Robert Shwartzman returned to winning ways and jumped back to the head of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Series championship standings at the Nurburgring last weekend.
The R-ace GP started race one from pole position, his fourth pole of 2017, and despite pressure from behind from team-mate Max Defourny, he was able to maintain his position at the front of the field, winning by just 0.615 seconds, although third placed Sacha Fenestraz was almost six seconds back!
“It’s great to back on the top step of the podium and I couldn’t be happier,” said Shwartzman on renaultsport.com. “Our pace in the collective tests wasn’t terrific, but we turned it around in qualifying.
“The race was a bit tough as Max was pouring on the pressure and made me keep looking into my mirrors. The track conditions changed a lot and I had to manage over-steer in final laps.”
Shwartzman was on course for a podium in race two on Sunday, but a mistake late in the day relegated him down to eighth. Despite this, he left the Nurburgring as the new championship leader, six points clear of Fenestraz.
“Now it is up to me to stay on top of the general classification, but I know just how fast my rivals are,” said Shwartzman. “They are not going to give up until the last race!”
