Photos: Renault Sport/DPPI

The final year of Formula Renault 3.5 as we know it delivered another impressive champion. Peter Allen reviews the season and its leading contenders.

Formula Renault 3.5’s own star might have gradually faded – to the point where it has now lost its backing from the French car firm – but it has continued to produce star drivers and 2015 was all about its latest, Oliver Rowland.

Already a frontrunner as a rookie last year, Rowland was always supposed to win the title at the second attempt but that didn’t mean that watching his command over the field increase as the year progressed was not a joy to behold.

For a long time something of a rough diamond, the Racing Steps Foundation protege has now matured into top performer and undoubtedly has a great future if good opportunities fall his way.

On paper the field was not as strong as in previous years, but Rowland was not allowed to have it all his own way.

Matthieu Vaxiviere was a stubborn rival, who has come on leaps and bounds himself, while promising newcomers Egor Orudzhev, Tio Ellinas and Nyck de Vries took their chances to add victories as the season went on. The competition was tough enough that big-name arrivals Dean Stoneman and Tom Dillmann were left empty-handed.

It still remains to be seen how the series will fare under the name Formula 3.5 V8 and the leadership of its enthusiastic founder Jaime Alguersuari Sr, but in 2015 it remained a valued alternative at the top of the junior single-seater pyramid.

1. Oliver Rowland

United Kingdom, Fortec Motorsports, age 23

307 points, 8 wins, 13 podiums, 7 pole positions, 4 fastest laps

Rowland was only living up to expectations by winning the title in his second season, but it was impossible not to be impressed by the way in which he achieved it.

He took the form he showed to win twice last year and demonstrated it every single weekend. The result was a win at every double-header round (in Monaco he had to settle for the most stunning comeback drive to sixth).

The one negative was his failure to dominate a weekend ? an opportunity he spurned with a first-lap off in the final race at Jerez.

But that was the only significant mistake in a season in which he regularly got the most from his pace, whether that was enough to win or not.

It?s been long road to this point, but this year Rowland turned his potential into a first major championship. There?s much in common with predecessors Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz then, yet he surpassed their records.

And just like them, he wouldn?t look out of place in Formula 1. But relying on RSF’s support instead of an F1 team’s backing (there is contact, though), 2016 seems to be a toss-up between GP2 and DTM. Season rating: 9/10

2. Matthieu Vaxiviere

France, Lotus, age 20

234 points, 3 wins, 10 podiums, 5 pole positions, 5 fastest laps

A promising end to 2014 and an even stronger showing over winter testing meant that Vaxiviere started the season tipped to be one of Rowland?s toughest rivals.

His status as the only real competitor has undoubtedly boosted the Frenchman?s reputation.

Indeed, it is perhaps not surprising that the Anglo-French relations appeared to be so strong despite the rivalry. Vaxiviere provided competition that Rowland needed, while his ability to push the highly-rated Briton as hard as he did possibly leaves Vaxiviere in a better place than if he had won a Rowland-less ?easy? championship.

That he exceeded the 2014 points tally of Sainz says everything about how strong Vaxiviere was, even though he couldn?t take the title fight down to the wire.

He matched Rowland win-for-win at three of the opening four double-header weekends, and continued to make life difficult for his rival after that.

There were some ragged moments but it would be unfair to label him inconsistent. He is more than two years younger than Rowland, after all.

It remains to be seen what he does next, and uncertainty around the future of Lotus F1, Gravity and Renault doesn?t help, but he would surely go well in GP2. 9/10

3. Nyck de Vries

Netherlands, DAMS, age 20

160 points, 1 wins, 6 podiums, 1 pole position, 1 fastest lap

De Vries followed Robin Frijns, Stoffel Vandoorne and Pierre Gasly in stepping up as Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion with three years in single-seaters under his belt, and then finishing in the top three in the standings as top rookie.

Measure his season like that, plus a convincing first win in the final race, and it looks like a success.

However, while Frijns was champion, Vandoorne was a title contender and Gasly was also a runner-up, de Vries was always some way adrift.

It could have been quite different. De Vries could have been a winner on his debut at Aragon, but was outfoxed by Vaxiviere with just two corners to go in an embarrassing slip up.

DAMS struggled to be in a winning position again, but de Vries drove well to pick up a four further podiums and impressed under pressure at Jerez to clinch third in the standings in style.

That positive finish could give his backers McLaren yet another difficult decision. Under normal circumstances, the victory should have secured de Vries another season in 3.5 at least, but can McLaren justify the expenditure when it clearly has more pressing issues? 8/10

4. Tio Ellinas

Cyprus, Strakka Racing, age 23

135 points, 2 wins, 3 podiums, 2 pole positions

After being limited to a handful of GP2 events in 2014 due to a lack of funds, Ellinas was deservedly given a full season in FR3.5 by Strakka.

Expectations were high once his strong past record was combined with a promising pre-season, but the first half of the season was a bit of struggle ? he?d failed to even finish on the podium after the first nine races.

But things suddenly clicked after the August break, to dominate the first race at Silverstone from pole.

Another win followed a week later at the Nurburgring in difficult conditions, but although a second pole at Le Mans didn?t yield a win after poor race pace, fourth in the final standings was still a good return after the so-so start.

The proof of his season of two halves? Prior to the summer holiday he qualified in the top six just twice out of nine attempts, afterwards he made it eight times out of eight.

It would be great to see Ellinas back next season for a title challenge but Strakka may have other plans, with an LMP2 test lined up. 8/10

5. Egor Orudzhev

Russia, Arden Motorsport, age 20

133 points, 2 wins, 4 podiums

While those ahead were meeting expectations with their strong seasons, Orudzhev was a revelation.

We had seen his potential before in FR2.0 and the Toyota Racing Series, but for him to win twice and challenge for third overall was an overachievement.

After a modest start to the season ? although fourth in Monaco was a fine effort ? his Hungaroring win was a big surprise.

He was aided by the twisty circuit making it near impossible for the queue of cars behind to pass, but he did well to qualify on the front row and get into the lead and defended like a seasoned pro.

It still felt like a fluke though until he got to Le Mans, and capitalised on track knowledge that many rivals lacked to finish second in the first race and win again in the second.

It was another tight track, but once more he did a fine job to get to the front and stay there under pressure. Another second place followed at Jerez.

