Mixed weekend for Norris as he wins second FR NEC race after gearbox issues in opener
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Lando Norris in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. The 16-year-old scored a dominant lights-to-flag win in race two after a gearbox failure had prevented his participation in race one.
With Norris sidelined, polesitter Max Defourny escaped into a lead he would never lose in race one. The main action unfolded behind him in the battle for second. Will Palmer held the position for the duration of the race, but massive tyre graining in the closing laps allowed championship leader Dorian Boccolacci through on the final lap at Copse.
Norris’ DNS in race one meant he had fresh tyres to use in race two and he duly made the most of them to leave the field trailing in his wake. This time, Palmer was able to fend off Boccolacci to make it a British 1-2, with Jehan Daruvala executing a daring move on Defourny for fourth around the outside of Club on lap five.
Dennis Lind was the fastest driver all weekend in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, but a costly error in race two prevented him from making it a perfect double. The Dane was unchallenged in race one, with Vito Postiglione recovering from a bad start to take second. However, Lind hit a backmarker in race two and suffered a puncture that dropped him to an eventual eighth place finish. Postiglione was the beneficiary, heading home Loris Spinelli and Enrico Fulgenzi’s Antonelli Motorsport entry. Martin Kodric finished third in both races.
Stian Paulsen won the most entertaining race of the weekend in the SEAT Leon Eurocup, as Lourenco Beirao da Veiga held off a jostling four-car pack. Niels Langeveld won the first race before being eliminated by contact in the second.