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Nurburgring FR3.5: Roberto Merhi leads practice for Zeta Corse

Roberto Merhi led the way in Formula Renault 3.5 free practice at the Nurburgring, two weeks on from taking his maiden win in the category at Moscow Raceway

The former Mercedes DTM racer, who dominated the second race in Russia for Zeta Corse, shot to the top of the times at the end of the day's running, where he was one of the last cars to take the chequered flag.

His late effort demoted 2013 Formula Renault Eurocup champion Pierre Gasly - who had moved to the front with three minutes to go - to second, as the majority of the field improved in the closing stages in preparation for Saturday morning's first qualifying session.

Shortly after Gasly had gone fastest, his 2013 FR2.0 rival Oliver Rowland slotted in behind him, but the two Eurocup graduates were split by championship leader Carlos Sainz Jr and Gasly's Arden team-mate Will Buller, who ended the session third and fourth respectively.

Will Stevens, who remains an outside threat in the title race, was sixth fastest, coming to Germany after testing for the Caterham Formula 1 team earlier this week at Silverstone.

Before the session came alive in the final four minutes, Sauber F1 test driver Sergey Sirotkin's benchmark from first practice remained the quickest time of the day.

The Russian, who felt that he started his final run too late at the end of session two, was comfortably quickest earlier in the day, leading Fortec team-mate Rowland by three tenths of a second, while third-fastest Marco Sorensen was half a second adrift.

The FR3.5 grid has expanded to 22 cars this weekend, with the addition of Alfonso Celis Jr in a second Tech 1 car, and Comtec Racing returning after missing the last two events, with Briton Cameron Twynham now at the wheel.

Matthieu Vaxiviere, who missed the Spa and Moscow rounds due to a back injury sustained during the Monaco weekend, returns to the Lotus line-up after being replaced by Richie Stanaway while he was on the sidelines.

Practice 2

Pos Driver               Team         Time       Gap     Laps
 1. Roberto Merhi        Zeta Corse   1m42.179s           17
 2. Pierre Gasly         Arden        1m42.208s  +0.029s  16
 3. Carlos Sainz Jr.     DAMS         1m42.275s  +0.096s  15
 4. William Buller       Arden        1m42.445s  +0.266s  17
 5. Oliver Rowland       Fortec       1m42.557s  +0.378s  17
 6. Will Stevens         Strakka      1m42.608s  +0.429s  17
 7. Marlon Stockinger    Lotus        1m42.624s  +0.445s  18
 8. Matias Laine         Strakka      1m42.796s  +0.617s  16
 9. Marco Sorensen       Tech 1       1m42.837s  +0.658s  16
10. Matthieu Vaxiviere   Lotus        1m42.904s  +0.725s  19
11. Norman Nato          DAMS         1m42.976s  +0.797s  17
12. Luca Ghiotto         Draco        1m43.001s  +0.822s  17
13. Oscar Tunjo          Pons         1m43.004s  +0.825s  17
14. Pietro Fantin        Draco        1m43.160s  +0.981s  18
15. Sergey Sirotkin      Fortec       1m43.216s  +1.037s  15
16. Roman Mavlanov       Zeta Corse   1m43.494s  +1.315s  15
17. Beitske Visser       AVF          1m43.759s  +1.580s  14
18. Jazeman Jaafar       ISR          1m43.870s  +1.691s  16
19. Cameron Twynham      Comtec       1m44.293s  +2.114s  21
20. Meindert van Buuren  Pons         1m44.304s  +2.125s  8
21. Alfonso Celis        Tech 1       1m44.554s  +2.375s  16
22. Zoel Amberg          AVF          1m44.642s  +2.463s  14

Practice 1

Pos Driver               Team         Time       Gap     Laps
 1. Sergey Sirotkin      Fortec       1m42.898s           14
 2. Oliver Rowland       Fortec       1m43.267s  +0.369s  17
 3. Marco Sorensen       Tech 1       1m43.414s  +0.516s  17
 4. Will Buller          Arden        1m43.458s  +0.560s  16
 5. Carlos Sainz Jr      DAMS         1m43.468s  +0.570s  16
 6. Norman Nato          DAMS         1m43.510s  +0.612s  16
 7. Pierre Gasly         Arden        1m43.547s  +0.649s  16
 8. Luca Ghiotto         Draco        1m43.611s  +0.713s  19
 9. Jazeman Jaafar       ISR          1m43.652s  +0.754s  16
10. Oscar Tunjo          Pons         1m43.685s  +0.787s  17
11. Matthieu Vaxiviere   Lotus        1m43.778s  +0.880s  17
12. Zoel Amberg          AVF          1m43.839s  +0.941s  17
13. Pietro Fantin        Draco        1m43.856s  +0.958s  19
14. Marlon Stockinger    Lotus        1m43.936s  +1.038s  17
15. Matias Laine         Strakka      1m43.956s  +1.058s  16
16. Roberto Merhi        Zeta         1m44.019s  +1.121s  13
17. Meindert van Buuren  Pons         1m44.055s  +1.157s  15
18. Beitske Visser       AVF          1m44.274s  +1.376s  18
19. Will Stevens         Strakka      1m44.326s  +1.428s  14
20. Alfonso Celis        Tech 1       1m44.449s  +1.551s  15
21. Roman Mavlanov       Zeta         1m44.581s  +1.683s  14
22. Cameron Twynham      Comtec       1m46.503s  +3.605s  17


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