Formula Renault 3.5

Rowland leads the way in Nurburgring practice

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Current Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship leader Oliver Rowland set the pace at the end of the two collective tests ahead of this weekend’s round at the Nurburgring in Germany.

The Racing Steps Foundation-backed Fortec Motorsports driver was one of only two drivers to dip below 1m42s during the day, with his 1m41.961s enough to see him end the afternoon on top.

Strakka Racing’s Gustav Malja was second quickest, just 0.028s adrift of Rowland, while the Swede’s Cypriot team-mate and the race winner of the opening race of last weekend’s Silverstone event Tio Ellinas was third quickest, just 0.195s off the pace.

Dean Stoneman had been quickest in the opening session in the morning, but could only finish fourth fastest overall in his Red Bull-livered DAMS machine, with Pietro Fantin fifth quickest for International Draco Racing.

Rowland’s main rival in the championship Matthieu Vaxiviere was sixth for Lotus, ahead of Nyck de Vries of DAMS, who will take a two-place grid penalty for Saturday’s opening race following a penalty at Silverstone for causing a collision during race two last Sunday.

Jagonya Ayam with Carlin’s Tom Dillmann was eighth quickest overall, but was responsible for a red flag after crashing on circuit, with the session being delayed while repairs were made to the barriers.

AVF duo Alfonso Celis Jr and Beitske Visser completed the top ten.

Pons Racing’s debutant duo Rene Binder and Yu Kanamaru were eighteenth and nineteenth respectively, with Austrian Binder causing another red flag late in the second session, causing the session to end early.

Earlier, Sean Gelael stopped on track when his fire extinguisher went off in his Jagonya Ayam with Carlin car, causing the first red flag of the morning session, with the Indonesian racer returning to the track briefly in the second session but ended with the slowest time of the day.

Nurburgring Collective Tests Results (Combined)

[table id=588 /]

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