13
orld-class
circuit
Roberto Merhi, who
made his racing debut
in the 2007 Formula
Renault Italia
championship, explains
us the character of the
Spanish track where the
ALPS series will host its
grand finale. The same
track where the
Castellon-born racer
will fight for the
World Series Renault 3.5
title against
Carlos Sainz
R
Roberto Merhi is the driver of the
moment. His sensational World Series
Renault 3.5 season brought him to
second place in standings, a few points
away from early leader Carlos Sainz.
Merhi is no longer a young prospects,
and also made his Formula 1 debut on a
Caterham-Renault at Monza during
Friday's practice. But the Spaniard
moved his first steps in racing in the
Formula Renault Italia series, when he
drove a Jenzer Motorsport Tatuus to
fourth place in 2007 at the age of 16. He
then went on to win the European
Formula 3 series in 2011, and that
opened the door to a works involvement
with Mercedes in the 2012 and 2013
DTM series. The few good results scored
forced him out of the Stuttgart
manufacturer's program, Merhi had to
rebuild his career. And once back to
single seaters, in Renault 3.5, his
potential was back in full shape. So he's
the perfect man to preview the closing
round of the F. Renault ALPS
championship, set for the 5th of October
at Jerez. "It's somehow weird that I took
my first laps at Jerez this season, in the
preseason Renault 3.5 tests. It was the
only Spanish track I didn't know. It's
strange I know, but it's the truth. I found
this Andalusian circuit quite interesting.
It's mid-level in terms of difficulty,
although it's really probing for the
physical side. There are some captivating
corners, and turn 5 is particularly
difficult, quite fast, and it's pivotal to hold
the right line there.
The best laptimes are usually scored in
the morning because with the high
temperatures of Andalusia, the asphalt is
hotter during the afternoon. The
structures around the track are high-
quality and it's no surprise that Moto GP
has been running here for quite some
time and there used to be also a Formula
1 GP while the F1 cars run there in
preseason testing. How highly the track is
valued is a significant element. I'm happy
that the ALPS series will run their first
round in Jerez. I'm sure that the
promoters and the drivers will remain
satisfied and I hope they will be back in
2015. Concerning me, Jerez will
represent a key moment. Most likely, the
Renault 3.5 championship will be decided
there between me and Sainz".