His form with Arden seems to have convinced backer SMP to opt for continuity ahead of 2016. He should start as a favourite but mustn?t repeat his disappointing second FR2.0 season. 8/10

6. Dean Stoneman

United Kingdom, DAMS, age 25

130 points, 4 podiums

Stoneman arrived in FR3.5 as a Red Bull Junior four years after his fight with cancer denied him a seat alongside Daniel Ricciardo. The move to replace Carlos Sainz at DAMS came off the back a storming GP3 campaign. If there was anybody Rowland should have been worried about, it was Stoneman.

Things got off to a bad start with a big testing crash, but he brushed that off with a podium in the first race. A strong second in Monaco and a third at Spa followed, but a second place to Rowland in Austria would be his final podium.

There was at least one non-score on six weekends, and two at Jerez relegated him from third to sixth in the standings.

There was lots of contact, particularly at starts, but his qualifying record was also poor, mustering a best of fourth, once. The latter undoubtedly contributed to the former.

For many reasons it?s hard to see a future for Stoneman as a Red Bull Junior, but he didn?t need this year to prove his talents. His GP2 debut in Sochi matched Rowland?s achievement of points from the back of the grid, and he could go even better if he keeps the seat. 7/10

7. Tom Dillmann

France, Carlin, age 26

122 points, 2 podiums, 1 pole position, 1 fastest lap

While a total newcomer to FR3.5, Dillmann?s experience as a top-level single-seater racer made him a logical recruit for Sean Gelael and family as they moved up from F3.

It was also a good move for Carlin, who had skipped the 2014 season after an uncompetitive showing in the season before.

The team had some catching up to do and so for the most part, Dillmann?s results were not as strong as would normally have been expected. A good driver can outperform his equipment in Monaco and Dillmann bagged a podium there, but fifth place was otherwise a common position in qualifying and races over the first half of the year.

Progress was clear to see by the end of the season, however, with his first four top-four qualifying results across the Nurburgring and Le Mans weekends before pole on the Saturday at Jerez, but a puncture denied him victory.

Despite his prolonged single-seater career, Dillmann?s been on the lookout for other opportunities and got one in the World Endurance Championship with Signatech-Alpine. He won on his debut but a particularly generous status as a silver-grade driver helped and is unlikely to last the winter, reducing the number of possible openings. 7/10

8. Jazeman Jaafar

Malaysia, Fortec Motorsports, age 22

118 points, 1 win, 4 podiums, 1 pole position, 1 fastest lap

Jaafar stayed in FR3.5 for a third season, and after campaigns with Carlin and ISR fell flat, surely joining Rowland at Fortec would move him to the front?

It certainly did to begin with. He was second to his team-mate in the first race at Aragon, then won from pole at Monaco, improving on his two previous podiums there.

He was now the points leader, a position strengthened by another second place in the first race at Spa. But a late qualifying exclusion on Sunday would put an end to his leadership, despite recovering to sixth.

His form went south from there. He was often nowhere in qualifying and the races he did start near the front were best summed up by Silverstone, where he shot to second off the line but then lost the tip of his nose against leader Ellinas.

Plenty more bad luck meant he was probably better than he looked, but he also wasn?t regularly quick enough compared to his team-mate.

Jaafar could try GP2 next but it may be time to move into another discipline. Petronas backing could open doors with Mercedes in Europe, or in Japan with top team TOM?S. 6/10

9. Gustav Malja

Sweden, Strakka Racing, age 20

79 points, 2 podiums

Two low-key seasons in FR2.0 meant his 2012 title challenge in ADAC Formel Masters was a bit of a distant memory when Malja made the step up to FR3.5. The move came after promising tests though, and two podiums and ninth in the standings proved he wasn?t out of his depth.

Taking the flag in the Jerez finale in fifth with Dillmann, Orudzhev, Jaafar and others cooped up behind him but with his team-mate Ellinas nearly 10 seconds up the road was quite a fitting end to the season for a driver whose results probably flattered his pace.

He was quick enough though to frequently qualify in the lower half of the top 10, and for a rookie he did well to avoid incidents with just one non-finish.

When he got into a good position he usually kept it, such as his third place in Hungary, 20 seconds behind the mighty Rowland and Vaxiviere. The other podium was almost a win, briefly getting ahead of Ellinas on the last lap as conditions worsened at the Nurburgring.

A second season in the series would make sense but, with good backing, he may be tempted into GP2 after scoring on his debut at Spa. 7/10

10. Pietro Fantin

Brazil, International Draco Racing, age 23

61 points, 1 podium, 1 fastest lap

This was Fantin?s third season in FR3.5 and his second with Draco, and in a way it was the same as 2014 with his best finish being a third place.

This time the solitary podium finish was achieved at Silverstone, but over the season he did score nearly twice as many points as last year thanks to also taking a fourth in Austria and a fifth in Monaco.

He could have been a winner. From a front row start at the Nurburgring he led the race by some margin but a safety car then eliminated his chances. He was fourth at the finish, but a penalty for pitting outside of the allowed window dropped him to ninth.

He promptly quit the team with two rounds remaining, but held onto the final place in the top 10.

Given Draco was never a pacesetting team with the latest FR3.5 car, Fantin put in some very respectable performances in his time there.

On the whole though, his spell of nearly three years in the series was underwhelming and it remains to be seen where he surfaces next. 6/10

11. Nicholas Latifi

Canada, Arden Motorsport, age 20

55 points, 1 fastest lap

Latifi committed to a full season of FR3.5 after getting a promising second-place finish at the end of a three-round stint at the end of last season.

He struggled to make any more of an impact than he did in Formula 3 last year though, and finished one place further back in the points.

There were no more podiums, but while he spent most of the time in the mid-pack, he did enjoy a few days among the frontrunners.

He was the frontrunner in the Saturday race at Spa after qualifying on the front row and then making a better start than poleman Vaxiviere, but he was pushed back to fourth as the race wore on.

He would match that result in Austria, and a final strong run came when he qualified third at Silverstone and finished fifth.

Latifi showed what he could do on occasion, but the pace was often not sufficient to make the most of his chances. Six non-finishes cost him too.

Further GP2 appearances suggest his heart may be set on that, but he?s also dabbled in Porsches. 6/10

12. Aurelien Panis

France, Tech 1 Racing, age 21

42 points

The son of Olivier Panis was another to make the step up from FR2.0, in his case after three years in the category with a best Eurocup position of ninth last year.

