After yesterday’s amazing podium finish with Roberto Merhi, Zeta Corse kept momentum and closed the F.Renault 3.5 opening weekend in Monza with another troublefree performance that was worth a few points. A very hard fought qualifying session in the morning, with 14 drivers packed in less than one second, saw Mehri post the seventh quickest time and hence line-up on fourth row. As the starting lights went out, Roberto’s getaway was good but the early part of the Spaniard’s race was filled with odds: first he had to avoid Pietro Fantin’s nearly stalled car, hence losing a couple of places, and then on lap 2 he lost even more time when the anti-stall system of his car kicked-in with no reason. After dropping as low as P12, Mehri boasted a masterful drive that led him to a stunning recovery: first he passed Amberg for P11 after a fierce fight, and then he chased Stevens and Buller who were just a few seconds away. As the British duo lost time fighting for position, Roberto closed the gap quickly and passed both, then setting his sight on Fantin, who was five seconds ahead. Making the most of his car’s superior pace Merhi managed to get right on the Brazilian’s tale, but he didn’t have the time for a successful passing move and crossed the flag in seventh position.
While Merhi was on his way to securing 5th position in the standings, Race 2 saw a strong performance from Roman Mavlanov as well. After finishing 19th in Qualifying, the young Russian driver had a very good start and in the first laps he managed to recover up to P17. Then, in the second half of the race, he was involved in a “rookie” fight together with Vaxiviere and Visser, and after exchanging positions a few times he emerged as the winner thanks to a bold move in the second chicane. Mavlanov’s flawless race was a further proof of his steady progression, something that bodes well for Round 2 of the championship in Motorland Aragon.
Roberto Merhi: Q2 – P7; R2 – P9
“It was a fun race, even if a difficult one. At the start I had to go sideways to avoid Fantin who had a really bad launch, and that cost me a lot of time. Then at the first chicane on lap 2, while I was fighting for position, the car’s antistall kicked-in, leaving me nearly powerless in the middle of the track. I found myself in 12th place, and from then on all I could do was trying to recover. I had a tough fight with Amberg, and then I made the most of the clash between Buller and Stevens to pass both. In the end I even tried a move on Fantin for P8, but I overshot the braking zone and went wide. Not the best possible race, but being fifth in the championship standings at the end of my first single-seater weekend since a long time feels definitely good”.
Roman Mavlanov: Q2 – P19; R2 – P15
“I’m really happy of my race today. My pace is improving session after session, as well as my feeling for the car’s limits. Today I managed to win a three way fight with some tough rivals without making a single mistake, and while I know that I still need to improve in order to get close to the points, seeing that I’m progressing so quickly gives me confidence for the next races”.