Rowland secures eighth victory to tighten grip on lead

Leader in the general classification, Oliver Rowland (Fortec Motorsports) posted fastest lap during the Formula Renault 3.5 Series collective tests at the Nürburgring. The Racing Steps Foundation protégé stopped the clock in 1:41.961 to lead from the Strakka Racing duo of rookie Gustav Malja and Cypriot Tio Ellinas. Red Bull Junior Team member Dean Stoneman (DAMS) set best time in the morning session.

Oliver Rowland then won the pole position, took the victory and set the fastest lap in race one of the Formula Renault Series 3.5. Already the leader in the general classification, the Brit became the only driver to have won eight times in the category. 2014 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion and member of the McLaren Young Driver Development Programme, rookie Nyck de Vries (DAMS) finished runner-up ahead of Jazeman Jaafar, whose third place allows Fortec Motorsports to pull away in the championship. Now the only driver with a chance of battling Oliver Rowland for the title, Matthieu Vaxiviere (Lotus) finished fourth.

Unpredictable rain, a tyre gamble and virile passing moves summed up race two of the weekend for the Formula Renault 3.5 Series at the Nürburgring. Strakka Racing showed the others how it is done with Tio Ellinas notching his second triumph of the season, while rookie team mate Gustav Malja made it a one-two result. Nyck de Vries completed the podium. In the race for the title, pole winner Oliver Rowland salvaged the final point on offer, finishing ahead of championship rival Matthieu Vaxiviere. The Englishman leaves Germany with a 50-point lead.

Provisional general classification: 1. O. Rowland – 235 points, 2. M. Vaxiviere – 185, 3. N. de Vries – 116, 4. J. Jaafar – 106, 5. D. Stoneman – 106…