The 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series season was a multi-event motor racing championship for open wheel, formula racing cars held across Europe. The championship featured drivers competing in Formula Renault 3.5 formula race cars that conformed to the technical regulations for the championship. The 2015 season was the eleventh and final season Formula Renault 3.5 Series organised by Renault Sport, after it was announced that the organisation would withdraw its backing of the championship at the end of the season.[1]
Gustav Malja, who raced for Josef Kaufmann Racing in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, graduated to the series, joining Strakka Racing.[14]
Roy Nissany graduated to the series from the European Formula Three Championship, competing with Tech 1 Racing.[17]
Egor Orudzhev, who raced for Tech 1 Racing in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, joined Arden Motorsport.[8]
Aurélien Panis, who raced for the ART Junior Team in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, joined fellow French team Tech 1 Racing.[18]
Facu Regalia, who raced a part-season in the GP2 Series with Hilmer Motorsport, originally signed to race for Zeta Corse,[33] but left the team prior to the start of the season to join Comtec Racing.[34] However, prior to the first round he switched to Auto GP with FMS Racing.[35]
Pierre Gasly, the runner-up of the 2014 season, joined the GP2 Series with DAMS.[40] Gasly also took part in the final three rounds of the 2014 GP2 season with Caterham Racing.[41]
Cameron Twynham, who contested three rounds of the championship for Comtec Racing in 2014, joined the Porsche Supercup with MOMO-Megatron.[52]
Mid-season changes
GP3 Series driver Alex Fontana replaced Roberto Merhi at Pons Racing for the Monaco round due to Merhi's Formula One commitments with the Manor F1 Team on the same weekend.[27] Former Euroseries 3000 champion Will Bratt deputised for Merhi at the Silverstone round due to his participation in the Italian Grand Prix.[28] Bratt was replaced by GP2 Series driver René Binder at the Nürburgring round, after Merhi disbanded his contract with Pons.[29] At the Le Mans round, Binder was replaced by Nikita Zlobin.[30]
After missing the first four rounds of the season, Comtec Racing returned to the championship at the Red Bull Ring with a single car for Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 leader Louis Delétraz.[22]
Marlon Stöckinger replaced Meindert van Buuren at Lotus for the Red Bull Ring round after the team cancelled their contract with him. Van Buuren in turn replaced Philo Paz Armand at Pons Racing, who missed the event due to visa issues.[11]
GP2 Series driver Nick Yelloly replaced Stöckinger at the Silverstone round due to his GP2 Series commitments with Status Grand Prix at Monza.[12]
Euroformula Open driver Yu Kanamaru replaced Philo Paz Armand at Pons Racing for the Nürburgring round due to continued visa issues for Armand.[25]
Pietro Fantin will be replaced at Le Mans by series' returnee André Negrão, who had three consecutive seasons with Draco Racing in 2011–2013.[20]
On 11 February 2015, it was announced that the Silverstone round would be moved back a week due to the circuit reacquiring the rights to host the British round of the 2015 MotoGP season.[56]
