Nicolas Milan (Team LMV CL Brakes) followed up his victory on Saturday with another success in Sunday’s Eurocup Clio race at Spa-Francorchamps, which takes him to the top of the championship standings. And for the second day in succession Eric Tremoulet (Vic’ Team) finished right behind him, while Josh Files (Team Pyro) took third.

Given another chance to shine on pole after his first-lap problems yesterday, Salvatore Arcarese (Composit Motorsport) headed the grid from Christian Ricciarini (Composit Motorsport), Josh Files and Eric Tremoulet.

On a keenly contested opening lap Nicolas Milan shot into the lead ahead of Eric Tremoulet, while Salvatore Arcarese climbed back up to third after a slow getaway and then saw Josh Files dive past him, with Christian Ricciarini and Xavier Fouineau (Team LMV CL Brakes) also breathing down the Romanian’s neck.

Nicolas Milan quickly stretched his lead over Eric Tremoulet, who put plenty of distance between himself and the rest of the 38-driver field. With so many cars on the track, there was no shortage of slipstreaming and overtaking. One man to benefit was Massimiliano Pedala (Composit Motorsport), who climbed from the back of the grid and into the points only to be given a time penalty for leaving the track, with Christian Ricciarini picking up a drive-through for the same reason.

After fending off a late challenge from Eric Tremoulet, Nicolas Milan crossed the line first. Behind them Josh Files hung on to third and, after a string of penalties were handed out, Gonzalo Martin de Andres (SMC Junior Motorsport) was confirmed in fourth place, followed by Jean-Philippe Lamic (Vic’ Team), Facundo Della Motta (Milan Competition), Xavier Fouineau, Salvatore Arcarese and Danielle Perfetti (Seminole Racing Team). The best of the Gentleman drivers, Massimiliano Pedala collected a point for his efforts.

What they said

Nicolas Milan: “I’m happy with the win. I was fortunate enough to miss all the incidents at the start. I wasn’t that confident but I had a little cushion at the front. I played it a bit too safe after that and Eric had me worried. I was glad when it was over.”

Eric Tremoulet: “I probably only needed another lap to have a go at Nicolas. I tried to assert myself at the start but I got a bit frightened. I managed to get up to second place but the win was beyond me.”

Josh Files: “The podium finish brings to an end what’s been a tough weekend. The first lap was absolutely crazy. I messed up at the start and then got my place back. I had to defend it, though, and that meant I couldn’t catch the leaders. All the same, I’m happy with the points.”

Eurocup Clio standings (provisional): 1. N. Milan 72; 2. J. Files 62; 3. M. Pedala 56; 4. E. Tremoulet 48; 5. G. Martin de Andres 36

After failing to win from pole yesterday, Mirko Bortolotti (Oregon Team) got back to winning ways in the weekend’s second Eurocup Megane Trophy race at Spa-Francorchamps. Making a superb getaway when the lights went out, the championship leader scored his third win of the season, with Mike Verschuur (McGregor by Equipe Verschuur) taking second and Max Braams (Las Moras by Equipe Veschuur) third.

For the first time this season Mirko Bortolotti did not start on pole, that honour going to his team-mate Kevin Gilardoni, who posted the best of the second-fastest laps in yesterday’s qualifying session. Taking their places behind him on the grid were Kelvin Snoeks (Oregon Team), Erik Janis, Mirko Bortolotti and Mike Verschuur.

Kevin Gilardoni made a clean start to the race, while Mirko Bortolotti jumped up two places at the expense of Kelvin Snoeks and Erik Janis, with Mike Verschuur holding on to P5. Then at the chicane Mirko Bortolotti outbraked his stablemate to dive into the lead.

As the front five pulled away, Mike Verschuur heaped the pressure on Erik Janis. To their rear Steven Palette (Team Lompech Sport) had an entertaining joust with Max Braams (Las Moras by Equipe Verschuur) and Vladimir Lunkin (Oregon Team). Jean-Charles Miginiac (Team Lompech Sport) was the first of the drivers to refuel on lap six, and though pit strategies varied, the race positions stayed the same through to the closing stages, with Kelvin Snoeks puncturing on lap 12 and Kevin Gilardoni suffering the same fate three laps later.

Mirko Bortolotti was untroubled up front, however, and took the flag from Erik Janis, who was later disqualified for having less than three litres of fuel in his tank, and Mike Verschuur.

