top of this group. I thought that I was in the lead but then they announced Walker's position. I gave it everything and overtook in the last lap. I'm hoping to compete in the FR 3.5 Series next year."

According to James Walker, "I'm happy to be on the podium for the last race of the season, the one that everyone remembers!" We adopted a good strategy and the car performed perfectly. I'm ready for next year!"

According to Robert Wickens, "After the run of bad luck at the start of the season, the end of the year had been much better! I don't know what the future holds for me but fighting it out for the FR 3.5 Series title sounds like an interesting option."

-credit: wsbyrenault.com

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