With Tech 1 having struggled in 2014 and with two unfancied rookies it was always going to be a challenging season, and in that context Panis actually did a pretty decent job.

His first points came with seventh in the attritional Monaco race, a result he repeated at the following events at Spa and the Hungaroring with more top 10s coming in Austria and Britain.

His best weekend was undoubtedly on home soil at Le Mans, taking fifth and sixth in the races. The first result came from ninth on the grid after a good opening lap, while the second came after a fine fourth in qualifying.

That was his only top-eight starting position of the year with qualifying something of a weakness, but he made pretty good progress in races.

An LMP2 team his father’s formed with Tech 1 seems purpose built for Panis, and though he’s carried on testing in 3.5 since the end of the season, a dual programme could always be possible. 6/10

13. Roy Nissany

Israel, Tech 1 Racing, age 20

27 points, 1 podium

Much of what was said about Panis could be valid for his team-mate Nissany (whose father Chanoch?s F1 exploits were not quite as successful).

Nissany?s total points tally was a bit lower, and he did come from Formula 3 rather than FR2.0, but he did get a standout podium finish.

He?d secured fourth on the grid for the second Spielberg race on a drying track in qualifying, moved ahead of de Vries to take third on the opening lap and had no trouble holding the position until the end despite a dry race.

That had been Nissany?s first top 10 start of the season but better was to come at the Nurburgring when he qualified third ? this time in normal conditions ? only for the race to be mixed this time and he quickly fell to the rear.

His podium aside, his best results were a pair of eighths and a pair of ninths.

Testing at Aragon suggests Nissany is eyeing another year in the series in 2016. 6/10

14. Roberto Merhi

Spain, Pons Racing, age 24

26 points, 1 podium

After running compatriot Carlos Sainz close to the 2014 title, a lack of budget forced Merhi to do a deal to continue in FR3.5 with Pons. He was then given a last-minute Formula 1 debut by Manor, but unsure how long that would last, he remained faithful to Pons and its sponsors.

It was a challenging start, though. His car was uncompetitive and Merhi scored just two points in his first four races.

Feeling no progress was being made, he walked out on Friday night in Hungary but was convinced back after an engine change. He promptly finished second.

That speed carried onto Spielberg, but after finishing fourth on the road in race one he slowed abruptly and was hit by Latifi. Merhi was punished with exclusion from the weekend. He had qualified on the front row for the second race.

After a date clash prevented him from being at Silverstone, Merhi chose not to return ? soon before learning he had to start sharing his F1 drive. He may have decided he had nothing to gain from continuing, but Pons has shown speed since with far less qualified drivers. 6/10

The rest

Meindert van Buuren began the season as Vaxiviere?s Lotus team-mate. Or more precisely, he began the season by leading the opening race after forcing his polesitting team-mate down to fourth, having jumped the start. The fifth place he was left with once relegated by a time penalty would be his best result before a contractual fall-out preceded a one-off return to his 2014 team Pons at Spielberg.

Marlon Stockinger made a comeback with the Lotus team in van Buuren?s place and qualified for his first race in second, but all he had to show for his eight races was a sixth and a seventh. Nick Yelloly occupied the seat on home soil at Silverstone and after a difficult start to the weekend he was third in Sunday qualifying, but a grid penalty forced him to settle for seventh.

Alfonso Celis continued his accelerated career path with a full season for AVF alongside a second GP3 campaign. He scored only at Aragon and the Nurburgring, but finished fourth in the mixed conditions in Germany. The first driver to commit to 2016, good progress could be made if he gets an experienced team-mate.

He outscored his 2015 team-mate Beitske Visser by 17 to three. That?s not really representative of their relative speeds but the Dutchwoman did struggle to build upon the occasional promise of 2014. The step up from F4-level, though enforced by commercial reasons, evidently hasn?t worked out but big potential remains if she can get an alternative opportunity in 2016.

The other driver to do the full season was Sean Gelael. He did well to take eighth in Monaco but scored points on just two other occasions. Despite him still only being 18 when the season ended, the focus is now on GP2 where things won?t get any easier.

Gelael?s fellow Indonesian Philo Paz Armand was one of eight drivers used by Pons during the campaign. He got a single point from nine starts, also in the Monaco race, one place behind Merhi’s substitute for that weekend, Alex Fontana.

Taking over the Armand car for the final three rounds was Euroformula Open regular Yu Kanamaru and the Japanese driver was pretty impressive, on the pace immediately and a fine sixth at Le Mans.

In the Merhi car, Pons called up Will Bratt at Silverstone for his first single-seater drive for more than four years. GP2 regular Rene Binder stepped in at the Nurburgring and was eighth in race two before Auto GP refugee Nikita Zlobin took over for the final two rounds.

At Draco, Bruno Bonifacio had a dire rookie campaign with just a single point at Aragon, but can take inspiration from his former Prema FR2.0 and Abarth team-mate Luca Ghiotto, whose stint in the very same car in 2014 wasn?t miles better and evidently didn?t harm him.

Bonifacio left Draco at the same time as Fantin, leading to Andre Negrao being drafted in for the final two events before his father Guto sold the outfit.

Propping up the championship table was Louis Deletraz, who used an off weekend from dominating FR2.0 to make his 3.5 debut at Spielberg (and enable Comtec to make its only appearance of the season). The Eurocup crown slipped through his fingers but he?ll almost certainly step up full-time next year.

The post 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series season review appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service

Andre Negrao is poised to return to Formula Renault 3.5 at Le Mans this weekend with the Draco team.

The Brazilian is the only driver for the team on the entry list for the French event, with regular drivers Pietro Fantin and Bruno Bonifacio absent as of Thursday.

Draco is owned by Guto Negrao, the father of Andre.

Negrao Jr raced for Draco in FR3.5 for three seasons between 2011 and 2013, finishing 10th in the standings in his final year.

He’s since competed in GP2 for Arden, and although he finished 12th in the championship in his rookie campaign, at present he is 21st having not scored since the opening round in Bahrain.

Fantin sits 10th in the FR3.5 standings having scored the team’s first podium of the year at Silverstone at the start of the month and led the last race at the Nurburgring. Rookie Bonifacio scored his only point of the campaign at Aragon in April.

The post Andre Negrao back in FR3.5 with Draco for Le Mans appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Paul Davies Photography

Formula Renault 3.5 championship leader Oliver Rowland headed an interrupted second Friday practice session at the Nurburgring.