Following them in were Max Braams (Las Moras by Equipe Verschuur), Vladimir Lunkin (Oregon Team) and Jeroen Schothorst (McGregor by Equipe Verschuur), victorious in the Gentlemen’s Trophy again. Kelvin Snoeks came home sixth and was joined in the points by Kevin Gilardoni, Marguerite Laffite (Oregon Team) Jean-Charles Miginiac and Enrico Bettera.

What they said

Mirko Bortolotti: “I’m delighted. It felt like a win to finish fourth yesterday after the problems I had, and winning today from the second row feels even better. I had my sights set on the podium but my pace was really good. It’s a great result in terms of the championship.”

Erik Janis: “Second place is one better than I managed yesterday. The team’s progressing and I hope I can make the most of it. If we can keep on improving, we’ll be in with a chance of a win in Moscow.”

Mike Verschuur: “It was a difficult race. I tried to shake off Erik by refuelling earlier but there was quite a bit of traffic when I came out of the pits. I was last in yesterday and that startegy worked, but coming in first today wasn’t enough to get the win.”

Eurocup Megane Trophy standings (provisional): 1. M. Bortolotti 87; 2. M. Verschuur 53; 3. M. Braams 47; 4. K. Gilardoni 42; 5 K. Snoeks 41

2011 Eurocup Clio champion Nicolas Milan (Team LMV CL Brakes) survived an eventful first lap and a determined challenge from Eric Tremoulet (Vic’ Team) to land his first win of the season in the Nouvelle Clio Cup. Joining them on the podium was Massimiliano Pedala (Composit Motorsport).

After a faultless performance in qualifying on Friday, Salvatore Arcarese (Composit Motorsport) started on pole ahead of Josh Files (Team Pyro), Christian Ricciarini (Composit Motorsport), Eric Tremoulet and Massimiliano Pedala.

Yet, with the sun finally making an appearance at Spa-Francorchamps, the Romanian’s race ended abruptly when he spun off at Raidillon on an incident-packed first lap. Josh Files took over at the front only to run off himself, with Nicolas Milan then surging past Eric Tremoulet to grab the lead.

The field shrank further when Florian Bernard (FB Racing) went off and Denis Gibaud (Milan Competition) retired, though there were no such problems for the front two as Eric Tremoulet began to apply pressure on a resolute Nicolas Milan. In the fight for third place Xavier Fouineau came under threat from Gonzalo Martin de Andres (SMC Junior Team) and Josh Files. The British driver eventually won that duel only to pick up a ten-second penalty for leaving the track.

Eric Tremoulet made an unsuccessful attempt to pass Nicolas Milan on the outside on lap nine, with the leader then enduring a nervy moment on the final lap when he nearly slid off at Pouhon, though he recovered his poise to take the flag by a narrow margin. Massimiliano Pedala claimed third place on the podium, ahead of Gonzalo Martin de Andres, Facundo Della Motta (Milan Competition), Daniele Perfetti (Seminole Racing Team) and Xavier Fouineau (Team LMV CL Brakes). Josh Files’ time penalty meant he could finish no higher than eight, while Belgian driver Stephane Lemeret (Team Lompech Sport) and David Dickenson (Team Pyro) picked up the last points on offer.

What they said

Nicolas Milan: “It was tricky at the start, with so many people going off, and the car was oversteering a little too. Once I got into the lead things were set up perfectly for me, though I knew Eric would leave it until the end of the race to try and get past. I just had to keep the doors closed, and it worked.”

Eric Trémoulet: “I had a great tussle with Nicolas and I was waiting to attack him. The situation was set up nicely for us at the start and when I got away from the rest I was able to stay with him. I was waiting for him to make a mistake and he was waiting for me to make one too. I couldn’t find an opening but I’m happy with my first podium finish all the same.”

Massimiliano Pedala: “I lost control of the car on lap two but managed to stay on the track. After that it was all about stringing the laps together and making sure of some championship points.”

Fifth on the grid, 2009 champion Mike Verschuur (McGregor by Equipe Verschuur) made the most of a speedy refuelling stop to beat Kelvin Snoeks (Oregon Team) and Erik Janis (Gravity Charouz) to the line and claim his first Eurocup Megane Trophy win of the season.

Championship leader Mirko Bortolotti (Oregon Team) began the day in fine style, qualifying three hundredths of a second faster than team-mate Kevin Gilardoni (Oregon Team) to land his third pole of the season, with Kelvin Snoeks, Erik Janis and Mike Verschuur lining up to their rear.

