Oliver Turvey’s World Series by Renault campaign got a serious boost at the weekend after the Cumbrian driver turned a Monaco pole position into a convincing race win.
The Carling driver won on his first outing at the circuit after holding off a race-long challenge from Interwetten’s Adrian Zaugg who got the jump on front-row starter James Walker, driving for P1 Motorsport, as the lights turned green.
But Turvey was able to hold him off in a single-race weekend that proved remarkably trouble-free – after he had touched the barrier in free practice.
He said: “I knew where the limit was, my last lap in qualifying was a great lap and that set up the victory.
“I was just looking in my mirrors and controlling the race, I don’t think Zaugg was ever really close enough to make a move. It’s amazing to win here in front of the Formula 1 teams.”
It was a first pole and a first win for Turvey in a series that has so far been dominated by Pons Racing’s Marco Martinez. Walker finished third.
Martinez took a double win at the season opener in Barcelona then triumphed in the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps, although Turvey’s fellow Brit Walker managed to grab a fastest lap and a sprint victory.
The next race will be at the Hungaroring on the weekend of June 13/14.