Ricciardo makes an immediate impact

Collective testing - Valencia

The first collective test sessions of the 2008 season in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 were held on the Valencia track on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 February. Two studious days during which the Eurocup youngsters could measure up to one another for the first time this year. Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula) impressed most, taking the best time.

The tone for the 2008 season was set from the outset on Monday. After an initial warm-up session held on a wet track, following heavy rain from the previous night, the action really heated up in the afternoon. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who already had four Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 starts to his name, managed to come out on top, setting the time to beat at 1'32''656. Valtteri Bottas (Motopark Academy), third in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, was second quickest, just ahead of Mathieu Arzeno (Epsilon Sport), runner up in the 2007 French Formula Renault 2.0 championship. The Spaniard Albert Costa (Epsilon Euskadi 2) and Polish driver Kuba Giermaziak (Motorsport Arena) rounded off the top 5.

On Tuesday morning, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas continued to fight it out for top spot. Bottas took the session's best time with a 1:32:781, but he fell just shy - by a mere 12 thousandths of Ricciardo's overall best time, set on Monday. Behind these two, new faces were challenging for the top positions as the Brazilian Caesar Ramos (BVM Minardi Team) took the third best time, in front of Dean Smith (Fortec Motorsport) and Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Eukadi 2).

Daniel Ricciardo proved himself once again to be the man in form in the test's final session held on a very hot track, during which the lap times changed very little. The Australian can be satisfied with two days of solid practice, and leaves Valencia having made a strong impression with his turn of speed and consistency. Valtteri Bottas ended the two days in second spot, having also demonstrated a level of consistency that augurs well for the rest of the season.

These two were followed by Caesar Ramos, Dean Smith and Roberto Merhi, with little to choose between them.

With thirteen drivers separated by less than a second, this season looks like it will be very open once again and the pecking order is far from decided. All the teams took the two days of testing very seriously, so that they can gradually improve performance ahead of the season's opening weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in May.

The next collective test sessions will be held in Barcelona on March 26-27.

Pos.Driver                 Nat  Team               Time      Gap
                                                             
1   RICCIARDO,Daniel       AUT  SG FORMULA         1:32.656  0:00.000 
2   BOTTAS,Valtteri        FIN  MOTOPARK ACADEMY   1:32.781  0:00.125 
3   RAMOS,Caesar           BRA  BVM MINARDI TEAM   1:33.341  0:00.685 
4   SMITH,Dean             GBR  FORTEC MOTORSPORT  1:33.353  0:00.697 
5   MERHI,Roberto          SPA  EPSILON EUSKADI 2  1:33.357  0:00.701 
6   GIERMAZIAK,Kuba        POL  MOTORSPORT ARENA   1:33.449  0:00.793 
7   COSTA,Albert           SPA  EPSILON EUSKADI 2  1:33.454  0:00.798 
8   CALDARELLI,Andrea      ITA  SG FORMULA         1:33.495  0:00.839 
9   JULIA,Miquel           SPA  EPSILON EUSKADI 2  1:33.513  0:00.857 
10  ARZENO,Mathieu         FRA  EPSILON SPORT      1:33.580  0:00.924 
11  VERGNE,Jean Eric       FRA  SG DRIVERS PROJECT 1:33.609  0:00.953 
12  HEGEWALD,Tobias        GER  MOTOPARK ACADEMY   1:33.640  0:00.984 
13  VAUTIER,Tristan        FRA  EPSILON SPORT      1:33.651  0:00.995 
14  QUAIFE,Adrian          GBR  BVM MINARDI TEAM   1:33.695  0:01.039 
15  ACOSTA,Himar           SPA  IQUICK             1:33.752  0:01.096 
16  BACHETA,Luciano        ITA  HITECH JUNIOR T.   1:33.761  0:01.105 
17  CUNILL,Siso            SPA  JENZER MOTORSPORT  1:33.765  0:01.109 
18  SINGLETON,Richard      GBR  HITECH JUNIOR T.   1:33.770  0:01.114 
19  MONTILLA,Pablo         SPA  EPSILON EUSKADI 1  1:33.881  0:01.225 
20  RICHELMI,Stephane      MON  EPSILON SPORT      1:33.935  0:01.279 
21  NEBILITSKYI,Anton      RUS  SG DRIVERS PROJECT 1:33.942  0:01.286 
22  GARCIA,Juan Pablo      MEX  MOTORSPORT ARENA   1:33.944  0:01.288 
23  VARHAUG,Pal            NOR  JENZER MOTORSPORT  1:33.952  0:01.296 
24  FACCIN,Michele         ITA  JENZER MOTORSPORT  1:33.979  0:01.323 
25  ZAMPIERI,Daniel        ITA  BVM MINARDI TEAM   1:34.063  0:01.407 
26  MONRAS,Miki            SPA  HITECH JUNIOR T.   1:34.082  0:01.426 
27  MUAOZ,Carlos           COL  PREMA POWERTEAM    1:34.104  0:01.448 
28  DIAS,Gabriel           BRA  FORTEC MOTORSPORT  1:34.109  0:01.453 
29  LUKES,Nelson           FRA  SG FORMULA         1:34.131  0:01.475 
30  BERTHON,Nathanaal      FRA  BOUTSEN ENERGY R.  1:34.146  0:01.490 
31  CAMPOLLO,Richard       DOM  EPSILON EUSKADI 1  1:34.210  0:01.554 
32  AZZAM,Ramez            CAN  SG DRIVERS PROJECT 1:34.232  0:01.576 
33  ROSENZWEIG,Jake        GER  EPSILON EUSKADI 1  1:34.387  0:01.731 
34  MCKENZIE,Daniel        GBR  FORTEC MOTORSPORT  1:34.437  0:01.781 
35  OTEGI,Mikel            SPA  IQUICK             1:34.572  0:01.916 
36  KOUT,Adam              CZE  KRENEK MOTORSPORT  1:34.670  0:02.014 
37  REITERER,Patrick       ITA  PREMA POWERTEAM    1:34.673  0:02.017 
38  JACOBO,Juan            COL  HITECH JUNIOR T.   1:34.694  0:02.038 
39  VASILIAUSKA,Kazimieras LTU  PREMA POWERTEAM    1:34.812  0:02.156 
40  CONCHADO,Marcelo       SPA  IQUICK             1:35.511  0:02.855 
41  MARROC,Nicolas         FRA  TCS RACING         1:35.806  0:03.150 
42  BUTORAC,Dino           CRO  RB RACING TEAM     1:40.480  0:07.824 

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