The Briton, a race winner at Silverstone last Sunday, sat on top of the times during the middle of the session and stayed there until a red flag brought an end to proceedings a couple of minutes early.

The Fortec driver’s time was four tenths better than the benchmark set in the morning session by Dean Stoneman.

The Strakka Racing pairing of Gustav Malja and Tio Ellinas – the other winner in Britain – finished up second and third respectively.

Swede Malja, a multiple winner at the Nurburgring in lower categories, was just 28 thousandths of a second adrift of Rowland, with Ellinas 0.195 seconds away.

Stoneman was fourth fastest ahead of Pietro Fantin and Rowland’s title rival Matthieu Vaxiviere.

Nyck de Vries took seventh followed by fellow Dutch driver Beitske Visser, with Nicholas Latifi and Bruno Bonifacio rounding out the top 10 quickest drivers.

The Carlin pairing of Tom Dillmann and Sean Gelael both stopped on track early in the session before getting representative times on the board, meaning they propped up the 20 runners.

Pons debutants Rene Binder and Yu Kanmaru were 16th and 18th respectively.

Session results

The post Oliver Rowland tops second Nurburgring FR3.5 practice appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Gregory Lenormand / DPPI

Jazeman Jaafar continues to impress in Monaco, having converted a pole position into his maiden win in Formula Renault 3.5.

He will also leave the track with the championship lead after both Oliver Rowland and Matthieu Vaxiviere, the drivers ahead of him in the standings, hit trouble during the race.

Starting from second, Rowland got a better launch than Jaafar and was close to take the lead, only to suffer a puncture after Vaxiviere hit his rear at turn one.

The Frenchman’s mistake also caused Nyck de Vries, Tio Ellinas and Gustav Malja to drop down to the back of the order, the Swede even retired after his car stopped.

Alfonso Celis was also an early victim of the race, having lost control of his car at the chicane after Tabac.

The race got red-flagged when Meindert van Buuren collected Bruno Bonifacio‘s car while braking into turn one, both of them hitting the barriers at high speed. Bonifacio was taken by stretcher to hospital after the incident for checks.

After the restart, Rowland was the one to provide the action, having recovered from 12th to sixth with impressive overtakes at various corners including Mirabeau and the Swimming Pool.

It was all calm at the front with Jaafar staying in the lead until the finish ahead of Dean Stoneman and Tom Dillmann.

Arden’s Egor Orudzhev?and Draco’s Pietro Fantin survived in fourth and fifth ahead of Rowland.

Aurelien Panis managed to hold off Rowland for a respectable amount of time but ultimately the Frenchman had to settle for seventh followed by Indonesian Sean Gelael and?FR3.5 debutant Alex Fontana.

De Vries managed to finish inside the top ten despite being one of the victims of the incident at the start.

UPDATE: De Vries has been relegated to 11th due to a 10-seconds time penalty. Philo Armand inherits the final top ten position to collect his first point of the season.

*Nyck de Vries received a 10-second time penalty after the race.

The post Jaafar takes maiden FR3.5 victory and championship lead in Monaco appeared first on Formula Scout.

But this year, while GP2 is on the rise, FR3.5 appears to be facing some difficulties – the grid number has remained at just 20 despite Carlin’s return, while the FIA’s decision to reward the series champion with only 30 superlicense points out of the required 40 can’t have helped either.

Despite that, it’s definitely far from doom and gloom as the championship secured high-profile returnees in Oliver Rowland and Roberto Merhi and big-name rookies in Tio Ellinas and Dean Stoneman.

A steady flow from graduates from the feeder series Eurocup FR2.0, meanwhile, ensures that there will be depth to the field.

Below, we take a look at the 20 names who will contest World Series by Renault’s top single-seater event in 2015.

DAMS

After returning to Formula Renalt 3.5 in 2012, DAMS have become a juggernaut in the series, leading Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz to titles and subsequent F1 seats. But both Magnussen and Sainz had previous FR3.5 experience heading into their title campaigns – neither of their 2015 drivers do. Going by the pre-season, the French team will face a tough title defence.

1. Nyck de Vries

Photo: Lorenzo Charlez / AS Media

Netherlands, age 20
2014: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, champion; Formula Renault 2.0 Alps, champion

After dominating Formula Renault 2.0 in 2014, the Dutchman heads into his rookie campaign in an unenviable position – of the three last Eurocup champions, none finished lower than second in a subsequent switch to FR3.5.

And de Vries, a karting superstar back in the day, has been rated as highly as any of his predecessors. His reputation was damaged with a tough 2013 season but 22 podiums in 28 races last year should have gone a long way to convincing McLaren he’s worth retaining as a junior.

The DAMS team that de Vries will be tackling FR3.5 with appears as good as they get, but his pre-season has been somewhat muted – often outside of the top ten and never troubling the top three.

Still, the Dutchman’s obvious accolades are no fluke so don’t rule him out of contention just yet. And, even if this proves to be a learning year only, he’ll probably start fighting for wins as he gains more experience.

2. Dean Stoneman

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Great Britain, age 24
2014: GP3, second

Stoneman’s debut in Formula Renault 3.5 took place in 2010 ahead of a planned full-time switch the following year. But a cancer diagnosis ended his rookie campaign before it even began and made it seem unlikely he’d ever return to the series.

And yet here he is, back against all odds and very much on merit, too. His full-time return to single-seaters in 2014 was nothing short of immense as he won five races on his way to runner-up in GP3.

Red Bull were certainly impressed, handing him a spot in their junior programme. And, as he enters FR3.5 in the colours of the Austrian energy drink company, expectations will be high – after all, Red Bull juniors did lock out the top two spots last year.

But in Stoneman, Red Bull have a very versatile and rapid driver who adapts to new surroundings in no time. Pre-season suggests he’ll be up there from the get go and, running with DAMS, he’s likely to have a say in the title fight.

Fortec Motorsports

They’ve been a top-three Formula Renault 3.5 team since 2011 and took Robin Frijns to the drivers’ title in 2012, but Fortec are yet to take the series’ teams’ championship. They narrowly missed out on the honours last year with a powerhouse lineup of Sergey Sirotkin and Oliver Rowland but, as the latter makes his return, 2015 might just be the year.

