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Aragon Formula Renault 3.5 test: Vaxiviere fastest for Lotus again

Matthieu Vaxiviere remained in command at Aragon as the final pre-season Formula Renault 3.5 test concluded on Tuesday with a day reserved for running the series' low-downforce set-up

The Lotus protege recorded his fastest time of 1m40.662s during the morning session, to extend his run of quickest times to a third consecutive session after dominating Monday.

Dean Stoneman broke the Charouz-run driver's stranglehold on proceedings by setting the quickest time in a windy, and generally slower, afternoon session for reigning champion team DAMS. The Briton's time of 1m42.273s edged out Vaxiviere by 0.201 seconds.

"For sure it would have been good to continue my streak, but I was out of new tyres for the last session," said Vaxiviere, who was heighth in last year's FR3.5 standings. "To put in such a good time in the afternoon is all the same excellent.

"We've done a good job with the car, and everything went well this morning. Beyond that, testing remains relative, we now have to see how it goes in the races."

Tio Ellinas ended the day second overall for Strakka. The Cypriot, who set the pace at Jerez earlier this month, finished 0.421s in arrears of Vaxiviere.

Fortec's Oliver Rowland was third throughout the day and, despite brake gremlins and a preference for the higher downforce set-up, was satisfied with his pre-season preparations.

Series returnee Beitske Visser temporarily set the second fastest time in the afternoon, before her AVF machine was found to be underweight.

However, Visser produced a competitive showing to take a confirmed fourth, ahead of Rowland's Fortec team-mate Jazeman Jaafar and Stoneman.

Former GP3 title challenger Facu Regalia returned to action at Zeta Corse. The Argentinean had sat out the opening day of testing at Aragon, where his place was taken by the team's 2014 driver Roman Mavlanov.

Carlin was reduced to a single car for Tom Dillmann, owing to exam commitments in London for the team's second driver Sean Gelael.

Manor Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi was only 18th and 12th but remained upbeat, having conserved several sets of tyres.

"We weren't aiming for laptimes and working in that direction today," said Merhi.

"We used half the new tyres available compared to the other teams and we have clear development plan for the season.

"We have to see whether it will pay off. Last year, I was also running at the back in testing, but fought for the title at the end of the year."

In the afternoon, several teams opted to forsake all-out attempts at flying laps in order to practice pitstops, including Lotus driver Meindert van Buuren and Draco's Bruno Bonafacio.

MORNING TIMES:

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus 1m40.662s - 29
2 Tio Ellinas Strakka Racing 1m41.083s 0.421s 39
3 Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsports 1m41.126s 0.464s 29
4 Beitske Visser AVF 1m41.245s 0.583s 21
5 Jazeman Jaafar Fortec Motorsports 1m41.254s 0.592s 32
6 Dean Stoneman DAMS 1m41.418s 0.756s 41
7 Tom Dillmann Jagonya Ayam with Carlin 1m41.479s 0.817s 41
8 Meindert van Buuren Lotus 1m41.505s 0.843s 32
9 Gustav Malja Strakka Racing 1m41.559s 0.897s 35
10 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1m41.694s 1.032s 41
11 Nyck de Vries DAMS 1m41.723s 1.061s 31
12 Egor Orudzhev Arden Motorsport 1m41.870s 1.208s 48
13 Philo Paz Armand Pons Racing 1m42.395s 1.733s 39
14 Nicholas Latifi Arden Motorsport 1m42.544s 1.882s 44
15 Bruno Bonifacio International Draco Racing 1m42.676s 2.014s 44
16 Alfonso Celis AVF 1m42.766s 2.104s 33
17 Roy Nissany Tech 1 Racing 1m42.830s 2.168s 39
18 Roberto Merhi Pons Racing 1m42.939s 2.277s 28
19 Facu Regalia Zeta Corse 1m42.956s 2.294s 35
20 Aurelien Panis Tech 1 Racing 1m43.439s 2.777s 46

AFTERNOON TIMES:

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Dean Stoneman DAMS 1m41.273s - 18
2 Matthieu Vaxiviere Lotus 1m41.474s 0.201s 34
3 Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsports 1m41.478s 0.205s 33
4 Jazeman Jaafar Fortec Motorsports 1m41.521s 0.248s 37
5 Nyck de Vries DAMS 1m41.534s 0.261s 28
6 Tom Dillmann Jagonya Ayam with Carlin 1m41.803s 0.530s 35
7 Nicholas Latifi Arden Motorsport 1m41.809s 0.536s 27
8 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1m41.912s 0.639s 28
9 Facu Regalia Zeta Corse 1m41.996s 0.723s 39
10 Egor Orudzhev Arden Motorsport 1m42.028s 0.755s 40
11 Gustav Malja Strakka Racing 1m42.143s 0.870s 23
12 Roberto Merhi Pons Racing 1m42.151s 0.878s 29
13 Beitske Visser AVF 1m42.196s 0.923s 39
14 Tio Ellinas Strakka Racing 1m42.256s 0.983s 25
15 Meindert van Buuren Lotus 1m42.326s 1.053s 27
16 Alfonso Celis AVF 1m42.452s 1.179s 34
17 Bruno Bonifacio International Draco Racing 1m42.479s 1.206s 31
18 Roy Nissany Tech 1 Racing 1m42.491s 1.218s 42
19 Aurelien Panis Tech 1 Racing 1m42.840s 1.567s 41
20 Philo Paz Armand Pons Racing 1m42.898s 1.625s 29

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