Red Bull development driver, Palmerston North teenager Brendon Hartley, has dominated the opening races of the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 litre season this weekend by winning both feature races at the Zolder circuit in Belgium.

After winning the first race on Saturday by a comfortable four-second margin he went on to win Sunday’s race from pole position.

The New Zealander, who drives for the Red Bull Epsilon team, said after a “difficult” 2006 first season, his weekend in Belgium couldn’t have gone better.

Hartley is contesting both the Italian Formula Renault Series and the Eurocup Series. The race at Zolder this weekend was the start of his Eurocup campaign.

“We were fastest all weekend in all conditions so this has been the perfect start for me.

“Things are going as well as they possibly could with the Red Bull Epsilon team and I haven’t had a single problem with the car since I’ve been with them”.

The next round of the World Series by Renault is at the famous Nurburgring circuit near the Eiffel Mountains in Germany on 5th May. Hartley starts that weekend with a maximum of 33 points in the championship.
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