Max Braams (Las Moras by Equipe Verschuur) spun as the grid lined up, and when the lights went out Toni Forne (Gravity Charouz) stalled. In the battle for the lead, meanwhile, Kevin Gilardoni’s unsuccessful attack on Mirko Bortolotti at the entrance to Raidillon allowed Kelvin Snoeks to nip into second place between his two stable-mates. Then, on lap two, Vladimir Lunkin (Oregon Team) went off at the top of Raidillon.

With nothing to choose between the front three, the chasing Erik Janis and Mike Verschuur managed to stay in touch. Behind them raged the battle for the minor placings, including a fierce tussle between Jeroen Schothorst (McGregor by Equipe Verschuur) and Enrico Bettera (Oregon Team).

The race would hinge on the compulsory refuelling stops. The first man into the pits was Jean-Charles Miginiac (Team Lompech Sport) on lap six, with Kevin Gilardoni pitting three laps later, followed by Erik Janis and Kelvin Snoeks on lap ten and Mirko Bortolotti and Mike Verschuur on lap 11. After making the cleanest of stops, Mike Verschuur emerged from the pit lane ahead of everyone bar Marguerite Laffite (Oregon Team), who promptly pitted to leave the Dutchman out on his own. Worse luck was to befall Kevin Gilardoni, whose hopes were ended by a puncture.

Mike Verschuur went on to take the chequered flag from Kelvin Snoeks, Erik Janis, Mirko Bortolotti, Steven Palette, Max Braams and Gentlemen Trophy race winner Jeroen Schothorst. Enrico Beretta, Oliver Freymuth (AKF Motorsport) and Jakub Knoll (Gravity Charouz) were the other three drivers to finish in the top ten.

What they said

Mike Verschuur: “The team did a fantastic job. The car was perfect and the refuelling stop allowed us to take the lead. It’s something we’ve worked really hard on and it was a nice way for us to get the win.”

Kelvin Snoeks: “I made the most of the battle between my team-mates at the start, though things got harder after that. I did everything I could to get past Mirko at the start of the race. I managed to get the upper hand after coming in for fuel but Mike was already out in front by then.”

Starting from pole, Kevin Magnussen scored a lights-to-flag win in the weekend’s first Formula Renault 3.5 Series race at Spa-Francorchamps, becoming the first driver to win twice this season. Joined on the podium by Antonio Felix da Costa (Arden Caterham) and Nigel Melker (Tech 1 Racing), the Dane consolidated his championship lead.

In a qualifying session cut to 20 minutes after the morning’s fog delay, Kevin Magnussen reprised his  double pole at Spa last year by outpacing Antonio Felix da Costa, Jazeman Jaafar (Carlin), Arthur Pic (AV Formula) and Marco Sorensen (Lotus) to head the grid.

When the lights went out, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series points leader fended off an attack from Antonio Felix da Costa to stay out front. Making a superb start, Arthur Pic moved into third ahead of Nikolay Martsenko (Pons Racing) and Marco Sorensen, while Jazeman Jaafar fell back to tenth and Lucas Foresti failed to get off the start grid. Home driver Stoffel Vandoorne (Fortec Motorsports) suffered a setback when he lost several places after an off-track excursion. 

Up ahead Kevin Magnussen quickly stretched his lead over Antonio Felix da Costa and Arthur Pic, while behind them Nigel Melker shot up six places to fourth after only five laps. The safety car then made its only appearance of the race on lap seven after Nico Müller (International Draco Racing) and Yann Cunha (AV Formula) came together at the entrance to Fagnes.

On the restart Nigel Melker barged past Arthur Pic and into third, with Marco Sorensen getting the better of Nikolay Martsenko to take fifth. There was no stopping Kevin Magnussen, however, the Dane cruising over the line to claim victory from Antonio Felix da Costa and Nigel Melker with Arthur Pic and Marco Sorensen finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Also in the points were Nikolay Martsenko, Andre Negrao (International Draco Racing), Daniil Move (SMP Racing by Comtec), Jazeman Jaafar and Carlos Huertas (Carlin).

What they said

Kevin Magnussen: “It was a difficult race and I was under pressure from the cars behind me for a long time. The safety car stayed out for a long time too and I had to remain focused. Maybe Antonio was faster than me but I managed to keep my head. It was important to win today and obviously I’m very pleased with the result.”

Antonio Felix da Costa: “The first lap was a real test for me. I made two mistakes and then I had to give everything to stay in touch. We had some really good pace thanks to the team and I’m grateful to them. I just couldn’t quite pull off the win, though.”

