Formula Renault EuroCup 3rd and 4th round at Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium didn’t go so well for the 16-year-old Aaro Vainio. Aaro’s starting grid position was tenth for the first race but when the lights went off Aaro wasn’t able to keep the motor running and he dropped to the 24^th position at start. Being for the first time on this very fast track Aaro started fighting his way up and ended up being on place seven.  On Sunday the second race was driven in rainy weather and Aaro finished it on position 12.

On this long Spa track during the half-an-hour time qualifying session, which also includes changing the tyres, one will have a change to do only 2-3 fast laps.   And if one has to overtake during those fast laps, it’s difficult to get a time that entitles you to the front grid positions.  The morning’s time qualifying was driven in good dry weather conditions and Aaro got grid positions 10^th for the Saturday race and 16th for the Sunday race.

”When Aaro was on his fastest lap the sector one and two went really well and he was heading towards grid position four but then on the third sector Aaro had to swerve Kalle Kulmanen, who had spinned ahead of him. Aaro’s best lap then entitled him the grid position ten,” Aaro’s assistant Jani Pirttinen was reporting the news from the track.

”Today getting 2-3 fast laps didn’t work out because there were always ahead  cars to avoid so tomorrow’s grid position 16^th is a huge disappointment for Aaro, ” Pirttinen said.

Race start was challenging.  Organizers used the Spa track’s old starting grid which is on quite steep downhill and keeping cars not moving is quite difficult before the lights go off.  Aaro ended up having problems with this.

”Unfortunately here the lack of taking starts was seen.  We haven’t been able to practise enough the starts and now Aaro didn’t push gas pedal hard enough when lifting the clutch so he Aaro didn’t manage to keep the motor running and it went off in the starting grid,” said Pirttinen.

At this point all the rivals had passed Aaro and even the last car was 150 meters ahead of him when his started Aaro started the chase which ended on place seven.

Sunday’s rainy weather conditions were difficult.  Aaro started from grid position 16^th but wasn’t able to finish amongst top ten and therefor he didn’t’ gain any points for his 12^th place. Unfortunately this time Aaro didn’t manage to work his way up the way he did in the first round in Spain.

” I had pretty good start this time. I spinned the wheels maybe a pit too much but other than that it was ok”, Aaro said after the race.

”Conditions were quite difficult, in the beginning it was wet track and towards the end it was drying, so the wet tyres didn’t hold very well. I was working my way up and was able to overtake several cars but then lost positions as well. I’m not happy for my 12^th position but I gained some experience, which was good”,  Aaro thought about the positive side of the weekend.

Eurocup series continue with rounds 5 and 6 on June 4-6, 2010 at Brno track in Czech Republic.