The 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series was the sixth season of the single–seatercategory. It began at the Ciudad del Motor de Aragón in Spain on 17 April, and ended at Circuit de Catalunya, also in Spain, on 10 October.
The Drivers' championship was won by Carlin's Mikhail Aleshin after a last–race title decider with Tech 1 Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo. The Russian claimed the title by just two points after both drivers entered the final race level on 128 points each. He received his prize Renault F1 drive on the first day of the young driver test held at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi on 16 November.[1] Tech 1 Racing won the Teams' championship from Czech squad ISR Racing.
It was due to be the final season for the current Dallara chassis, which was due to be replaced by a new car, developed by Renault Sport Technologies, in time for the 2011 season.[2] However, the series has extended the lifespan of the current car into the 2011 season to "avoid placing undue financial pressures on teams in the prevalent tough market conditions".[3]
The duration of the two Friday practice sessions was increased from 60 minutes to 75 minutes each.[4]
The grid for the second race was no longer decided using the reverse grid and SuperPole system. Each meeting (with the exception of Monaco) now featured two 30–minute qualifying sessions and two races of 44 minutes + one lap.[4]
During the Saturday of each meeting, the cars raced in a "light-aerodynamic" configuration, which was defined by Renault Sport Technologies.[4]
SG Formula and KMP Group had split to form two new teams.[30] However, SG Formula pulled out of the series just a week before the opening round.[35]
ISR Racing took over the RC Motorsport team's entry.[26]
Interwetten.com Racing, managed by Motorsport Consulting GmbH, were not selected for the series originally. They were later accepted as FHV Interwetten.com, managed by FHV GmbH, with Sergio Canamasas and Bruno Méndez driving.[35]
Race calendar and results[]
The calendar for the 2010 season was announced on 25 October 2009, the last day of the 2009 season.[36] Eight of the nine rounds formed meetings of the 2010 World Series by Renault season, with an additional round in support of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Points for both championships were awarded as follows:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
15
12
10
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
With each race having an individual qualifying session, the four–point bonus for pole position was removed. Also removed from the scoring system was the point for the driver who progressed the most places in each race.
^Mills, Peter (2010-03-04). "Garcia tops first FR3.5 test session". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2010-03-04. Richard Dutton's team has confirmed that Estonian Sten Pentus will remain on board for a second season.