2018 Volant Elf
2018 Volant Elf | |
---|---|
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 | Fotis Iordanou |
Time | 1:35.681 |
Fastest lap | |
Driver | Darko Kuzmanović |
Time | 1:39.429 |
Podium finishers | |
First | Fotis Iordanou |
Second | Lukas Zuber |
Third | 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 |
---|---|---|---|
Fotis Iordanou | 3 | Fotis Iordanou | None |
Lukas Zuber | 5 | Lukas Zuber | FIA Formula 2 |
Falik Flèches | 8 | Yuka Katayama | Formula 5000 |
37 | Hwok Kwol-Cho | AutoReject 3.5 | |
Ecurie Monaco | 11 | Naas Botha | International Procar |
Lotto Racing | 13 | Rafael Martins | AutoReject 2.0 |
Luke Depault Racing | 17 | T.K. Wolf | FIA Formula 2 |
18 | Antonio Didac Puerta | FIA Formula 3 | |
Pyotr Mikoyan | 19 | Pyotr Mikoyan | FIA Formula 2 |
Astro Racing Group | 20 | Alexander Obolensky | FIA Formula 2 |
Panthera Junior Team | 21 | Emma Le Blan | None |
Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge | 25 | Alexandre Dorval | FIA Formula 2 |
Boris Pavlović | 27 | Boris Pavlović | International Procar |
Équipe Fantomette | 44 | Darko Kuzmanović | AutoReject 3.5 |
Rene Récarmier | 45 | Rene Récarmier | None |
Genesis Engineering | 67 | Daniel Bouchard | None |
John D. Sullivan | 88 | John D. Sullivan | FIA Formula 3 |
Sandra Yoo | 99 | 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 | Fotis Iordanou | Privateer | 1:35.681 |
2 | 11 | Naas Botha | Ecurie Monaco | +0.175 |
3 | 25 | Alexandre Dorval | Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge | +0.189 |
4 | 18 | Antonio Didac Puerta | Luke Depault Racing | +0.260 |
5 | 17 | T.K. Wolf | Luke Depault Racing | +0.286 |
6 | 5 | Lukas Zuber | Privateer | +0.292 |
7 | 20 | Alexander Obolensky | Astro Racing Group | +0.319 |
8 | 8 | Yuka Katayama | Falik Flèches | +0.330 |
9 | 67 | Daniel Bouchard | Genesis Engineering | +0.352 |
10 | 45 | Rene Récarmier | Privateer | +0.392 |
11 | 37 | Hwok Kwol-Cho | Falik Flèches | +0.414 |
12 | 88 | John D. Sullivan | Privateer | +0.465 |
13 | 13 | Rafael Martins | Lotto Racing | +0.548 |
14 | 19 | Pyotr Mikoyan | Privateer | +0.567 |
15 | 44 | Darko Kuzmanović | Équipe Fantomette | +0.663 |
16 | 27 | Boris Pavlović | Privateer | +0.706 |
17 | 21 | Emma Le Blan | Panthera Junior Team | +0.750 |
18 | 99 | 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 | Fotis Iordanou | Privateer | 57:37.592 |
2 | 5 | Lukas Zuber | Privateer | +1.946 |
3 | 25 | Alexandre Dorval | Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge | +5.223 |
4 | 20 | Alexander Obolensky | Astro Racing Group | +5.703 |
5 | 17 | T.K. Wolf | Luke Depault Racing | +6.269 |
6 | 11 | Naas Botha | Ecurie Monaco | +7.620 |
7 | 37 | Hwok Kwol-Cho | Falik Flèches | +35.564 |
8 | 88 | John D. Sullivan | Privateer | +35.870 |
9 | 13 | Rafael Martins | Lotto Racing | +38.535 |
10 | 8 | Yuka Katayama | Falik Flèches | +40.643 |
11 | 27 | Boris Pavlović | Privateer | +42.190 |
12 | 44 | Darko Kuzmanović | Équipe Fantomette | +44.519 |
13 | 18 | Antonio Didac Puerta | Luke Depault Racing | +44.965 |
14 | 19 | Pyotr Mikoyan | Privateer | +45.392 |
15 | 21 | Emma Le Blan | Panthera Junior Team | +45.744 |
16 | 67 | Daniel Bouchard | Genesis Engineering | +46.817 |
17 | 45 | Rene Récarmier | Privateer | +47.022 |
18 | 99 | Sandra Yoo | Privateer | +48.361 |