3. Jazeman Jaafar

Photo: Lorenzo Charlez / AS Media

Malaysia, age 22
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, tenth

After narrowly missing out on the British F3 crown, Jaafar has been steadily improving in Formula Renault 3.5 as he now enters his third season in the category.

A tough rookie season for an off-form Carlin side did feature a Monaco podium and he was much better last year as ISR’s sole entrant in their outgoing campaign.

In Fortec, he has as good a team as an FR3.5?driver can ask for to take himself to that next level and, as such, 2015 will be a huge year for Jaafar. The Petronas-backed driver now?absolutely?has to deliver on his earlier potential.

And he might just. He was outstanding in the pre-season, posting top-five times in each session, and could very well spring a title challenge if things go his way.

4. Oliver Rowland

Photo: Alvaro Rivero / DPPI

Great Britain, age 22
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, fourth

Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly might have ended the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 season as the top newcomer, but his 2013 Eurocup title rival Rowland sure gave him a run for his money.

On his day, Rowland was unstoppable, his two wins?an exercise in domination. He also comfortably beat his highly-rated sophomore teammate Sergey Sirotkin and, if luck had been on his side, could have very well ended the season as runner-up.

The Racing Steps Foundation-backed racer will now have another chance to claim the FR3.5 crown, returning for another season with Fortec as the overwhelming title favourite.

That is, of course, on paper. In the pre-season, Rowland was certainly quick, but didn’t end up actually?topping any of the sessions, coming 0.004s short at Jerez. Still, the Brit didn’t exactly have anything to prove in testing and, by all counts, remains the top dog as the series heads into the Aragon opener.

Arden Motorsport

They’ve been a force to be reckoned with since Antonio Felix da Costa’s arrival midway through 2012, but this year will, in a way, be different for Arden. For once, the British team will not run a car for any Red Bull juniors – and those accounted for 18 of the squad’s 20 podiums in three years. But don’t mistake their season for a write-off as Arden’s ‘independent’ lineup is still very much solid.

5. Nicholas Latifi

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Canada, age 19
2014: European F3, tenth; Formula Renault 3.5, 6 races

Is there another driver on the Formula Renault 3.5 grid as unpredictable as Nicholas Latifi? Probably not, going by the Canadian’s results in the 2014 season.

Latifi was just tenth overall in European F3, overshadowed by Prema teammates Esteban Ocon and Antonio Fuoco. And yet, he was nothing short of fantastic in the Ferrari-run Florida Winter Series and ended a part-time stint in Formula Renault 3.5 with a surprising yet merited podium finish.

With form as positive as that, he is certainly a welcome addition to the grid but it’s really hard to gage how well he’ll go or how he’ll stack up to his teammate.

And pre-season wasn’t much help – he was near the top on day one of four, but slid further down the order over the remaining sessions.

6. Egor Orudzhev

Photo: Lorenzo Charlez / AS Media

Russia, age 19
2014: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, eighth

Just like with his teammate, it’s not exactly clear what to expect from Orudzhev. He was tenth in the 2012 edition of French F4 but fared much better with the step up to Formula Renault 2.0 than any of his counterparts.

It took him just four races to get on the podium in the famously competitive Eurocup and he finished 2013 as top rookie. Yet a title onslaught in the sophomore year didn’t follow – instead, Orudzhev wound up just eighth, one spot down on his debut season.

He does have a reputation for being brilliant in the rain – Orudzhev’s first FR2.0 podium came in the wet, as did his guest win in British F3 and victory in Toyota Racing Series at Highlands.

The Russian has been all over the timesheets in testing but will probably be in the points for much of the season.

Lotus

The Charouz-run Lotus team has been one of Formula Renault 3.5’s most reliable midfielders since joining the series in 2011 as they finished all four seasons between fifth and seventh. But their form in late 2014 coupled with the off-season suggests the Czech team could be making a step forward.

9. Matthieu Vaxiviere

Photo: Alvaro Rivero / DPPI

France, age 20
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, eighth

Vaxiviere has struggled to live up to expectations since taking the French F4 title in 2011 as his two seasons in the Eurocup FR2.0 yielded just 58 points – 50 of which came in a phenomenal, but ultimately unrepresentative Aragon round.

His single-seater career seemed in peril when he got injured early in his FR3.5 debut season last year. But he returned a different driver, beating his more experienced teammate Marlon Stockinger in seven of eight races and clinching two podiums.

The Frenchman then ominously topped four testing sessions in the post-season and four more in the pre-season and was generally everpresent at the front.

No other driver has been as noticable in testing but it still remains to be seen whether Vaxiviere is this quick in race trim. If he is, this season will make him a star.

10. Meindert van Buuren

Photo: Alvaro Rivero / DPPI

Netherlands, age 20
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, 19th

A podium finisher in his sophomore season in FR2.0 NEC and in Auto GP, van Buuren made a surprise switch to Formula Renault 3.5 last year and was never going to make headlines, having joined a Pons Racing outfit that was going through a rough patch in the series.

With that in mind, scoring on five occasions and finishing 20th was a reasonable effort and van Buuren did secure an on-merit fifth place at the Hungaroring.

Now that he’s with Lotus, expectations will be much higher and he’ll do well to not be completely overshadowed by an in-form teammate.

But van Buuren did look very solid in the pre-season testing, posting top-ten times in six out of eight sessions. In FR3.5, he’s a capable pair of hands and should certainly contribute to Lotus’ teams’ championship campaign.

Strakka Racing

Nick Leventis’ sportscar team Strakka took a punt on Formula Renault 3.5 in 2013, buying the P1 Motorsport entry, and have proven to be a very solid addition to the grid. Sixth in both years, they should be going into their third season with high hopes after a very promising pre-season.

11. Tio Ellinas

Photo: Alvaro Rivero / DPPI

Cyprus, age 23
2014: GP2, 8 races

Tio Ellinas making a full-time return to single-seaters is a very welcome sight for anyone who’s watched the Cypriot in Formula Renault UK and GP3.

He certainly deserved more than just a few GP2 outings in 2014, but a lack of funds and parting ways with Marussia F1 prevented him making his expected Formula Renault 3.5 debut last year.

But he’s gotten the deal together now, linking up with Strakka in what appears to be a long-term commitment – frankly nothing less than he deserves.

For someone who hasn’t raced in Formula Renault 3.5 yet, Ellinas looked immense in the pre-season, topping two sessions at Aragon. Expect him to fully repay Strakka’s trust in 2015.

