Daniel Miranda finishes 3rd in Asian Formula Renault on second event

Still a rookie in the Asian Formula Renault Series (AFR Series), Daniel Miranda has already proven that he’s one of the top drivers in 2018. The 21-year-old managed an impressive top 10 finish at Zhuhai on only his first race weekend. Now just a month later, he has already surpassed this by landing a podium spot at the Shanghai International Circuit last April 28 to 29.

The 5.451 km track presented new challenges to the Filipino driver. With its high speed nature, Shanghai puts more emphasis on aerodynamics, proper throttle control, and physical fitness. This was also Miranda’s very first time to drive on the Formula 1 circuit.

“The track is really high speed, which is something I’m not used to. We don’t have these type of corners back home,” he commented. “But every time I go out I make sure to find places to improve on. I was also able to adapt easily with help from the team’s engineer.”

Driving the #20 car for Eurasia Motorsport, Miranda set the 5th fastest time in Qualifying ahead of his more experienced teammate by a slim 0.011 sec advantage. This boosted his confidence leading up to Race 1. He got a good start off the line on Sunday morning and quickly gained a position after a rival spun out. A brave overtaking maneuver then earned him a top 3 spot on lap 5. He then focused on maintaining position until the chequered flag dropped on lap 14, scoring his very first podium finish in AFR.

Starting from P6 on the grid in Race 2, Miranda lost a spot during the first corner chaos. The next few laps were then spent regaining lost ground and battling for position. A clean pass would get him up to 5th place where he would secure another strong finish.

Daniel Miranda is supported by Cebuana Lhuillier on his Asian Formula Renault (AFR) campaign. The next event will take place at the Ningbo International Circuit, China on May 26/27.

Daniel Miranda: “I’m really happy with our results and I didn’t expect to finish 3rd on only my second event. With better physical and mental preparation, hopefully I can get on the podium again at Ningbo this May. Of course, I’d like to thank everyone at Eurasia Motorsport, our mechanics, and Cebuana Lhuillier for the support. This wouldn’t be possible without them.”

Roland Hermoso, Driver Coach & Manager: “Daniel has really impressed the whole team at Eurasia with his performance in Shanghai. He showed big improvements at every session and was on the same pace as his more experienced teammate. But his best achievement so far in AFR is to finish on the podium on only his second race weekend. It was more than what we had hoped for and we’re excited what Daniel can achieve in the next event in a month’s time.”

[Photos by Roland Hermoso and FRD Motor Sport]