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Strakka Racing’s FR3.5 rookies produce quality performances in qualifying and racing on opening weekend of Formula Renault 3.5 Series season

Strakka Racing celebrated a strong start to its 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series campaign at Motorland Aragon with Tio Ellinas taking a superb top four finish in a rain-affected round two. This followed a hugely impressive qualifying performance for race one from team mate Gustav Malja, who initially secured a front row slot, though ultimately an issue with the car’s floor meant he had to start at the back of the grid.

Sunday’s race was far from straightforward, officials initially electing to start the action behind the Safety Car before then suspending the contest as conditions worsened.After a lengthy delay, round two was re-started behind the Safety Car and when racing properly got underway with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, Ellinas ran in eighth position.

Gaining a place on the first true racing lap, the Cypriot then moved into the top six a lap later before making his mandatory pit-stop at the end of lap 11.

Thanks to tremendous work by the Strakka pit-crew, when all of the stops had been completed Ellinas was up to fourth position and he remained there to the flag on lap 19 – notably producing pace quicker than that of third-placed finisher Oliver Rowland.

The result more than made up for the troubles of Saturday’s first round, in which Ellinas was knocked into retirement at the second corner on the opening lap following contact.“Race two was much better than race one,” said the former GP3 and GP2 competitor. “In the first one I was hit at the start by another car, just clipping my tyre and giving me a puncture, so that ended my race.

“In race two I started P9 and did some really nice overtaking, and the pace was very good. I’m really pleased with fourth place and some points, and it’s Monte Carlo next!”

Team-mate and fellow Formula Renault 3.5 Series rookie Gustav Malja had a mixed weekend, with searing pace unrewarded due to a variety of issues.

Starring in first qualifying with the second fastest time, just missing out on pole position by a scant 0.025 seconds, Malja’s times were then expunged by officials after they declared the ride-height of his car to be fractionally outside the permitted tolerance.Meaning a back-of-the-grid start for Saturday’s race, the Swede negotiated his way through the opening lap brilliantly to scythe his way into the top 12 on lap one alone.Breaking into 11th place on the seventh tour, Malja then started to pressurise Formula One racer Roberto Merhi and on lap 11 he managed to get ahead of the Spaniard into the top 10.With a seven second margin to make up to the next group of cars, the Strakka racer pushed hard during the second half of the race and closed to within just 0.1 seconds of Tom Dillmann at the flag.

Round two didn’t work out at all for Malja, beginning with a contentious drive-through penalty after the car stalled in the pit-lane prior to the resumption of the action behind the Safety Car.Thereafter, all he could do was circulate as quickly as possible and despite producing pace good enough for the top eight he had to settle for 20th position, one lap down.

“At the end of the day I am very happy with the pace we had in qualy one but, of course, the technicality exclusion was very disappointing,” said Malja, “I was very happy to get a point from last position though.

“Day two was very messy but the positives are the pace is good, I had my first wet laps in a 3.5 race and I made some nice overtakes too! I’m looking forward to Monaco now!”

Testing start to Eurocup FR 2.0 for Eastwood and Hasse-Clot

In the supporting Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 races, Strakka’s rookie pairing of Charlie Eastwood and Valentin Hasse-Clot had a challenging first weekend in the championship – although both drivers impressed with some strong racecraft.

Race two on Saturday afternoon was the undoubted highlight, with Northern Irishman Eastwood slicing his way through from 20th on the grid into 13th at the finish – second highest rookie.

Hasse-Clot, meanwhile, took the chequered flag one position behind his team-mate, third of the rookies, having carved his way through from 24th place at the start.

Progressing well over the first couple of laps, when the Safety Car was deployed on the third tour Eastwood had already moved into 16th and Hasse-Clot was right behind his team-mate in 17th place.

Eastwood gained two places on lap seven to move into 14thspot and into the closing stages he piled on serious pressure to Callan O’Keeffe. Swarming all over the back of his rival, on the drag to the line Eastwood was just 0.1 seconds shy of the South African.

Hasse-Clot, meanwhile, held 16th at mid-distance and the Frenchman then moved into the top 15 on lap 10 where he remained to the chequered flag.

In the opening round, Eastwood climbed through the order well from the 10th row of the grid to seal a competitive 14th place – second in the rookie classification – while Hasse-Clot took 19th position, having started in 25th place.Frustratingly, Sunday’s rain-hit third round saw both Strakka drivers retire on lap three.

Next on the Formula Renault 3.5 Series calendar is the season’s crown jewel event, the annual Monaco Grand Prix support race on Sunday, 24th May.

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 will link back up with its sister series one week later, on 30th/31st May, at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

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