12. Gustav Malja

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Sweden, age 19
2014: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, 12th; Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, fifth

Malja’s Strakka deal was probably not met with much enthusiasm by those who only know him from his Eurocup Formula Renault efforts – a series where he did not make the podium in two seasons.

But the Swede’s clearly no slouch, having nearly beaten current GP3 star Marvin Kirchhofer to the ADAC Formel Masters title in 2012. And, while he was average in the Eurocup, it’s unfair to say he’s not proven himself in Renault 2.0, having amassed two NEC wins last year.

Still, he’ll need to deliver relatively early on to justify the move. But pre-season signs have been encouraging as he’s featured in the top ten for most of the running.

If Ellinas represents Strakka’s hopes in the drivers’ championship, it will fall on Malja to see them finish higher than sixth in the teams’ standings this time around.

AVF

15. Alfonso Celis, Jr.

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Mexico, age 18
2014: GP3, 21st; Formula Renault 3.5, 2 races

At just 18, Celis looks set to be one of the busiest drivers in junior single-seaters as he’ll contest both Formula Renault 3.5 and GP3 in 2015. But it’s par for the course for a driver who’s already sampled most of the major junior formulae in Europe.

The Mexican’s first steps in Europe – sixth in the Formula BMW Talent Cup and a podium finish on his way to 11th in FR2.0 NEC – were fairly encouraging. But he was largely anonymous in GP3 last year.

But, to his credit, when he showed up at the Nurburgring for a FR3.5 one-off with Tech 1, he was not out of his depth, delivering two solid finishes.

Celis did not break into the top ten in any of the pre-season’s test sessions, though, and is unlikely to fight for points from the get go.

16. Beitske Visser

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Netherlands, age 20
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, 21st

The 11 points and two top-ten finishes scored by Visser in 2014 have prompted some to lump her into the same category as other, less successful female drivers.

That could only come from them dramatically misreading the subtext of her rookie season – one that took place after just two years in cars, both of which were spent in the entry-level ADAC Formel Masters series, where she won three races.

The magnitute of the step from Formel Masters to Formula Renault 3.5 is outrageous and, in that sense, she’s coped fairly well, especially considering the breakthrough finish of fifth at Jerez.

And she looks to have improved greatly, enjoying a consistent pre-season which featured three sessions in the top five. Testing can be a fluke but it would be ill-advised to bet against her becoming the first female driver to claim a FR3.5 podium.

Tech 1 Racing

The times when Tech 1 bossed Formula Renault 3.5, taking four titles in sixth years, seem long gone and the French team has not won a FR3.5 race since September 2012. Unlike last year, they did manage to secure two full-season drivers in plenty of time, but with neither having any FR3.5 experience, the winless streak is unlikely to end this year.

17. Roy Nissany

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Israel, age 20
2014: European F3, 17th

Nissany’s certainly not without potential – he’s been a podium finisher in his rookie ADAC Formel Masters campaign and won a race in his sophomore year.

But he does not have much to show for the two years he spent in F3, which yielded 22nd and 17th in the standings.

At 20, he still had the time hone his skills further at the lower levels, but has decided to progress to the powerful Formula Renault 3.5 machinery.

He was largely at the back in testing, with a best session result of 15th, but given Tech 1’s experience in the category, late-season points should be a realistic goal.

18. Aurelien Panis

Photo: Alvaro Rivero / DPPI

France, age 20
2014: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, ninth

Aurelien Panis seemed to finally get the hang of Formula Renault 2.0 racing in his third season in the category last year, winning a race in NEC and another in the Eurocup – both from pole position in a very comfortable fashion.

He finished the Eurocup season as the top ART Junior Team driver, which must’ve seriously convinced his backers as he has been deemed ready for the move to Formula Renault 3.5.

His presence on the FR3.5 grid is likely to be fairly popular with fans due to him being the son of an ex-F1 French favorite and racing for a reputable French team.

But his pre-season results have been pretty similar to those of teammate Nissany and it might be a while before he becomes a regular points contender.

International Draco Racing

Draco have been a loyal Formula Renault 3.5 outfit since the series’ very inception and have certainly earned their share of plaudits, ending five seasons in the top three. 2014 was definitely not one of their best but there were plenty of encouraging signs – and, while fighting with the current top squads is probably too much to ask for, the Brazilian team might at least be back in form this season.

19. Pietro Fantin

Photo: Alvaro Rivero / DPPI

Brazil, age 23
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, 15th

The first two seasons of Fantin’s single-seater career brimmed with promise – he took five podiums in a nine-race stint in F3 Sudamericana and beat some very strong names in his rookie season in British F3.

But the Brazilian has not been as noticeable since then. He was only eighth in his sophomore campaign in Britain and had two middling years in Formula Renault 3.5, albeit scoring a well-deserved podium at Moscow Raceway in 2014.

Continuing for another season with Draco, the testing pace has been encouraging – he was in the top ten in all but one session, which he finished in 11th.

But he was similarly quick in the pre-season of 2014 and only ended up 15th at the end of that campaign, so it remains to be seen if he can convert testing form into race results.

20. Bruno Bonifacio

Photo: Lorenzo Charlez / AS Media

Brazil, age 20
2014: Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, sixth

His 2014 Eurocup title campaign might have run out of steam after just four races, but Bonifacio is still quite an exciting prospect.

Bonifacio has proven himself year after year in F3 Sudamericana, Formula Abarth and FR2.0 Alps and has surely done enough to get a Formula Renault 3.5 drive on merit.

Despite his prowess in Formula Renault 2.0, his pre-season ahead of the switch to its parent series has been a bit rocky. For most of testing, he’s certainly strugged to match experienced teammate Fantin on pace.

But he’s likely to get better as the season progresses and should certainly hope to significantly contribute to Draco’s points tally.

Jagonya Ayam with Carlin

After a weak 2013 showing, Carlin didn’t manage to attract drivers with enough budget to even justify a 2014 campaign, instead focusing on other single-seater championships. But KFC Indonesia’s support means they can easily afford to participate this time around and the championship is very much richer for that.

25. Sean Gelael

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Indonesia, age 18
2014: European F3, 18th

2015 might mark Gelael’s fourth year in junior single-seaters but the Indonesian is still very much a work in progress and will start the season as the grid’s youngest driver.

