2008 Formula Renault 3.5 Series

After a three-year cycle, the current Formula Renault 3.5 chassis was replaced by a brand new car built by Italian racecar constructor Dallara. The new car featured flex-fuel technology and could be powered by either premium unleaded petrol or E85 bioethanol, which was a first for this level of motorsport in Europe. The Renault V6 engine, prepared by French company Solution F, will also saw its power increased from 425 horsepower (317 kW) to 500 horsepower (370 kW).

The car also featured a new carbon bodyshell, as well as a new shaped front wing, hollowed sidepods and multiple side deflectors designed to improve aerodynamic performance. However, several areas of the car, including the gearbox, rear suspension and carbon brakes, remained the same in order to keep costs under control.[1]

The new car made its first public appearance on 21 September at the Magny-Cours round of the 2007 season,[2] with development driver Andy Soucek demonstrating the car at the final round of the series in Barcelona.[3]

In a change from recent years, only 26 cars (thirteen two-car teams) were allowed into the 2008 championship. The World Series by Renault organising committee announced twelve of the thirteen teams on 5 October 2007,[4] with newcomers Ultimate Signature confirmed as the final entrant on 12 October 2007.[5]

The 2008 season also saw the introduction of a new qualifying system to the FR3.5 Series.[6]

• The 26 cars will be split into two equal groups, with each having a 20-minute session
• The Top 6 drivers in each group (12 in total) will go forward to a 15-minute 'Super Pole' session
• The grid for Race one is decided by reversing the finishing order of the Top 8 drivers in Super Pole. They are followed by the last four in Super Pole (in finishing order) and the remaining 14 drivers in the order they finished qualifying
• For Race two, the Top 8 drivers from Super Pole line up in the order they finished the session, with the rest of the field decided by the finishing order of Race one

Pos Driver MNZ SPR MNZ FEA SPA SPR SPA FEA MON FEA SIL SPR SIL FEA HUN SPR HUN FEA NÜR SPR NÜR FEA LMS SPR LMS FEA EST SPR EST FEA CAT SPR CAT FEA Points 1 Giedo van der Garde 1 1 Ret 1 2 5 2 1 21† 2 7 DNS 1 8 8 DNS Ret 137 2 Julien Jousse 3 4 Ret Ret 4 7 10 2 2 Ret 2 9 15 4 3 1 5 106 3 Fabio Carbone DSQ Ret 15 Ret 12 4 5 3 1 1 6 3 2 1 Ret 5 10 97 4 Miguel Molina Ret Ret 9 6 9 23 Ret Ret 3 Ret 1 2 5 7 1 Ret 7 79 5 Mikhail Aleshin 5 5 5 3 6 Ret 18 9 15 3 DNS 6 4 9 23† 2 14 73 6 Charles Pic 9 3 Ret 12 1 15 13 18† 9 Ret 12 1 6 Ret 2 8 8 69 7 Bertrand Baguette Ret Ret 1 11 5 6 16 4 4 5 5 Ret 16 Ret 4 Ret 4 69 8 Esteban Guerrieri 22 4 Ret 12 12 9 4 3 5 6 Ret 1 62 9 Salvador Durán Ret 14 2 4 16 1 3 Ret 16 4 DSQ 7 7 16 22† Ret 12 61 10 Álvaro Barba Ret 2 DNS 10 14 3 8 Ret 5 Ret 3 NC 12 2 Ret 6 Ret 58 11 Marco Bonanomi Ret DSQ 4 2 13 8 9 5 13 Ret 4 5 11 Ret 5 Ret DNS 56 12 Robert Wickens Ret Ret 14 Ret 19 9 1 Ret 8 13 18 14 22 3 12 3 3 55 13 James Walker 7 7 Ret 16 8 10 12 7 10 Ret 13 Ret 9 Ret 14 7 2 36 14 Marco Barba 12 8 Ret 20 24† 12 7 10 7 Ret 10 10 8 6 10 16† Ret 24 15 Marcos Martínez Ret Ret Ret 9 15 2 6 13 Ret 11 11 15 24 11 7 Ret Ret 21 16 Guillaume Moreau 8 6 3 14 7 13 11 Ret Ret 20 17 Pablo Sánchez López 4 Ret 8 Ret 21 21 24 8 Ret 6 8 Ret 17 13 21 12 Ret 18 18 Fairuz Fauzy 3 Ret 15 12 14 DSQ Ret 13 19 12 20 Ret 6 17 19 Alexandre Marsoin 14 Ret 6 7 20 17 25 17 6 Ret 16 11 10 20 16 9 15 17 20 Pasquale Di Sabatino 2 10 13 8 25† 11 14 11 11 Ret 15 12 14 16 21 Filipe Albuquerque 10 9 4 9 12 22 Daniil Move 13 13 11 5 22 24† 23 16 20 6 23 Duncan Tappy 16 21 6 19 14 11 10 Ret 6 24 Borja García 6 Ret Ret 15 11 5 25 Pippa Mann 10 11 16 Ret 18 19 20 15 Ret 7 19 Ret Ret Ret 15 13 13 5 26 Máximo Cortés 17 16 7 13 10 14 17 5 27 Aleix Alcaraz 11 9 Ret 18 Ret 20 22 Ret 18 Ret Ret 8 13 15 13 11 11 5 28 Claudio Cantelli 16 Ret 12 19 17 14 17 8 17 16 20 18 17 Ret 16 3 29 Mario Romancini Ret 12 10 17 23† 18 19 Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret 18 3 30 Siso Cunill 10 NC 18 Ret 17 18 15 Ret 1 31 Sten Pentus 14 17 0 32 Paolo Maria Nocera Ret 14 Ret 21 0 33 Julian Theobald 15 15 Ret 21 0 34 Sergey Afanasyev 17 23 19 19 Ret Ret 0 Pos Driver MNZ SPR MNZ FEA SPA SPR SPA FEA MON FEA SIL SPR SIL FEA HUN SPR HUN FEA NÜR SPR NÜR FEA LMS SPR LMS FEA EST SPR EST FEA CAT SPR CAT FEA Points

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX)

• Polesitter for feature race in bold
• Driver in italics has been awarded two points for fastest lap
• † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.