Strakka Racing back to winning ways on home soil at Silverstone GP
Cypriot star Tio Ellinas secures emotional maiden Formula Renault 3.5 Series victory with dominant lights-to-flag drive in round 10
Silverstone-based Strakka Racing celebrated a truly sensational first win of the 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series campaign at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit today, after an exceptional performance from Tio Ellinas.
From pole position, his first in the championship, Ellinas made a faultless launch from the line and went on to build an incredible lead of 14.5 seconds just over halfway into the contest.
Controlling the action throughout, making no mistakes, the 23-year-old went on to secure a memorable, and very emotional, first win in his debut season in the category – a success he dedicated to his late grandfather who sadly passed away two weeks ago.
“It’s amazing, it was amazing from the beginning, I’m grateful to the team,” said an elated Ellinas, “I want to dedicate this win to my grandfather because I lost him two weeks ago – this one is down to him and I hope there will be many more for him too.
“From the beginning it was a great start, good off the line, and then I was trying to build up a gap to the others. Lap by lap it was getting better and better. As I said, I’m grateful to the team – Silverstone is our home race and for me it’s like my home race. For me, this one is something special. For tomorrow the plan is to be P1 in qualy and do the same again!”
Swedish team-mate Gustav Malja also produced an impressive drive in the second Strakka car, moving up from ninth on the grid to finish in sixth position – having run as high as fifth at one stage.
Both drivers have climbed the championship standings, Ellinas now in seventh position with Malja in ninth place. In the team standings, Strakka – which is based just a stone’s throw from Silverstone down the A43 – has moved back into the top four.
“Today went OK, I climbed up to sixth but I felt the car had more potential," said Malja, “I would like to thank and congratulate the team. I look forward to doing it again tomorrow."
Starting the event superbly in officially timed practice on Friday, 4th September, Ellinas posted the fastest time of all and went on to deliver the same level of performance in qualifying to bag his first Formula Renault 3.5 Series pole position.
Producing a best time of 1m41.858 seconds (208.2 km/h), he took Strakka onto pole at its home track by 0.2 seconds. Malja, meanwhile, ensured both Strakka cars would begin race one of the weekend inside the top 10 with a time just 0.6 seconds shy of Ellinas’ pole lap – the Swede beginning the contest in ninth.
After his great start, Ellinas led by a full second at the end of the opening lap and as the group behind battled he reeled off a series of fastest lap times to scorch into the distance.
Over 10 seconds to the good after just eight laps, his lead was a remarkable 14.5 seconds by the start of lap 12 and, thereafter, he sensibly focused on making no mistakes to ultimately win by eight seconds after 24 laps.
Malja climbed into eighth on the opening lap and although edged back to ninth on lap five by Egor Orudzhev, the Swede moved back into the top eight on lap 11 when he passed Tom Dillmann on the run down Hangar Straight.
Passing Nicholas Latifi on lap 12 to move into seventh, Malja quickly broke into the top six a lap later at the expense of Orudzhev and then moved up into fifth place on the 16th tour with an impressive move into Village to pass Jazeman Jaafar.
Retaining fifth until three laps from the finish, Malja was edged back to sixth by the recovering Dillmann where he then stayed to the flag on lap 24.
Qualifying for round 11 at Silverstone GP Circuit will take place at 09.00 in the morning, Sunday, 6th September, with the big race following at 12.30 – the day’s action will be screened live in the UK on BT Sport with additional coverage on British Eurosport.
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Nick Bailey
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About Strakka Racing
From early domestic campaigns with BMWs and Aston Martins, Strakka Racing has evolved to become one of the most respected and successful privateer teams in the World Endurance Championship. In 2010 the Silverstone-based team achieved a class win, five circuit records and fifth overall in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours. In 2013, it secured a second Le Mans win in the LMP1 Privateers’ class. Ever developing, in 2013 Strakka Racing entered the Formula Renault 3.5 World Series single-seater championship, regarded as one of the best training grounds for F1. In 2015 Strakka Racing is competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship in a Gibson 015S together with a two car campaign in World Series by Renault.
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