Nigel Melker: “I’m very happy at finally getting on the podium. The temperatures caught us out this morning though we managed to get things under control in time for the race. After starting from so far back I never thought I’d get up to fourth so quickly. Finishing on the podium, just behind Kevin and Antonio, is a fantastic result for us.”

Climbing from fifth on the grid, Oliver Rowland (Manor MP Motorsport) scored his first Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 win of the year at Spa-Francorchamps, with Pierre Gasly (Tech 1 Racing) and Oscar Tunjo (Josef Kaufmann Racing) completing the podium.

Fastest in qualifying overall, Jake Dennis (Fortec Motorsports) started on the front of the grid alongside Oscar Tunjo, the quickest driver in Group A, with William Vermont (ARTA Engineering), Pierre Gasly and Oliver Rowland lining up behind them.

The polesitter made an excellent start to lead from Oscar Tunjo, while Pierre Gasly tried unsuccessfully to nose past William Vermont. It was Oliver Rowland who made the most incisive start of all, however, surging past William Vermont and Oscar Tunjo in the early stages and then taking the lead from Jake Dennis at the end of lap three.

A number of battles raged behind the leader, with Andrea Pizzitola (ART Junior Team) and William Vermont relinquishing sixth and seventh place respectively to the Prema Powerteam duo of Luca Ghiotto and Antonio Fuoco. Further down the field Benjamin Bailly (RC Formula) limped out after a shunt with Ignazio D’Agosto (KTR).

Oliver Rowland had stretched his lead over Jake Dennis by the midway point, with the poleman then dropping down two more positions as Pierre Gasly and Oscar Tunjo sliced past him.

Oliver Rowland was untroubled as he eased over the line with plenty to spare from Pierre Gasly and Oscar Tunjo. Andrea Pizzitola and Antonio Fuoco occupied the next two places after overtaking Jake Dennis, who came home sixth, and an unfortunate Luca Ghiotto, who was forced to retire with one lap remaining. William Vermont, Esteban Ocon (ART Junior Team), Stefan Wackerbauer (Interwetten.com Racing) and Mikko Pakari (Fortec Motorsports) rounded off the top ten ahead of Matthieu Vaxiviere (Tech 1 Racing), who nevertheless remains out front in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 standings, nine points clear of Oliver Rowland.

What they said

Oliver Rowland: “I started fifth and with so much competition around I wasn’t expecting to win. There were a few private duels going on out there and that helped me to keep out of trouble. We showed some good pace in testing and we needed everything to click in this race. Getting my first win of the year more than makes up for a disappointing qualifying session.”

Pierre Gasly: “I’m delighted with second. The car was fantastic and I managed to push past a few of my rivals. We needed to score points for the championship and it’s great to have picked some up.”

Oscar Tunjo: “I tried to grab the lead but it wasn’t to be and that made the rest of the race harder. We got the best out of the tyres but the drivers behind us on the grid were faster. It was a good effort to hold on to a podium place.”

If the timesheets in winter testing were anything to go by, the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title looked as if it would come down to a duel between Stoffel Vandoorne and Antonio Felix da Costa. Five races into the season, however, it is Kevin Magnussen who is dictating the pace.

There is a touch of Kimi Raikkonen about Kevin Magnussen, and not just because the Dane too has blond hair and steely blue eyes. Like the flying Finn, the 20-year-old Magnussen is a man of few words and as determined as they come, his burning ambition being to scale the heights and make it to F1, just like his father Jan, who appeared in 25 grands prix back in the 1990s. “He’s a typical Nordic type,” said DAMS General Manager Francois Sicard. “He might seem cool to begin with but he’s actually very warm and approachable. The main thing about him is his determination, though his team have managed to mellow him a little bit.”

After making his breakthrough in Formula Renault 2.0 and then F3, the Dane earned a place in the McLaren Young Driver Programme in 2010. In finishing seventh in last year’s Formula Renault 3.5 Series, he enjoyed a hugely productive weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, recording two pole positions and a race win. This season is one in which he was expected to fulfil his potential, and the Dane is doing just that. In among the points in each of this year’s five races, Magnussen has defied all predictions of a private battle between Vandoorne and Da Costa. “I don’t really read the press, so I don’t know what people have been saying,” commented the man himself. “I just focus on what I have to do. There are a lot of very good drivers in this championship and to win it you have to go out and score points every time
and win races whenever you get the chance to.”

