Fifteen days after the inaugural event fought out on the Ledenon circuit, the drivers of the French F4 Championship met again for the Pau Grand Prix, ready to tear down the streets of the Béarnaise city. Simon Gachet, the "EUROFORMULA VOLANT" 2011, created a stir when he won second place right from the very start of the qualifiers in Ledenon and finished second in race 2 after leading the race for a great part of it. Emerging from rugby, he discovered motorsport last year, without even going through the karting stage, unlike his young friends, Simon has astonished everyone!

Arriving in Pau with great ambitions, Simon Gachet stepped up on the second step of the podium twice for both races fought out on the urban circuit of the city. The "EUROFORMULA VOLANT" 2011 was the driver who won the most points during this "risky" weekend, boosting his rise in the general provisional ranking of the French F4 Championship where he now stands in 3rd place.

After some studious free practice, Simon Gachet completed some great qualifiers finishing with 4th and 3rd places on the starting grid, advantageous positions in a race where it’s almost impossible to overtake!

Off to a good start in race 1 which saw him finish the first lap in 4th place, the "EUROFORMULA VOLANT" would benefit from a penalty attributed to his leading opponents to finish in second place. Same again for the second race where he would also finish in second place after a brilliant and consistent race, the "Gachet" rocket was launched:

"I came to Pau with the objective of picking up some big championship points on a very technical and dangerous circuit. Objective achieved since I did win the most. For that I knew it was vital to succeed in the qualifiers to get a start on the two front lines, after that it was relatively easy because I only had to control the situation according to events on the track, I think I had a successful weekend. A big thank you to EUROFORMULA and RALF TECH."

There was satisfaction all around at EUROFORMULA, as the director, Laurent Fradon, tells us: "He was the driver who brought in the most points from this weekend and there’s no doubt that it will weigh heavily in the balance when the tally is counted for the championship! Simon knew how to manage the pressure perfectly while all the time being fast and consistent, he is among the lead players of this championship and he’s fast becoming one of the favourites for the title. The next step is victory but not at any price, Simon must always keep in mind that it is the intermediate points that often determine the champion!"

The next challenge in the French F4 Championship will take place on June 23 and 24 on the Val de Vienne circuit where Simon Gachet has always felt at home. We can now count on the "EUROFORMULA VOLANT" 2011, and thoughts of victory are now among the possibilities!

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It’s the end of the holidays on the Silverstone track and Paul Loup Chatin stepped up on podium for the first time in the second race, with a third place in the EUROCUP Formula Renault 2.0 championship. A result which puts him 9^th in the provisional general ranking and first of the French.

The Silverstone meeting started well for the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” who was timed with the 6^th overall best time in the first session qualifiers before crossing the line in 5^th place. Paul Loup Chatin even held 4^th position up until the last laps, when he was caught in a sudden downpour.

His performance is meeting expectations and the work he and his TECH 1 team have accomplished since the beginning of the year is beginning to bear fruit.

Paul Loup Chatin therefore launched into his second qualifiers full of confidence and scored an excellent 5^th time which put him in an ideal position for the second race. The “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” had an excellent start and found himself 3^rd at the end of the first lap. Paul Loup Chatin was then content to follow the two leaders in order to guarantee his first podium place in the EUROCUP!

Paul Loup Chatin: “I’ve been waiting for this podium for a while, so even if I was a little bit faster than the two leaders, I would have had to take some risks to overtake them and I didn’t want to compromise my opportunity. The whole team and I have worked hard since the beginning of the season and I hope that we can be even better in a few weeks in Castellet. The goal now is to keep pushing in this direction and pull off a victory by the end of the season.”

The “EUROFORMULA VOLANT”’s performances have, of course, been closely followed by Laurent Fradon, the Director of the EUROFORMULA School: “Paul Loup has been “flirting” with the EUROCUP podium for a while and this weekend he crystallised his potential. He is an excellent ambassador for our “VOLANT” which has its final selections this September and October on the La Chatre circuit. Paul Loup is now ready for victory and why not in the next race? He is certainly capable of it.”

Paul Loup Chatin, with the full support of his TECH 1 team, will now get ready for his national challenge which will be fought out on the 16, 17 and 18 September on the Castellet circuit, and there the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” will hope to shine.

