Zeta Corse endures eventful Budapest Sunday

Zeta Corse experienced a tough third and final day of F.Renault 3.5 running in Budapest, where the 7th round of the season was held this weekend.

Carlos Sainz Jr.

Photo by: DPPI

Without any rubber on track, as yesterday's rain washed it away, grip was scarce and traction was an issue for the whole field. In such treacherous condition Will Buller boasted a good performance and posted the 7th quickest time, while Carlos Sainz struggled a bit more for grip and pace and closed the session in P13, meaning a 7th row start for Race 2.

Track conditions were a bit better for the Race, but fate still had some odds in store for the Zeta Corse guys. After a good getaway that allowed him to climb quickly into the top ten, Sainz was called into the pits for the mandatory tyre change and there he was struck by a pneumatic circuit issue that forced him to a lenghty stop.

He lost nearly a lap and when he got back on track pushing as much as possible was everything he could do. He finished the race in P22, but once again he was among the quickest drivers in the field.

Will Buller, meanwhile, used all his racecraft to keep P7 after a slow start, something he managed brilliantly. His pace was good, but despite that he lost a couple of spots due to the pit-stop strategy, finding himself on the edge of the points. He pushed as hard as he could to recover, but while fighting with a rival he spun at the exit of Turn 1, dropping to 18th place and then recovering to finish in P16.

Carlos Sainz (Q2 - P13; R2 – P22): “I struggled for grip in qualifying, but in the race I was still determined to recover and get as many points as possible. I made up a couple of places at the start and then my pace was quite good, but unfortunately when I entered the pits for the tyre change I started having gearbox issues. On the downshift I was stuck in 3rd gear, and then as soon as I stopped the car I lost the clutch. It was a pneumatic issue and the time it took to recharge the air system ruined my race".

Will Buller (Q2 – P7; R2 - P16): “Qualifying wasn't too bad even if I had some traffic issues, but then in the race our strategy didn't really work as we had hoped. I had to make up some ground, and as I'm not fighting for the championship I decided to give everything I had. I tried to pass Move on the outside and I spun, but as I said I had nothing to lose, so taking some risks was the right thing to do. I'm still happy, because I learned a lot and that's my aim this season".

Zeta Corse