He’s enjoyed a great debut back in 2012 in Formula Pilota China, taking fourth, but seemed a bit inexperienced for FIA F3 in 2013 and improved only marginally amidst a series increase in grid quality the year after.

Getting to grips with Formula Renault 3.5 won’t be an easy task but he’s got a very prestigious team and a strong teammate to help ease the transition.

He started the pre-season at the back but seemed to get much better with sufficient track time, even logging the third-best time in the final Jerez session.

26. Tom Dillmann

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

France, age 26
2014: Porsche Carrera Cup France, third; GP2, 8 races

Dillmann’s not the most obvious choice to partner/coach Gelael in Formula Renault 3.5 – he doesn’t have any races in the category and seemed done with single-seaters just a year ago – but there aren’t many better free agents than him.

A German F3 champion and podium finisher on his sole outing with Carlin in GP3, the Frenchman is most well-known for his rookie win in GP2 as he took an against-odds race win at Sakhir in 2012.

After a learning first day of the pre-season, he did not drop lower than seventh over the remainder of testing.

A title campaign is probably not on the cards, but he’s definitely more than capable of helping Carlin back into the series and easing his teammate’s learning process. And he’ll surely add a Formula Renault 3.5 podium to his CV in no time.

Pons Racing

Pons Racing are a team of huge historical significance for Formula Renault 3.5, having taken the last-ever title in its predecessor, World Series by Nissan. But they have no wins in the championship since 2009 and have finished the last three seasons either penultimate or dead last. Signing Roberto Merhi means their winless streak is likely to come to an end, but they’ll need to step up their game to make the Spaniard a title contender.

39. Philopaz Patric Armand

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Indonesia, age 19
2014: Formula Renault 2.0 Alps, 19th

Patric Armand joining Formula Renault 3.5 two years out of karting and without any podium finishes in his two years in Formula Renault 2.0 is the definition of a bold move.

He wasn’t out of his depth in FR2.0, finishing just two seconds away from an Alps podium at Pau. But his 40 races in cars make for a much smaller tally than that of anyone else on the grid.

With that in mind, he’s done a reasonable job in testing, even breaking into the top ten on one occasion.

But it’ll definitely be tough for the Indonesian to strive for anything more than a one-off suprise finish in the points in this campaign.

40. Roberto Merhi

Photo: Ferran Mallol / AS Media

Spain, age 24
2014: Formula Renault 3.5, third

After losing his DTM drive, Merhi has done a monumental job in Formula Renault 3.5 last season, managing a proper title effort with underdog team Zeta Corse and revitalising his career.

He’s been rewarded with an F1 seat but, with that deal coming together on a race-by-race basis, he’ll continue to tackle Formula Renault 3.5 as well.

Merhi’s 2015 season has not been off to a smooth start – he’s been rather thoroughly and perplexingly outperformed by F1 teammate Will Stevens and does not appear to have any job security at Manor.

His pre-season testing form in FR3.5, meanwhile, has been erratic. He was quickest in the first session at Jerez, but was nowhere at Aragon.

Then again, he was also largely anonymous during the Formula Renault 3.5 pre-season in 2014 and everyone knows how that ended up. Merhi is still very much a superb driver and he is not to be counted out.

Calendar

Aragon ? 25-26 April
Monaco ? 24 May
Spa-Francorchamps ? 30-31 May
Hungaroring ? 13-14 June
Spielberg ? 11-12 July
Silverstone ? 5-6 September
Nurburgring ? 12-13 September
Le Mans ? 26-27 September
Jerez – 17-18 October

The post 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 driver-by-driver season preview appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Renault Sport

Matthieu Vaxiviere remained at the head of the Formula Renault 3.5 field as the first day of the Formula Renault 3.5 test at Aragon came to an end.

After setting the pace in the morning, the Lotus team’s driver went back to the top of the times in the closing stages of the day and, as the majority of the field set their best times at the chequered flag, lowered his benchmark to a 1m40.635s.

Second-placed Dean Stoneman was one of those to improve at the end, but the new Red Bull Junior was over half a second down on Vaxiviere.

Egor Orudzhev got up to third at the close of the session for Arden ahead of Fortec’s Jazeman Jaafar and Strakka’s Jerez test pace-setter Tio Ellinas.

As in the morning, Tom Dillmann led the times for a while before ending up sixth for Carlin. Vaxiviere’s new team-mate Meindert van Buuren was seventh in front of the second Strakka driver Gustav Malja, Draco’s Bruno Bonifacio and pre-season title favourite Oliver Rowland, who was a second off the pace in tenth.

The late stoppage was triggered by the afternoon’s slowest runner, Philo Paz Armand.

Afternoon session results

The post Matthieu Vaxiviere stays ahead in afternoon of first Aragon test day appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Jorge Cunha / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Lotus driver Matthieu Vaxiviere enjoyed a return to his 2014 post-season form in the final session of the Formula Renault 3.5 test at Jerez.

Vaxiviere comfortably topped the charts, clearing his rivals by more than four tenths in the closing minutes of the run.

With the session ending early due to a red flag, it was Fortec’s Oliver Rowland who took second, with Carlin’s Sean Gelael in third.

Their teammates – Tom Dillmann of Carlin and Jazeman Jaafar of Fortec – were right behind the Indonesian, completing the top five.

DAMS driver Nyck de Vries was the final driver within a second of the lead, with compatriot Meindert van Buuren following behind.

Draco’s Brazilian duo Bruno Bonifacio and Pietro Fantin were eighth and tenth respectively, split by Patric Armand of Pons.

Strakka’s Tio Ellinas clocked in only seven laps in the afternoon, but remained as the pacesetter of both days of running.

Session results

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Photo: Alvaro Villa

Draco have confirmed that Bruno Bonifacio will race its second car in Formula Renault 3.5 this year, forming an all-Brazilian driver pairing alongside Pietro Fantin.

The 20-year-old makes the step up from Formula Renault 2.0, where he finished fifth in the Eurocup in 2014.

The champion of the Light class of F3 Sudamericana in 2011 with 12 wins from 14 starts, he made his European single-seater debut later that year in Formula Abarth, contesting four rounds with Prema Powerteam. He was a title contender the following year, finishing third in the European series.

With Prema, he moved into FR2.0 towards the end of 2012 before contesting the full season the following year. He finished third in the Alps series with three victories, and was 15th in the Eurocup.