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A busy meeting was waiting for Paul Loup Chatin at Hungaroring as he was driving in both the Eurocup and the ALPS Championship.

The weekend started badly for Paul Loup, however, as he made mistakes in the first session of qualifiers for the Eurocup and found himself 14^th on the starting grid for the first race!

Paul Loup never admitted defeat and determined to push through. Caught in a collision, he found himself consigned to the back of the ranks, which was a shame because he should have been able to score some points.

The second round of qualifiers for the Eurocup went better with a nice 4^th place that allowed him to hope for his first podium. Sadly, the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2010 found himself in difficulties and could not rise higher than 6^th in Race 2 with the 3^rd best time, which is very encouraging.

Paul Loup Chatin was now left with just the two races in the ALPS Championship to bring to fruition the potential he has shown recently and take his first victory.

Setting the best time in the qualifiers with his first set of new tyres, Paul Loup could not improve on that with the second set. The “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” then fell to 5^th place in both races.

In Race 1, Paul Loup made the best time but found it impossible to overtake and had to be satisfied with 4^th place.

Race 2 was driven out on the wet and Paul Loup Chatin knew this was his moment to overtake because the conditions made it possible. Only by launching a fierce attack did the “EUFORMULA VOLANT” take his first victory along with the best time of the race! He is currently third in the provisional general ranking.

Paul Loup Chatin: “The weekend started badly but finished well, this first victory is the fulfilment of all the work I’ve put in with my TECH 1 team. I also showed that I was a contender in the Eurocup because I didn’t miss the podium by much. We’re going up a level, our next objective is to make our potential a reality in the Eurocup.”

Laurent Fradon, Director of EUROFORMULA: “Paul Loup Chatin has been flirting with victory for a while. He knew when to grab his opportunity this weekend and did it with verve on the wet which is the mark of great drivers. He is doing the same thing in the Eurocup and I think a podium and even a victory are not far away.”

The next meeting for Formula Renault 2.0 will be at Silverstone on August 19, 20 and 21 in the context of the Eurocup.

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ALPS CHAMPIONSHIP:

PAUL LOUP CHATIN ON THE PODIUM FOR THE SECOND TIME IN PAU

It is always very difficult to get a good repeat performance on a town track like PAU where the smallest error is unforgiving, yet that is what Paul Loup CHATIN, the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2010 pulled off when he stepped up on the podium for the second time this weekend!

Already 3rd in Race 1 on Saturday despite running a high fever, Paul Loup CHATIN started Race 2 on Sunday with the every intention of doing as well if not better. Although starting from 3^rd on the grid, the young TECH 1 team driver immediately grabbed second place and did not budge from there until he crossed the line after clearing a sufficient gap on his immediate pursuer. He was left behind though from the mid-race on by his co-driver, Javier TARANCON, who is an experienced driver.

Paul Loup CHATIN explains to it us: “I had good rhythm but I slackened the pace around mid-race and Javier just took off. He has more experience in handling this type of race and it made all the difference. I am, however, very satisfied with my weekend in Pau because I was on the podium twice and I’m properly back in the championship. It’s really encouraging for what’s to come, the next stage is to try to rise to the top step.”

The “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2010 is actually 4^th in the provisional ranking of the ALPS Championship and still has all his chances for the 2011 title.

Laurent FRADON, Director of EUROFORMULA, is rather optimistic for what is to come: “Paul Loup is decidedly at home in the streets of Pau and had a faultless performance throughout the meeting. His two podiums put him back in the race for the title. He just keeps getting better every time he goes out and he’s ready to win in the next ALPS challenge. We’re really pleased with his performance and his approach to the race, we weren’t mistaken when we chose him.”

The next ALPS Championship meeting will take place on the RED BULL RING in Austria on the 11^th and 12^th June and Paul Loup CHATIN will want to bring surprise to a track that many drivers will be discovering.

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With forty-seven cars on the track during the collective practise, the main difficulty for the drivers of the EUROCUP FORMULA RENAULT 2.0 was to find a clear lap and hope there weren’t too many red flags, which was not the case! In these conditions, it is difficult to get ones bearings during qualifiers which prove to be decisive, especially for "rookies" like the “EUROFORUMULA VOLANT” 2010, Paul Loup CHATIN.

