Home Z - Archive seriesFormula Renault 2.0FR2.0 NEC Norris wraps up NEC title as Shwartzman holds off Defourny for win

Norris wraps up NEC title as Shwartzman holds off Defourny for win

by Peter Allen
Norris

Photo: Formula Renault NEC

Lando Norris secured his second Formula Renault title in the space of a week with fourth place in the second NEC race at Hockenheim, won by team-mate Robert Shwartzman.

Shwartzman started from pole and managed to keep hold of the lead, but Max Defourny ? the only man that could deny Norris the title ? went side-by-side with the Russian all the way around to the Mercedes Arena.

Norris started third, but at the same point as the lead fight was settled on the opening lap, the Briton was double-teamed by Tech 1 Racing?s Hugo de Sadeleer and Sacha Fenestraz.

This allowed the front two to break away, and Defourny was able to gradually catch Shwartzman again and get alongside the Russian inside the final three minutes.

Shwartzman remained ahead however on the inside at the Mercedes Arena and the SMP Racing-backed driver secured his second Formula Renault win.

Norris remained close to the two Tech 1 drivers, and after race one winner Fenestraz passed de Sadeleer into the Mercedes Arena with nine minutes remaining, the Brit was able to do the same on the Swiss racer a few laps later.

Fourth was enough for Norris to maintain a 45-point margin over Defourny with only 30 available from the final race, and follow up his Eurocup title with the NEC crown.

De Sadeleer took fifth ahead of Alex Gill, Bartlomiej Mirecki, Alexey Korneev, Gabriel Aubry and Alex Vartanyan.