Last year he began the Eurocup season with a win and three other podiums from the first four races to jointly lead the standings with eventual champion Nyck de Vries, but his season then tailed off.

He tested with the Draco FR3.5 squad at the end of the year, and has now completed a deal to race for the team in his rookie season in the category. He joins compatriot Fantin, who stays on for a second campaign with the Italian-based squad owned by Brazilian Guto Negrao, father of former Draco driver Andre.

“You cannot imagine my happiness in having successfully concluded negotiations with the Draco to race in Formula Renault 3.5,” said Bonifacio.

“I never had any doubt that this would be the category and the team for me this year and I have done everything possible to make it happen.

“After the tests at Jerez and Alcaniz my belief in the team was confirmed. After a winter in which I trained hard in Brazil, I’m ready for this new and certainly not easy adventure, and I hope to repay the trust with many good results for Draco. “

Negrao added: “I have followed the career of Bruno’s for many years and I have always appreciated his qualities.

“Now that he has matured, I am happy to be able to deploy him in my team in a category as important and competitive as FR3.5.

“Alongside his experienced compatriot Pietro Fantin, who will face his third season in the series, Bonifacio will have a chance to mature properly by having a valuable reference.

“For the first time we are entirely Brazilian and that makes me proud. Being able to help drivers from my country is always a source of satisfaction. Now we just have to collect the desired results and wave our flag on the podium as often as possible.”

Draco are the seventh FR3.5 team to confirm two drivers for the coming season, following Carlin, Lotus, Arden, Tech 1, AVF and DAMS.

2015 Formula Renault 3.5 line-up so far

The post Bonifacio confirmed for second Draco seat in FR3.5 appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Alvaro Villa

Nicholas Latifi posted the fastest time during the morning session on the final day of Formula Renault 3.5 post-season testing at Motorland Aragon.

Returning to the Arden car raced by 2014 runner-up Pierre Gasly after spending Tuesday at Lotus, the Canadian moved to the top of the times inside the final ten minutes of the morning with a lap of 1m40.479s.

It is the week’s best time so far – four thousandths of a second faster than Matthieu Vaxiviere went on Tuesday afternoon.

Two-time 2014 race winner Oliver Rowland was made to settle for second on his one and only day of post-season running with Fortec ahead of a possible return for next year, and was 0.326s slower than Latifi.

Andrea Pizzitola came close to keeping the Lotus team on top for a fourth time from five sessions this week before being shuffled down to third place. Pietro Fantin ended up fourth after having two times deleted after his Draco car was found to be underweight.

European F3 frontrunner Lucas Auer was fifth in the second Arden car, while FR2.0 graduate Egor Orudzhev was again in the top six after moving from Arden to Fortec.

AVF’s Beitske Visser was seventh ahead of Vaxiviere, second Draco driver Bruno Bonifacio and Eurocup champion Nyck de Vries of DAMS.

Two drivers making their debuts in FR3.5 cars completed the 20 runners – GP3 racers Marvin Kirchhofer at Comtec and Nelson Mason at Pons.

Morning session results

The post Latifi tops final morning of FR3.5 Aragon test appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Jorge Cunha / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

World Series by Renault have released the preliminary entry list for the three-day Formula Renault 3.5 test at Motorland Aragon.

Teams’ champions DAMS will field Nyck de Vries in their title-winning #1 car for the entirety of the test, with the Dutchman set to step up to the series with the French team in 2015. Malaysian racer Jazeman Jaafar, who contested two seasons in FR3.5 and scored two Monaco podiums, will join de Vries on Monday and Wednesday, with the Tuesday driver still to be announced.

Canadian racer Nicholas Latifi, who took a surprise podium during his guest outing in the final race of the 3.5 season at Jerez, will run with Arden for two days, as will European F3 race winner Lucas Auer. Formula Renault 2.0 Alps runner-up Charles Leclerc will test with the team on Monday morning, before handing over the car to Eurocup graduate Egor Orudzhev, who will also do Tuesday.

Formula Renault NEC champion Ben Barnicoat and his title rival Seb Morris will test with Fortec on Monday, having both raced for the team in 2.0 in 2014. Jaafar and GP3 racer Luis Sa Silva will take over on Tuesday, with Orudzhev and a yet to be announced driver running on Wednesday.

French squad Tech 1 Racing will field GP3 race winner Jann Mardenborough and Eurocup frontrunner Andrea Pizzitola for a day each. Asian Formula Renault champion Maxx Ebenal will do a session on Tuesday, while Guillaume Cunnington – the reigning champion of AFR’s Master class for drivers over 35 – will take part in two sessions.

AVF’s 2014 regular Beitske Visser will do all three days with the Spanish team. 2.0 Alps race winner Matevos Isaakyan will join her on Monday, while fellow Alps regular Alex Bosak is to do the two remaining days.

International Draco Racing retain their lineup from Jerez for all three days, with the team’s regular Pietro Fantin joining Eurocup race winner Bruno Bonifacio.

Having tested with Strakka at Jerez, Eurocup runner-up Dennis Olsen returns to the team for Motorland for the entire schedule. Cypriot star Tio Ellinas, who has spent 2014 without a full-time drive, will partner Olsen on Monday, while Luca Ghiotto, who ran for Draco in his rookie season in 3.5, will do Tuesday and Wednesday.

NEC runner-up Louis Deletraz will test with Zeta Corse for a day, before handing over the car to Eurocup graduate Vasily Romanov. Gustav Malja – Eurocup regular and NEC race winner – will run in the other car for all three days.

Matthieu Vaxiviere, who banked two podiums for Lotus in his debut 3.5 year in 2014, will return to the team for two days of testing. Pizzitola, who used to be Vaxiviere’s title rival in French F4, will also do two, while Lotus junior and Eurocup frontrunner Alex Albon and Latifi will get one each.

German F3’s top rookie Indy Dontje will test with Comtec on Monday, with GP3 frontrunner Marvin Kirchhofer running on Wednesday. Meindert van Buuren, who took a best finish of fifth in his debut year in 3.5, will test on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Euroformula Open champion Sandy Stuvik will do two days with Pons, before handing over the car to former teammate and GP3 regular Nelson Mason. Sa Silva will test with the team on Monday, while Oscar Tunjo, who is set to race with the team in 2015, will complete the rest of the running.

Provisional testing lineup

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