The 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series was the seventh season of the Renault–supported single–seater category. It was the final season for the current Dallara chassis with Renault Sport Technologies having confirmed a new car for the 2012 season.
After featuring 12 teams during the 2010 season, following the late withdrawal of SG Formula, the grid expanded to 13 teams in 2011 with the addition of leading Formula Abarth and Italian Formula Three outfit BVM–Target.
Regulation changes
Sporting The points system for the 2011 season changed to reflect the system used by the FIA for World championships. The top ten drivers in each race received points as follows: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1.
Teams and drivers = Series rookie for 2011 Team Driver name Status Rounds Tech 1 Racing 1 Kevin Korjus All 2 Arthur Pic All ISR 3 Lewis Williamson 1, 9 Daniel Ricciardo 2–8 4 Nathanaël Berthon All Carlin 5 Jean-Éric Vergne All 6 Robert Wickens All Fortec Motorsports 7 Alexander Rossi All 8 César Ramos All Comtec Racing 9 Daniel McKenzie All 10 Daniël de Jong All EPIC Racing 11 Sten Pentus All 12 Albert Costa All International DracoRacing 15 Stéphane Richelmi All 16 André Negrão 1–8 Adrien Tambay 9 Pons Racing 17 Oliver Webb All 18 Dominic Storey 1 Jean-Karl Vernay 2 Filip Salaquarda 3 Adrien Tambay 4 Michael Herck 5 Marcos Martínez 6 Nick Yelloly 7–9 Mofaz Racing 19 Chris van der Drift 1–4 Fairuz Fauzy 5–9 20 Jake Rosenzweig All KMP Racing 21 Anton Nebylitskiy 1–5, 7–9 Mikhail Aleshin 6 22 Nelson Panciatici All P1 Motorsport 23 Walter Grubmüller 1–5, 7–9 Adam Carroll 6 24 Daniil Move All BVM–Target 25 Daniel Zampieri All 26 Sergio Canamasas All Gravity–Charouz Racing 27 Jan Charouz All 28 Brendon Hartley All
Driver changes Changed teams International DracoRacing driver Nathanaël Berthon moved to ISR. Daniil Move returned to P1 Motorsport after a season with Junior Lotus Racing. After finishing as runner–up in the 2010 season, Daniel Ricciardo joined Czech team ISR Racing. Ricciardo began his season at Spa, as he missed the Aragón round due to reserve driver duties at the . Having contested the last six races of the 2010 season with Tech 1 Racing, Jean-Éric Vergne moved to Carlin, having won the British F3 title with the team. For his second season in the series, Nelson Panciatici moved to KMP Racing from Junior Lotus Racing. After driving for P1 Motorsport in 2010, Jan Charouz joined the newly formed Gravity–Charouz Racing team. He was joined by Brendon Hartley, who raced for Tech 1 Racing and P1 Motorsport the previous season. Jake Rosenzweig moved from the Carlin team to Mofaz Racing for his second season in the series. BVM–Target signed Pons Racing driver Daniel Zampieri and FHV Interwetten.com driver Sergio Canamasas to drive in their début season in the series. Sten Pentus switched from Fortec Motorsport to EPIC Racing.
Entering/Re–Entering FR3.5 FIA Formula Two champion Dean Stoneman, who contested the final round of the 2010 season with Junior Lotus Racing, was set to compete with ISR Racing, but withdrew after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion Kevin Korjus and his Eurocup rival Arthur Pic moved into the series, competing for Tech 1 Racing. Italian Formula Three runner–up Stéphane Richelmi and 13th–placed Eurocup driver André Negrão joined International Draco Racing Alexander Rossi joined Fortec Motorsports, having competed in GP3 for ART Grand Prix as well as the –supporting round with ISR Racing in 2010. His teammate was Italian Formula Three champion César Ramos. Daniel McKenzie and Oliver Webb moved up to the series from British F3, and drove for Comtec Racing and Pons Racing respectively. After finishing ninth in Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, Daniël de Jong graduated to the series with Comtec Racing. Robert Wickens returned to Carlin, after runner-up placings in Formula Two in 2009 and GP3 in 2010. Wickens finished 12th with Carlin in the 2008 season. Formula Renault UK runner–up Lewis Williamson contested the first round of the championship in Aragón for ISR, replacing Daniel Ricciardo due to his Formula One reserve driver duties in China. Chris van der Drift returned to Formula Renault 3.5 from Superleague Formula, and drove the first four meetings for Mofaz Racing. His budget ran out after Monaco and was replaced by Fairuz Fauzy. After missing the 2010 racing season, Dominic Storey drove for Pons Racing in Aragón. For the second round at Spa-Francorchamps, he was replaced by Indy Lights champion Jean-Karl Vernay. After Filip Salaquarda took the seat for the third round, Adrien Tambay drove in Monaco and GP2 racer Michael Herck drove for the team at the Nürburgring. Marcos Martínez, who won four races for the team in 2009 will compete at the Hungaroring. Former GP2 and A1 Grand Prix driver Adam Carroll replaced the injured Walter Grubmüller at the Hungaroring.