“We weren’t absolutely relaxed but we weren’t worried either when we saw other drivers posting the fastest times this winter,” added Sicard. “The team and the drivers were just getting to know each other at first and then we started trying a lot of things out so we could get a better understanding of the car. There were times when we weren’t always heading in the right direction but we knew we would be competitive at the start of the season.”

After scoring two second places at Monza and a win at Motorland, Magnussen finished fourth at Monaco, successfully holding off a series of attacks by title rival Da Costa. “It was a good weekend in terms of the championship but there were three drivers who did better than me, so I can’t be entirely satisfied,” said the Dane, who is not about to start resting on his laurels. “I’m now going to get ready for Spa by spending as much time as I can with the team at Le Mans.”

France F4 champion in 2011, Matthieu Vaxiviere struggled on his Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 debut last year. Putting that all behind him at Motorland Aragon with two wins, the Frenchman has every intention of following up with another big weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

Matthieu, it must have felt great to get back to winning ways?
Absolutely! Last season was very tough but I never let my head drop. The team and my entourage opened my eyes about all the work I had to and it’s brought results.
I hope the bad times are behind me now because I’m thrilled with the way I’ve started the year. There’s still a long way to go this season, and I’m going to approach each meeting as if it were the start of a new championship.

Has staying with Tech 1 Racing worked to your advantage?
I have a very good understanding with the team. We worked together to overcome last year’s challenges and staying with them seemed to me to be the right choice, if not an obvious one. I’ve got a fantastic relationship with every member of the team and it’s important to build on a solid base.

You’re 18 and you’ve already had experience of single-seater racing in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 as well as GT and electric cars in the Andros Trophy. Would you describe yourself as a Jack of all trades?
I love the thrill of it. I get a huge rush when I’m at the wheel and there’s no place where I’m happier. Whenever I get a chance to drive I just can’t say no. My  objective is still F1 but I’m having fun at the moment, especially with this recent success.

Fresh from his maiden Formula Renault 3.5 Series win at Monaco last weekend, Nico Muller (International Draco Racing) stayed firmly in the limelight at Spa-Francorchamps, the Swiss racer posting the quickest time in the day’s collective testing ahead of Kevin Magnussen (DAMS) and Antonio Felix da Costa (Arden Caterham). Competing on home soil, Stoffel Vandoorne (Fortec Motorsports) had gone fastest in the wet in the morning.

Despite the rain relenting for the day’s opening session, the Belgian track was still damp when the drivers emerged. Making light of the testing conditions, Kevin Magnussen set the benchmark time before Carlos Sainz Jr (Zeta Corse) came to a halt on the track, triggering the first interruption of the day.

The Dane, who leads the points, remained on top on the resumption. After Christopher Zanella (ISR) slid off, bringing a premature end to his session, Sergey Sirotkin (ISR) then moved out front only for Stoffel Vandoorne to edge ahead with a time of 2:19.894, the Belgian eventually ending the morning in front of the DAMS duo of Kevin Magnussen and Norman Nato. Carlos Huertas (Carlin) and Carlos Sainz Jr rounded off the top five in a session that ended early when Arthur Pic (AV Formula) went off.

The second session began in the same way as the first, as Kevin Magnussen shot into an early lead before Zoel Amberg (Pons Racing) encountered trouble at La Source and brought proceedings to a temporary halt. Carlos Sainz and Antonio Felix da Costa (Arden Caterham) then made the most of improving conditions to post fastest times before Kevin Magnussen returned to the top of the pile once more.

Relegated to second place by his fellow countryman Marco Sorensen (Lotus), the Dane went quickest again in the final quarter of an hour, the prelude to a frenetic finale in which Nico Muller posted the day’s best time of 2:00.281, three hundredths faster than Kevin Magnussen. Finishing within the same tenth of a second were Antonio Felix da Costa, Stoffel Vandoorne and Will Stevens (P1 by Strakka Racing).

What they said

Nico Müller: “The weather is always unpredictable at Spa. We drove in all conditions and we tried out the new tyres. We’ve still got some adjustments to make but it’s been a good day for us. We’re confident about tomorrow, though the weather is sure to play a big part.”

Kevin Magnussen: “I’m happy with the way testing went. The car seems to be running well, and with a few adjustments we should be able to get in the points tomorrow. Spa was a good meeting for me last year, but to be honest that counts for nothing today.”

Stoffel Vandoorne: “It’s been a good day despite the weather. Luckily, the rain stopped just before the session started and the track gradually dried out. We put the new tyres on and tested them out, and I found some pace straightaway despite the traffic. It’s always a bonus to race at home, though you’re always in demand and you have to make sure you maintain your focus.”