The qualifiers were divided into two groups and the TECH 1 driver made a good 7^th time which put him in 13^th place on the starting grid of race 1. Red flags disturbed the session again and the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2010 was only able to get two fast laps in, which was a shame because the potential was there to rise in the ranks during the race.

Indeed, Paul Loup CHATIN will cross the finish line in 10^th place, tantamount to a new point in the championship.

For Sunday’s race, the scenario was pretty much identical with another 13^th place on the starting grid, a good fight which sees him in 7^th before dropping to 9^th place as he reaches the finish and two more points which puts the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” in 15^th place in the provisional rankings of the EUROCUP Championship.

Paul Loup CHATIN remains positive and determined to progress in the ranks: “Even though this weekend wasn’t easy, it was beneficial for me because I gained more experience which will count toward the next races. I just hope to keep working well with my TECH 1 team who support me a lot. It’s the only way to get close to the podium in a championship like the EUROCUP where the level is very high, as much for the drivers as for the teams! I can’t wait for the next challenge.”

EUROFORMULA is also full of confidence, as their Director Laurent FRADON says: “Paul Loup successfully finished both races and scored without any fouls and not giving anything away on the track. It’s all panning out as we hoped, we expect to see him on the podium in the second part of the Championship, for the moment he’s taking his apprenticeship very seriously and intelligently because each race finished allows him to perfect his experience even more quickly. Our student has all the cards to succeed, up to him to use them well and I fully trust him to do that.”

The “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2010 has a busy programme ahead which will allow him to show his best. Indeed, Paul Loup CHATIN will take part on 7 and 8 May in the second round of the ALPS Championship on the IMOLA track in Italy before returning to MONZA and the EUROCUP Championship on the 14 and 15 May. This third challenge of the season should allow Paul Loup to climb a little further up the hierarchy.

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The first meeting of the season for the WORLD SERIES by RENAULT 2011 took place this weekend on the ALCANIZ track in Spain and Paul Loup CHATIN took part in the very challenging EUROCUP championship.

In this first leg, the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” 2011 had a qualified success although it was generally positive. Yet Paul Loup CHATIN started well, finishing in 9^th and 7^th place in the free practice sessions on Friday.

Things went downhill slightly in the first qualifier. Victim of a yellow flag when he was on his fast lap, Paul Loup lost the advantage of his new tyres and could not do better than 11^th in his group. Relegated to 21^st position on the grid, the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” had an excellent start in Race 1 which propelled him to 11^th place at the end of the first lap! Unfortunately an electrical fault forced him to abandon, a shame because points were conceivable.

The next day, Paul Loup CHATIN found himself in the top group to compete in the qualifiers and lost four places for just one tenth of a second! He found himself down in 9^th position of his group and 17^th on the starting grid of Race 2.

Paul Loup had another very good start and rapidly moved up to 10^th position before gaining another. The positions were then to stay fixed until the finish despite several attempts to overtake and the “EUROFORMULA VOLANT” would finally cross the finishing line in 9^th position.

“This place globally reflects the level of our performance this weekend,” Paul Loup confided, “the TECH 1 team did some really good work starting with the collective tests to improve the set up, but it required specific driving and I had a bit of trouble with it to start with. Overall the weekend was positive because we showed again that our performance is constantly improving. It’s a shame we had an electrical problem during Race 1 but that’s part of motorsport! All the same, I reached my goal and finished in the top 10 and I think we can hope for a bit better at Spa because the TECH 1 team support me all the way.”

Satisfaction was also found at EUROFORMULA and its Director, Laurent FRADON, explained his point of view to us: “Paul Loup stayed in the running despite the problems encountered. He knew not to give up and fought to move up the ranking for the two races. The EUROCUP is a difficult championship and we have to give him time to get his bearings but I am certain that he will soon be battling for the podium. We are satisfied with Paul Loup’s performance.”

Next meeting on the 29^th, 30^th April and 1^st May on the SPA FRANCORCHAMPS track for the second challenge of the EUROPCUP 2011.

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