2018 Volant Elf

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2018 Volant Elf
VolantElf2018.png
Date 24-25 November
Venue Circuit Paul Ricard
Length 34 laps (199.27 km)
Prize Voeckler AR 3.5 seat in 2019
Participants 18
Pole position
Driver Flag of Greece svg.png Fotis Iordanou
Time 1:35.681
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Montenegro svg.png Darko Kuzmanović
Time 1:39.429
Podium finishers
First Flag of Greece svg.png Fotis Iordanou
Second Flag of France svg.png Lukas Zuber
Third Flag of Belgium svg.png Alexandre Dorval


The 2018 Volant Elf was the 24th edition of the Elf-sponsored post-season contest - the first since 1994 - amongst mostly Francophone drivers, held at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet. The winner of the event was offered a fully-funded ride with Renault Academy Voeckler in the AutoReject 3.5 series as the grand prize.

Entry List

Entrant No. Driver Series
Flag of Greece svg.png Fotis Iordanou 3 Flag of Greece svg.png Fotis Iordanou None
Flag of France svg.png Lukas Zuber 5 Flag of France svg.png Lukas Zuber FIA Formula 2
Flag of Monaco svg.png Falik Flèches 8 Flag of Japan svg.png Yuka Katayama Formula 5000
37 Flag of South Korea svg.png Hwok Kwol-Cho AutoReject 3.5
Flag of Monaco svg.png Ecurie Monaco 11 Flag of South Africa svg.png Naas Botha International Procar
Flag of Belgium svg.png Lotto Racing 13 Flag of Portugal svg.png Rafael Martins AutoReject 2.0
Flag of Switzerland svg.png Luke Depault Racing 17 Flag of Austria svg.png T.K. Wolf FIA Formula 2
18 Flag of Venezuela svg.png Antonio Didac Puerta FIA Formula 3
Flag of Russia svg.png Pyotr Mikoyan 19 Flag of Russia svg.png Pyotr Mikoyan FIA Formula 2
Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Astro Racing Group 20 Flag of Russia svg.png Alexander Obolensky FIA Formula 2
Flag of France svg.png Panthera Junior Team 21 Flag of France svg.png Emma Le Blan None
Flag of Belgium svg.png Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge 25 Flag of Belgium svg.png Alexandre Dorval FIA Formula 2
Flag of Serbia svg.png Boris Pavlović 27 Flag of Serbia svg.png Boris Pavlović International Procar
Flag of France svg.png Équipe Fantomette 44 Flag of Montenegro svg.png Darko Kuzmanović AutoReject 3.5
Flag of France svg.png Rene Récarmier 45 Flag of France svg.png Rene Récarmier None
Flag of Canada svg.png Genesis Engineering 67 Flag of Canada svg.png Daniel Bouchard None
Flag of the United States svg.png John D. Sullivan 88 Flag of the United States svg.png John D. Sullivan FIA Formula 3
Flag of Germany svg.png Sandra Yoo 99 Flag of Germany svg.png Sandra Yoo International Procar

Qualifying

In a surprising twist, some of the younger members of the field came to the fore in qualifying. Greek driver Fotis Iordanou took a somewhat surprising pole, given having spent most of the the 2018 season on the sidelines through a lack of finance. Another to qualify above expectations was Antonio Didac Puerta, who had struggled to get to grips with Formula 3 after moving from across the pond to Europe. He had exceeded expectations by qualifying 4th ahead of his more lauded team-mate T.K. Wolf.

