Team AVF was able to celebrate another extremely positive top-5 position today at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Alcaniz. In a clear and sunny Sunday at the Spanish venue, Swiss racer Zöel Amberg delivered a great run by scoring 5th place in Race 2. The 21-year-old from Stans was off to a difficult start when the car he had in front stalled on the grid, but thanks to a great drive and a smart strategy featuring a late pit-stop, he got the chance to run in clean air, logging several quick laps. When he finally went into the pits, the AVF crew performed flawlessly, allowing him to rejoin in 5th. Amberg then faced the experienced rival Roberto Mehri but was able to pull away, catching up with the pack fighting for the podium.
After a sensational performance in Qualifying 2, when she cruised to 14th place edging some much more experienced drivers, Dutch female racer Beitske Visser also suffered from the backup at the start, losing several positions. Despite the bad break, she stayed focused and lapped on a constant pace, increasing the confidence with her Renault-powered Dallara.
The World Series Renault 3.5 will now be back running on May 25th at Monte Carlo, supporting the popular Formula 1 Grand Prix in what is expected to be an exciting single race.
Zoel Amberg – Q2 P10; R2 P5
“Overall it’s been a good race. I had troubles with the fuel pump in qualifying so I had to settle for the 5th row on the grid. Then at the start the car I had in front stalled so I had to take evasive action. In the process, the anti-stall also came on making things even more difficult. But from that point on I started to recover. I gained some positions on-track and the strategy paid off so I got even closer to the front. In the end I caught up very quickly with the cars I had in front, and with two more laps the top-5 could have been a podium finish. In the end I’m satisfied and I look forward to Monte Carlo”.
Beitske Visser – Q2 P14; R2 P16
“Qualifying went very good, but we knew the pace was there since the start and only a technical problem prevented me from performing at the same level in Qualifying 1. At the start it was very difficult as I had to brake and avoid a stalled car in front. I lost a lot of positions and before the pit-stop I couldn’t be as fast as I wanted. After the change things improved, I passed Sirotkin and I kept a consistent pace through the end”.