Wheelnut issue robs AVF of podium chances in Catalunya season finale
The final race of the F.Renault 3.5 season was a tough one for AVF. On the famed Circuit de Catalunya the Spanish team aimed to post a great performance on home soil, but fate had something different in store for them. The day started on a high for Adrian Vallés and his staff as Arthur Pic posted the 3rd quickest time in the morning Qualifying. The session was shortened due to foggy weather conditions, but the Frenchman’s pace was so good that he managed to post a very quick lap in the very first minutes, securing a 2nd row spot.In the race, Arthur’s start was great, and the first few laps saw him battle with Vandoorne for P2. He then settled for 3rd place controlling the race in very relaxed fashion, until he entered the pits for the mandatory pit-stop . The tyre change was quick, but an issue with the rear-right wheelnut forced the AVF crew to stop Arthur for some extra seconds. Unluckily it wasn’t enough, because once the French talent got back on track the wheelnut proved to be faulty and the wheel came lose, forcing Arthur to park the car on the outside of Turn 2.Yann Cunha, on the team’s other car, had to cope with a last place start after the shortened qualifying session didn’t give him the time to mount new tyres. Starting at the back of the grid the young Brazilian did a good job, staying out of trouble and recovering to take the flag in P19. Arthur Pic: Q2 – P3; R2 DNF “I really don’t know what to say. The car felt good and we had the pace to finish in third place easily, but after the pit-stop I immediately realized that something was wrong at the rear. Finishing the season with a DNF isn’t what we had hoped but I want to say thanks to the team anyway. They pushed hard for the whole season, and we did some great races together”. Yann Cunha: Q2 – P25; R2 – P19 “I’m really disappointed because Qualifying ruined my day. The session was red flagged early and I didn’t have the time to mount new tyres, and that made my race very difficult. I did what I could but starting dead last is never easy, and P19