Leaving FR3.5 Reigning champion Mikhail Aleshin was due to graduate to the GP2 Series with the Carlin team, but had to withdraw from the series due to budgetary issues. He will instead compete in the German Formula Three Championship with STROMOS Artline. Stefano Coletti and Julián Leal also graduated to GP2, racing for Trident Racing and Rapax respectively. Filip Salaquarda, who drove for ISR Racing in 2010, moved to the Superleague Formula series. Prior to doing so, he contested the third event of Formula Renault 3.5 at Monza. After competing for KMP Racing in 2010, Víctor García switched to Indy Lights in the United States, driving for Team Moore Racing. Also moving to Indy Lights is Esteban Guerrieri, who competed for Sam Schmidt Motorsports having finished third for ISR Racing in 2010. Bruno Méndez returned to Formula Three in 2011, racing in the British championship for Hitech Racing. Greg Mansell moved into sportscar racing for 2011, joining the Lotus Italia Scuderia Giudici team in the inaugural Blancpain Endurance Series. After two seasons with Pons Racing, Federico Leo moved to the FIA GT3 Championship with AF Corse, sharing a Ferrari 458 with Francesco Castellacci. Jon Lancaster, who drove for Fortec Motorsport in 2010, joined the FIA Formula Two Championship.
Team changes Italian team BVM–Target joined the grid as the 13th team, taking the slot vacated by SG Formula before the start of the 2010 season. Gravity–Charouz Racing, with technical support from DAMS, took over the FHV Interwetten.com team's entry. After undergoing a restructuring process during the off–season, Epsilon Euskadi became known as EPIC Racing.
Race calendar and results The calendar for the 2011 season was announced on 11 October 2010, the day after the end of the 2010 season. Seven of the nine rounds formed meetings of the 2011 World Series by Renault season, with additional rounds in support of the FIA WTCC Race of Italy and the .
Round Circuit Date Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning team 1 R1 16 April Robert Wickens Alexander Rossi Alexander Rossi Fortec Motorsports Alexander Rossi R2 17 April César Ramos Kevin Korjus Kevin Korjus Tech 1 Racing Kevin Korjus 2 R1 Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 30 April Robert Wickens Robert Wickens Robert Wickens Carlin Alexander Rossi R2 1 May Jean-Éric Vergne Robert Wickens Jean-Éric Vergne Carlin Alexander Rossi 3 R1 Autodromo Nazionale Monza 14 May César Ramos Robert Wickens Kevin Korjus Tech 1 Racing Kevin Korjus R2 15 May Daniel Ricciardo Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Éric Vergne Carlin Alexander Rossi 4 Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 29 May Daniel Ricciardo Daniel Ricciardo Daniel Ricciardo ISR Kevin Korjus 5 R1 Nürburgring 18 June Robert Wickens Brendon Hartley Robert Wickens Carlin Kevin Korjus R2 19 June Robert Wickens Sergio Canamasas Kevin Korjus Tech 1 Racing Kevin Korjus 6 R1 Hungaroring, Mogyoród 2 July Jean-Éric Vergne Jake Rosenzweig Jean-Éric Vergne Carlin R2 3 July Carlin Adam Carroll 