Australian as Mr. Formula Renault

Daniel Ricciardo is the man of the hour in the Formula Renault. Three victories in four races underline the 18-year-old’s ambitions for the title. Can he soon hope to be the next Australian to make it to Formula 1 after compatriots Jack Brabham, Alan Jones and Mark Webber?

The fast and spectacular circuit of Dijon, France, was the showground for the third and fourth race of the Formula Renault WEC Championships. On Saturday, Daniel Ricciardo still had to start the race from third on the grid. A plucky overtaking maneuver took him to second place; Roberto Merhi’s puncture shortly before the end of the race took him to the lead. A few laps later race management stopped the race due to several dangerous punctures and the man from Perth was flagged as the winner. In the second race on Sunday Ricciardo started from pole position and held the lead right up to the checkered flag. As if two victories weren’t enough, Daniel Ricciardo clocked the fastest lap time in both races.

On his way to Formula 1?

Ricciardo is likewise clearly leading the overall table after four races, with three wins and one fifth place. Praise is already circulating about his being ready for Formula 1. "He’s got enormous driving capacities," attests Fortec Formula BMW team manager Russel Dixon. A1 Australia team director Alan Jones also thinks Daniel is a ‘huge talent.’ Says Jones: "If his racing schedule allows, I want to have him in the Australian A1GP team at all costs."

Vergne the best newcomer in Dijon

The second Red Bull Junior in a Formula Renault car, Jean-Eric Vergne, also displayed his talent in Dijon. On home turf he finished both races in fourth and fifth place respectively, and was the fastest rookie in both races. He’s now seventh in the overall standings.

Podium for Buemi; first points for Chandhok

In the warm-up program of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Istanbul, Red Bull GP2 Series drivers Sébastien Buemi and Karun Chandhok finished the races third and fourth respectively. In Saturday’s race Karun Chandhok collected his first points of the season, while Buemi’s impressive catch-up chase from 16th on the grid was rewarded with sixth place across the finishing line. In the sprint race on Sunday Buemi confirmed his upward trend in form with a third place. This also means he’s now placed third in the overall standings.