Yannick Aigoin Top Qualifier in Portugal

Yannick Aigoin is the Top Qualifier here in Portugal and going on the form of the previous four European Championships, is on target to lift his third EFRA title.  Since 2006, when Aigoin last won the Euros, the Top Qualifier has gone on to take the overall victory.  The factory Losi driver secured the No.1 spot after recording his third TQ run of the five rounds in the last qualifier of the event, much to the delight of Losi top man Bill Jeric who has traveled over from the US to support his drivers.

Commenting on his Q5 run, Aigoin said he made a stupid mistake in the chicane but otherwise the run was good following the change of oil in the centre diff of his Novarossi powered 8ight 2.0EU. Reminded by David Spashett of the fact that the Top Qualifier has gone on to win the previous 4 championships, the French ace said he was just ‘very happy’ to have stage 1 of his campaign complete.

Second at the end of qualifying was Yannick’s twin brother Jerome. The Kyosho team driver was fourth fastest in the last qualifier but thanks to his Q2 TQ run will start pole in the Semi B Final.  The brothers achieved the same 1-2 qualifying result in 2006 in Spain where Yannick took his second title but on that occasion Jerome didn’t make it passed the Semi’s, something he hopes will not befall him again tomorrow.  Jerome is very happy with the set-up on his MP9 saying it may be lacking a little speed but its easy to drive which is going to be important for what he expects are going to be very difficult conditions in tomorrow’s finals.

The only driver to deny the Aigoin’s total domination of qualifying with his Q4 TQ run, Miguel Matias took third overall.  Carrying all the hopes of a home win here in Guarda, the 2003 Champion did not have a good last round when he collided with a back marker who crashed ahead of him.  The Losi/RB driver said he is very happy with third and his goal for tomorrow is to bump up to the Main.  He said if that is successful he can then start to think about achieving a dream result.

For defending Champion Renaud Savoya he is obviously disappointed with fourth having been the Top Qualifier for the past two years but the Frenchman hasn’t given up on taking his third consecutive title just yet.  Having looked at the qualification ranking after four rounds he said he was unable to improve his position and so used the round to test a cut Proline Caliper M2 tyre. Very happy with his MBX-6 he has struggled to get a tyre to his liking and his latest attempt also didn’t work, the car lacking traction and steering.  Summing up his day the ‘Shark’ said ‘I would prefer not to TQ and instead take the win.  Tomorrow is another day so let’s see what happens’.

The final qualifier saw Jerome Sartel put in a very competitive run finishing second just one second adrift of Yannick Aigoin.  The French Xray driver said his 808 has been really good all week but this was his cleanest run of the event and he was very happy with it.  Changing to a harder front insert and adjusting the rear shocks to a more upright position, he said he had more steering and the car was better over the bumps.  Having not made the final since 2007 Sartel, who ended up 6th overall behind Martin Bayer, said he hopes he can end that run of bad luck tomorrow.

Q5 signalled a big turn around of fortunes for Darren Bloomfield and outgoing European Junior Champion Elliot Boots, the British pair setting the 3rd and 5th fastest times for the round.  Losi driver Bloomfield, who finished 7th last year, finally found some grip and a more controllable car and declared after the run that his Euros campaign could really start now.  After terrible runs in the opening four heats the 21-year-old just missed making the Semis securing pole for the 1/4 A Final but with a good car now he is confident he can progress.  For Boots the first four qualifiers also proved difficult but taking a totally different approach for the final qualifier the 17-year-old produced his first competitive 5 minute run.  Changing to a more ‘relaxed’ RB engine in his Mugen MBX-6 he also backed off from his attacking driving style and the combination worked.  Describing this as his worst Euros so far he said making the 1/4 is not such a bad thing as it will give him extra needed track time.

While Day 4 of the 30th running of the European Championships is over for the big names its the start of the lower finals from which 8 lucky drivers will get to progress to the big day here in Portugal tomorrow.  Our coverage which has been made possible thanks to Team Durango, LRP and Mugen, will continue with news from the 1/4 finals right through to the deciding race of the 2010 Championships.

Top 16 qualifiers
1. Yannick Aigoin (FR) – 474pts (Losi/Novarossi)
2. Jérôme Aigoin (FR) – 466pts (Kyosho/Novarossi)
3. Miguel Matias (PT) – 465pts (Losi/RB)
4. Renaud Savoya (FR) – 460pts (Mugen/RB)
5. Martin Bayer (CZ) – 459pts (Losi/Novarossi)
6. Jérôme Sartel (FR) – 458pts (Xray/RB)
7. Borja Hernandez (ES) – 456pts (Mugen/RB)
8. David Ronnefalk (SE) – 449pts (Kyosho/Team Orion)
9. Lee Martin (GB) – 448pts (Losi/Novarossi)
10.Daniel Vega (ES) – 444pts (Agama/Team Orion)
11.Robert Batlle (ES) – 441pts (Associated/Novarossi)
12.Teemu Leino (FI) – 439pts (Xray/Team Orion)
13.Daniel Reckward (DE) – 437pts (Mugen/RB)
14.Neil Cragg (GB) – 437pts (Associated/Reedy)
15.Linus Thern (SE) – 435pts (Kyosho/Novarossi)
16.Bruno Coelho (PT) – 434pts (Mugen/Sirio)

Full results can be found online here.

View our event image gallery here.