Baguette takes stylish Aragon win
Bertrand Baguette has scored his fourth Formula Renault 3.5 victory of the season with a superb drive from fifth on the grid at Motorland Aragon
The Draco driver executed a string of precise overtaking manoeuvres to demonstrate that securing this year's drivers' crown has failed to dampen his competitive instincts.
Baguette reeled in reverse grid polesitter Oliver Turvey to take the lead at mid-distance. The Carlin driver successfully held the Belgian at bay for three laps until, on lap 15, Baguette outbraked the new iSport GP2 signing into the tight, Turn 14 hairpin.
Turvey was left to settle for second, his fifth podium of the season.
"It was a very good race for us," said Baguette. "As I had already wrapped up the drivers' title my main aim for today was to take a lot of pleasure. I have to thank the team for giving me such a good car so that I could pass so many adversaries.
"Tomorrow, I also want to help them win the teams' championship and give them the numbers one and two for next year."
Jon Lancaster finished third to make up for a disappointing meeting last time out. The Comtec driver passed fourth place starter Jaime Alguersuari into Turn 1 away from the lights, and initially followed Baguette's wheel tracks moving up the order.
Lancaster's progress was to slow when he encountered higher than expected front tyre wear over the closing stages, and was made to work for his third position by Daniil Move. The Russian P1 Motorsport driver closed to finish within 0.7s at the chequered flag, but ran out of time to relieve the Leeds driver of the final step on the podium.
The new Motorland circuit provided ample opportunity for passing. Esteban Guerrieri was the most successful exponent, gaining ten places over his starting position to finish fifth in a storming drive for RC Motorsport.
Tomorrow's feature race poleman Fairuz Fauzy came out on top in a frantic mid-race scrap with Toro Rosso F1 driver Alguersuari and Epsilon Euskadi's Chris van der Drift, and the Malaysian succeeded in passing Pons's front row starter Federico Leo for sixth three laps from home.
The battle for second place in the drivers' standings has tightened after today's race.
Tech 1 Racing's Charles Pic, who failed to add to his score today, has a fragile hold on the position with 94 points. Alguersuari has now closed to within six points, with British drivers Turvey and James Walker a further point adrift, tied on 87, ahead of Fauzy on 86.
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Bertrand Baguette Draco 46m17.280s 2. Oliver Turvey Carlin + 1.634s 3. Jon Lancaster Comtec + 7.750s 4. Daniil Move P1 + 8.482s 5. Esteban Guerrieri RC + 11.241s 6. Fairuz Fauzy Mofaz + 20.396s 7. Federico Leo Pons + 23.739s 8. Jaime Alguersuari Carlin + 25.319s 9. Chris van der Drift Epsilon Euskadi + 25.689s 10. Greg Mansell Comtec + 25.993s 11. Marcos Martinez Pons + 31.776s 12. Filip Salaquarda Prema + 32.454s 13. Charles Pic Tech 1 + 36.395s 14. Marco Barba Draco + 36.592s 15. Brendon Hartley Tech 1 + 39.573s 16. Salvador Duran Interwetten + 44.120s 17. Keisuke Kunimoto Epsilon Euskadi + 44.356s 18. James Walker P1 + 44.645s 19. Guillaume Moreau SG + 50.349s 20. Mihai Marinescu Interwetten + 51.489s 21. Julian Leal Prema + 57.069s Retirements: Bruno Mendez RC 16 laps Sten Pentus Mofaz 0 laps Anton Nebylitskiy SG 0 laps
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