FR3.5: Rowland claims title as Orudzhev wins

Egor Orudzhev picked up his second Formula Renault 3.5 victory at Le Mans after an enthralling battle with Matthieu Vaxiviere, but Oliver Rowland secured the season title by finishing eighth.

Saturday winner Rowland started 14th after losing two quick laps in qualifying for track limit infringements, but the Fortec driver fought his way up six positions to clinch a title that had appeared a formality entering the race.

"I wasn't well this morning, which also didn't help in qualifying, but I think we would have started seventh without losing my quickest lap," said Rowland, who becomes the first Briton to win the FR3.5 championship, having already equalled Carlos Sainz Jr's record of seven wins. "I want to say a massive thank you to Fortec and the RSF [Racing Steps Foundation], without whom I wouldn't be here.

"Also, congratulations to Matthieu, he has pushed me hard all year, and I had to give 110 percent every time to beat him, but that has made the difference."

Distant title rival Vaxiviere needed to win all three remaining races with Rowland failing to score a single point in order to defeat the Sheffield racer.

From the outside of the front row, the Lotus Formula 1 junior driver made a terrible start. Vaxiviere admitted to changing into fourth gear rather than third in a moment of over-excitement, and dropped to seventh at the completion of the first lap.

Polesitter Tio Ellinas survived cutting the first corner to lead an early top six of Carlin's Tom Dillmann, Orudzhev, Aurelien Panis, Dean Stoneman and Nyck de Vries.

The safety car was brought out on lap five after a spectacular collision between Yu Kanamaru and Andre Negrao at the Dunlop chicane. Negrao was launched into a roll, while Kanamaru also retired, albeit escaping with relatively minor damage.

Several drivers opted to make their mandatory pit stops at the first opportunity on lap seven, including leader Ellinas, Stoneman and Rowland – who had jumped three places at the start.

Dillmann suffered a miserable stop next time around and effectively dropped out of victory contention.

Ellinas also lost ground in the pits, rejoining behind Hungaroring winner Orudzhev's SMP-backed Arden car.

In order to get the home favorite back in the hunt, Lotus chose a late pit strategy for Vaxiviere. He executed a series of fast laps to move up the order before finally coming in on lap 15 of 28.

Orudzhev swept past as Vaxiviere exited the pits, but a two-second lead was rapidly whittled down as a fired-up Vaxiviere responded to vocal local support.

Vaxiviere's closest opportunity to grab the lead came two laps from home in the first sequence of corners, before a last-ditch attempt was staged at the final turn on the last lap, which resulted in a spectacular slide through the gravel trap on the exit.

As Orudzhev defended his lead, Ellinas had several close moments holding onto the final podium position from Stoneman, including cutting the first chicane when under attack.

RESULTS - 28 LAPS:

Originally on Autosport.com