14 September 2014
Spanish pair on song in Hungary
Spanish drivers Roberto Merhi (Zeta Corse) and Carlos Sainz (DAMS) will share the front row of the grid when they continue their title duel at the Hungaroring on Sunday afternoon. Lining up on the second row are Norman Nato (DAMS) and Oliver Rowland (Fortec Motorsports), with the Pons Racing duo of Oscar Tunjo and Meindert van Buuren behind them.
Championship frontrunners Carlos Sainz and Roberto Merhi swapped fastest times at the start of the session before seeing Oscar Tunjo, Norman Nato, Pierre Gasly (Arden Motorsport) and Matthieu Vaxiviere (Lotus) all eclipse them before the halfway stage.
It was then that the drivers decided to bolt on the slicks, with Jazeman Jaafar (ISR) the first to emerge from the pits and set the pace. The Malaysian and Oliver Rowland then took turns at the top of the timesheets before Esteban Ocon (Comtec Racing) crashed with five minutes remaining to bring the red flag out. Among the many drivers to improve their times in the closing stampede was Roberto Merhi, whose fastest lap of 1:37.400 gave him pole ahead of DAMS twosome Carlos Sainz and Norman Nato.
The second Formula Renault 3.5 Series race of the Hungaroring weekend will get under way at 14:00.
Roberto Merhi: “We were always at the top, and that’s a good thing. The gap could have been even bigger, but I made a few mistakes on my last lap. It was still enough, though. It should be easier to win than it was yesterday. The goal is to go out and get a third race win in a row.”
