A mixed weekend for Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup series round at Estoril. Ricciardo won the weekends first race to extend his lead in the series but finished with only one point in the second race as arch rival Valtteri Bottas took the win and a one point lead in the fight for championship.

Ricciardo’s race one win was a welcome return to form for the young Aussie who had struggled in recent rounds as Bottas closed the gap in the title chase.

Daniel Ricciardo started well from pole position taking an early lead from Bottas and Roberto Merhi, another man who got an excellent start.

Several early incidents caused the safety car to be brought out. Gabriel Dias (Fortec Compétition), Daniel Zampieri (BVM Minardi Team), Pablo Montilla (Espilon Euskadi), Mathieu Arzeno (TCS Racing) and Luciano Barcheta (Hitech Junior Team) were all victims of an eventful first lap.

Five laps later, the safety car left the track and the race could get going again. Bottas was immediately right on Ricciardo’s tail, but the Australian did not buckle under pressure and clung on to his lead. One lap later, at the start of lap 8, Roberto Merhi slipped past Valtteri Bottas on the outside and was soon pushing hard at Ricciardo.

Ricciardo & Bottas locked together in the fight for Formula Renault 2.0 honours for 2008

Bottas was having to work hard to hold off Jean-Éric Vergne, who himself was coming under pressure from Antonio Felix da Costa (Motopark Academy). Da Costa attempted to sneak past but Vergne held on to his fourth place. Further back, Andrea Caldarelli overtook Richard Singleton (Hitech Junior Team) to move into eighth position.

At the front of the field, the gaps between the drivers were relatively stable and  Ricciardo seemed to have the measure of his rivals. The end of the race saw Anton Nebilistky (SG Formula) crash off the track. The red flags were brought out and that was that.

Ricciardo took out his fifth race win of the season, ahead of Roberto Merhi and Valtteri Bottas.

In race two Valtteri Bottas lined up on the front row with Richard Singleton (Hitech Junior Team) alongside him. The Finn got the strongest start and entered the first bend ahead of the British driver, while behind them Daniel Ricciardo (SG Formula), Andrea Caldarelli (SG Formula) and Jean-Éric Vergne (SG Formula) got in each other’s way. Ricciardo and Caldarelli lost ground and Vergne ended up in the gravel trap. He would take no further part in the race.

Further back, Miguel Ramos (BVM Minardi Team) and Nathanaël Berthon (Thierry Boutsen Energy Racing) collided, causing fluid from Berthon’s gearbox to spill onto the track. The safety car was brought out to enable the marshalls to clean it up.

When the green flag was given, Bottas was still leading, with Singleton second ahead of Alex Morgan and Antonio Felix da Costa (Motopark Academy). Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, fell back even further losing eighth position to Tobias Hegewald (Motopark Academy).

Valtteri Bottas increased his lead lap after lap, while Roberto Merhi (Epsilon Euskadi), and Daniel Ricciardo, lying seventh and ninth respectively, attempted to claw their way back up the field. Merhi could not get past Dean Smith (Fortec Motorsport). Daniel Ricciardo managed to overtake Hegewald, but Michele Faccin (Jenzer Motorsport) exploited the opportunity afforded to him to snatch eighth place.

Behind Valtteri Bottas, Richard Singleton now had to contend with mounting pressure from Alex Morgan and Antonio Felix da Costa. The tussle for second spot was interrupted, however, when the safety car made its second appearance to clear the cars of Adrian Quaife-Hobbs (BVM Minardi team) and Patrick Reiterer (Prema Powerteam) from the track.

The race resumed for one last lap, Bottas conserving his lead and notching up his fourth win of the season ahead of Richard Singleton and Alex Morgan. Kuba Giermaziak (Motopark Academy) enjoyed a productive final lap, overtaking Michele Faccin and Daniel Ricciardo to finish eighth. Daniel Ricciardo’s tenth place gives him only one point and sees him lose top spot in the Eurocup Formula Renaut 2.0 standings with one round to go in Spain.