Pos No Driver Team Time
1 3 Flag of Greece svg.png Fotis Iordanou Privateer 1:35.681
2 11 Flag of South Africa svg.png Naas Botha Flag of Monaco svg.png Ecurie Monaco +0.175
3 25 Flag of Belgium svg.png Alexandre Dorval Flag of Belgium svg.png Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge +0.189
4 18 Flag of Venezuela svg.png Antonio Didac Puerta Flag of Switzerland svg.png Luke Depault Racing +0.260
5 17 Flag of Austria svg.png T.K. Wolf Flag of Switzerland svg.png Luke Depault Racing +0.286
6 5 Flag of France svg.png Lukas Zuber Privateer +0.292
7 20 Flag of Russia svg.png Alexander Obolensky Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Astro Racing Group +0.319
8 8 Flag of Japan svg.png Yuka Katayama Flag of Monaco svg.png Falik Flèches +0.330
9 67 Flag of Canada svg.png Daniel Bouchard Flag of Canada svg.png Genesis Engineering +0.352
10 45 Flag of France svg.png Rene Récarmier Privateer +0.392
11 37 Flag of South Korea svg.png Hwok Kwol-Cho Flag of Monaco svg.png Falik Flèches +0.414
12 88 Flag of the United States svg.png John D. Sullivan Privateer +0.465
13 13 Flag of Portugal svg.png Rafael Martins Flag of Belgium svg.png Lotto Racing +0.548
14 19 Flag of Russia svg.png Pyotr Mikoyan Privateer +0.567
15 44 Flag of Montenegro svg.png Darko Kuzmanović Flag of France svg.png Équipe Fantomette +0.663
16 27 Flag of Serbia svg.png Boris Pavlović Privateer +0.706
17 21 Flag of France svg.png Emma Le Blan Flag of France svg.png Panthera Junior Team +0.750
18 99 Flag of Germany svg.png Sandra Yoo Privateer +2.569

Race

Despite an early challenge from the lead from Alexandre Dorval, Iordanou sailed away into the distance as the race went on, securing an emphatic win, and the grand prize of a fully paid drive in the 2019 AutoReject 3.5 season with Renault Academy Voeckler. The star performer of the race was Zuber, who despite dropping six places at the start and out of the Top 10, surged up the order as the race wore on to take second place.

Rafael Martins meanwhile was lucky to avoid picking up any penalties, having roughed up not one but two rivals during the course of the race. Attempting a bold move at Signes, attempting to pass both Daniel Bouchard and Emma Le Blan simultaneously, he instead squeezed Bouchard straight into the path of Le Blan, spinning the latter out and down to 17th place. He followed this up on the last lap of the race by clattering into Bouchard at the same corner, not spinning him, but still sending him off the road and down seven places into 16th.

Pos No Driver Team Time
1 3 Flag of Greece svg.png Fotis Iordanou Privateer 57:37.592
2 5 Flag of France svg.png Lukas Zuber Privateer +1.946
3 25 Flag of Belgium svg.png Alexandre Dorval Flag of Belgium svg.png Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge +5.223
4 20 Flag of Russia svg.png Alexander Obolensky Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Astro Racing Group +5.703
5 17 Flag of Austria svg.png T.K. Wolf Flag of Switzerland svg.png Luke Depault Racing +6.269
6 11 Flag of South Africa svg.png Naas Botha Flag of Monaco svg.png Ecurie Monaco +7.620
7 37 Flag of South Korea svg.png Hwok Kwol-Cho Flag of Monaco svg.png Falik Flèches +35.564
8 88 Flag of the United States svg.png John D. Sullivan Privateer +35.870
9 13 Flag of Portugal svg.png Rafael Martins Flag of Belgium svg.png Lotto Racing +38.535
10 8 Flag of Japan svg.png Yuka Katayama Flag of Monaco svg.png Falik Flèches +40.643
11 27 Flag of Serbia svg.png Boris Pavlović Privateer +42.190
12 44 Flag of Montenegro svg.png Darko Kuzmanović Flag of France svg.png Équipe Fantomette +44.519
13 18 Flag of Venezuela svg.png Antonio Didac Puerta Flag of Switzerland svg.png Luke Depault Racing +44.965
14 19 Flag of Russia svg.png Pyotr Mikoyan Privateer +45.392
15 21 Flag of France svg.png Emma Le Blan Flag of France svg.png Panthera Junior Team +45.744
16 67 Flag of Canada svg.png Daniel Bouchard Flag of Canada svg.png Genesis Engineering +46.817
17 45 Flag of France svg.png Rene Récarmier Privateer +47.022
18 99 Flag of Germany svg.png Sandra Yoo Privateer +48.361