It was during during an increasingly fierce competition, as a curtain-raiser for the famous Blancpain GT Series, that Charles Milesi progressed during the seventh of the ten races of the 2018 Formula Renault Eurocup. After promising Qualifying sessions Charles was caught in the bustle of the pack during the starts and the first laps, before failing to move up as far as he wanted on the very twisty circuit of Budapest. But Charles has resolved not give up before the end of the year.
After an early summer that did not really meet his expectations due to various problems, Charles Milesi was keen to score a maximum of points in Budapest, as he did in the spring at Silverstone and Monaco. In perfect physical condition, he quickly showed his speed by achieving 5th and 3rd in the collective tests before the first Qualifying session, despite learning a track where he needed to discover all the subtleties. During Qualifying, his R-ace GP team was at the front, as was the Dijonnais driver… “The session was extremely tight and I finished 4th in my group, only a tenth and a half behind the fastest time,” commented Charles.
Promising Qualifying, but …
7th on the starting grid of Race 1, the young French hopeful unfortunately lost two places in the early laps. “At the end of the race, I managed to get closer to 8th, but unable to get close enough to try to overtake him.“
The next day, it was raining at the Hungaroring. Always very comfortable in these difficult conditions, Charles Milesi improved his position in Qualifying. 3rd in his group, less than two tenths off the best time, he took a place on the third row for Race 2. But again, his start to the race caused him to drop into the rankings, while the spray of water greatly reduced the visibility during the early laps. After 30 minutes of effort, Charles had to settle for 12th place.
Objective: Return to the podium as soon as possible
“The standard of the 2018 Eurocup Formula Renault is still very high,” says Julien Abelli of the Simumotion organisation who advises Charles Milesi during the season. “You really have to find your place in this pack of very talented drivers and Charles had to fight against his rivals. His result in Hungary does not reflect his performance level, because Charles is a fast driver, with great potential and is able to hold a great pace throughout a race. He should not be getting in trouble in the pack during the early laps. We have already worked in this direction since the beginning of the season and we will continue our efforts to allow him to return to the podium. Two points at this meeting is not enough, he deserved better, especially in Race 2 in the rain. He has already had the opportunity to gain 20 times more points in a single meeting.“
7th in the provisional rankings of the Eurocup and 5th best Rookie, Charles Milesi has not had his last word on entering the overall top five. In September, two important races will be held in the space of eight days at the Nürburgring and Hockenheim: two circuits that Charles has already had the opportunity to learn!
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