Street circuit debut in the legendary Grand Prix de Pau: Stefan Riener consolidates second place in the championship

Stefan Riener contested one of the most prestigious formula races in the world last weekend – the Grand Prix de Pau in France. For the first time in his career, the young Austrian was competing on a street circuit. In front of a large crowd, Stefan finished among the Top Six in both races to consolidate second place in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS Championship.

Stefan tells us about…

… his debut outing on a street circuit: “I was running on adrenaline right from the start! It’s an indescribable sensation driving at high speed with a gap of just five centimetres from the crash barriers. You have to be 100 percent focused all the time, because any mistake will end in those barriers. I got used to the conditions quite quickly and became more confident with each lap.”

… Race 1 in Pau: “P6 was a decent start to the weekend. Because the track was so tight, it was very difficult to overtake other cars. Starting from seventh on the grid, I improved by one position. Qualifying was extremely important, but unfortunately that didn’t work out too well for us. The track was quite wet and only started drying towards the end. We opted for safety first and fitted the rain tyres. But in the end, it turned out that slicks would have been the faster choice.”

… Race 2: “I started this race from ninth after pushing just a bit too hard in qualifying on a dry track. But then I really came to terms with the track conditions and got off to a lightning start. While several cars were scrapping with each other on the inside of Turn One, I made the most of the opportunity, went around on the outside and made good two places. Over the whole race, I moved up four positions and crossed the finish line in fifth. I’m really pleased with that.”

… the drivers’ standings: “The championship table is looking very good for me. I was able to maintain second place and even reduce the gap to the top by a few points. I’m just nine points adrift now. I’m very pleased with this result; maybe I can even take the lead in a week’s time.”

… the next race weekend at the Red Bull Ring (22nd – 24th May): “I am really looking forward to my home race at Spielberg. Driving in front of my home crowd will give me an extra boost of self-confidence. The Red Bull Ring is one of my favourite circuits. It has a beautiful natural setting and includes some big differences in height. Coming out of Turn 1, it’s very important to maintain as much momentum as possible for the uphill section. You can also gain several tenths on the fast track sections in the infield. The target? To win at least one of the two races would be great!”