7 R1 Silverstone Circuit 20 August Robert Wickens Daniel Ricciardo Robert Wickens Carlin Alexander Rossi R2 21 August Robert Wickens Jan Charouz Robert Wickens Carlin Kevin Korjus 8 R1 Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet 17 September Jean-Éric Vergne Brendon Hartley Jean-Éric Vergne Carlin César Ramos R2 Jean-Éric Vergne Robert Wickens Alexander Rossi Alexander Rossi 9 R1 Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló 8 October Robert Wickens Jean-Éric Vergne Robert Wickens Carlin Alexander Rossi R2 9 October Albert Costa Albert Costa Albert Costa EPIC Racing Nick Yelloly
Season results Points for both championships were awarded as follows: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 25 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 1
Drivers' Championship Pos Driver ARA SPA MNZ MON NÜR HUN SIL LEC CAT Points 1 Robert Wickens 2 5 1 2 Ret Ret 2 1 2 5 7 1 1 2 19 1 Ret 241 2 Jean-Éric Vergne 6 7 2 1 2 1 12 Ret 4 1 1 12 4 1 3 2 Ret 232 3 Alexander Rossi 1 2 7 7 17 3 Ret Ret Ret 2 5 3 DSQ 16 1 4 7 156 4 Albert Costa 4 3 3 5 18 5 9 5 6 Ret 2 5 5 DSQ 7 Ret 1 151 5 Daniel Ricciardo 10 9 6 2 1 2 5 DNS 12 2 2 6 2 144 6 Kevin Korjus Ret 1 Ret Ret 1 Ret 4 3 1 6 23 8 8 9 18 11 Ret 120 7 Brendon Hartley 21 Ret 4 8 5 Ret 3 14 7 8 6 21 7 3 20 DNS 3 95 8 22 10 9 Ret Ret 8 21† 9 11 3 4 10 19 5 17 5 4 69 9 Nelson Panciatici 3 Ret 5 10 DNS 7 5 18 15 7 17 20† 17 10 11 7 Ret 55 10 Daniil Move 5 18 6 13 3 Ret 17 17 18 Ret 14 13 NC 7 Ret 3 14 54 11 César Ramos 23 4 13 Ret Ret 4 20† 4 8 10 24† Ret DSQ 8 9 Ret Ret 47 12 Chris van der Drift 8 13 11 3 4 6 8 43 13 Nathanaël Berthon 12 8 14 16 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret 9 10 4 3 14 14 9 Ret 37 14 Nick Yelloly DSQ 14 Ret 5 6 2 36 15 Jake Rosenzweig 13 12 20 Ret 11 16 18 10 Ret Ret 15 11 6 4 4 19 Ret 33 16 Daniel Zampieri 9 21 18 4 Ret 17 14 7 9 12 9 Ret 13 13 8 12 Ret 28 17 Adam Carroll 4 3 27 18 Walter Grubmüller 7 16 12 6 8 13 13 12 DNS 9 11 12 Ret 13 8 24 19 Anton Nebylitskiy Ret 6 DNS 19 19 19 Ret 8 Ret 15 15 Ret 16 Ret 5 22 20 André Negrão 14 9 DNS 11 10 10 Ret 6 12 20 Ret Ret 16 15 6 20 21 Oliver Webb 11 17 Ret 18 9 11 Ret Ret 16 17 19 7 12 11 10 Ret 6 17 22 Fairuz Fauzy 11 3 13 16 Ret 18 21 15 15 11 15 23 Arthur Pic Ret 14 16 12 Ret 9 6 20 14 19 11 16 21 19 Ret 10 10 12 24 Sten Pentus 10 11 Ret 14 16 Ret 11 19 10 14 Ret 6 10 22 Ret 14 13 11 25 Jan Charouz 17 22 8 20 12 12 Ret 21 17 Ret 21 14 9 Ret Ret 8 Ret 10 26 Stéphane Richelmi 16 Ret 17 Ret 7 15 16 13 13 15 20 19 20 17 13 Ret Ret 6 27 Adrien Tambay 7 DNS Ret 6 28 Mikhail Aleshin 11 8 4 29 Daniël de Jong 19 15 Ret Ret 14 14 19 16 19 16 18 18 Ret 20 12 16 9 2 30 Daniel McKenzie 18 23 19 17 13 Ret 15 15 20 18 22 17 Ret 18 Ret 17 12 0 31 Marcos Martínez Ret 13 0 32 Jean-Karl Vernay 15 15 0 33 Lewis Williamson 15 20 18 Ret 0 34 Filip Salaquarda 15 18 0 35 Dominic Storey 20 19 0 36 Michael Herck Ret 21 0 Pos Driver ARA SPA MNZ MON NÜR HUN SIL LEC CAT PointsBold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap † – Retired, but classified
Teams' Championship