Another weekend of Formula 2 racing and another crucial one for the championship. There was a resurgence from Jack Doohan, a maiden win for Enzo Fittipaldi, and a change at the top after an eventful weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
Back on top
A weekend of consistency saw Pourchaire take back the lead in the Formula 2 driver's championship by 12 points from championship rival Vesti. He capitalized on the first lap and made his way into fourth. It was the misfortune of Daruvala and Verschoor that saw him leave the sprint race with a P2 finish, after a post-race penalty disqualified Verschoor from the race. With Vesti crashing on the reconnaissance lap, it was the Frenchman's best opportunity to build a gap to his rival. An opening lap saw Pourchaire go from fifth to second and put pressure on the race leader Bearman. After intense battling, a good pit stop from the ART garage allowed Pourchaire to take the net race lead. However, a late safety car and fresher tyres for Doohan meant that Pourchaire lost out on victory by 1.9 seconds on Sunday.
On the other side of the garage, it was a strong weekend for Martins as well. He continued with his strong qualifying form, despite the weather, and secured P3 just behind the two Premas. In the sprint race, Martins made gradual gains and finished P4 after a side-by-side battle with the then championship leader Vesti. On Sunday, Martins had a slow start but managed to make his way back up the grid after dropping from third to seventh at the start. He finished P3, but a five-second penalty saw him drop to P5.
Strong starts and forgettable finishes
After a strong and dominant start to the weekend on Friday, outqualifying the rest of the field by over a second, it turned into a weekend to forget for Prema. Vesti left Spa with only 3 points in a tight championship battle, overtaken in the championship by Pourchaire. A crash in the lead-up to the feature race prevented him from extending his championship lead. He'll be looking for redemption in Zandvoort.
After securing pole on Friday by nearly half a second over his teammate, it was looking like a weekend reminiscent of Baku for Bearman. Instead, it was a messy weekend that saw Bearman score no points in the Sprint race and receive a penalty for causing a collision in the feature race, dropping him to 7th place after starting on pole. A strong fight with Pourchaire at the front of the field shows that the Ferrari academy driver just needs a clean weekend to make his way back to the top.
A memorable weekend
Fittipaldi was on fire in Spa, taking his maiden win and a podium in the feature race, making it an unforgettable weekend for the Brazilian. He secured his long-awaited debut Formula 2 win after a penultimate lap pass on Verschoor, nailing his run out of La Source and overtaking the Dutchman into Les Combes. The podium in the feature race was not easy for the young Rodin Carlin driver, as he qualified 8th in the wet qualifying on Friday. An opening lap saw him move from eighth to fourth, and then a race-long battle with his teammate, along with penalties from drivers in front, Fittipaldi was promoted to P3 in the feature.
After a strong fourth-place finish in qualifying on Friday, it was looking like a good weekend for Maloney. He proved his talent in the feature race, taking the battle to Fittipaldi and holding him back for most of the race. Unfortunately, he missed out on the podium after a final lap pass by his teammate, finishing fourth ahead of ART driver Martins to round off a successful weekend for the Rodin Carlin team.
Victory taken away
Jehan Daruvala couldn't seem to catch a break this season. After a strong start in the Sprint race, a loose headrest forced the race leader to retire. Sunday wasn't much better for the MP driver, as he retired after just 16 laps. He will be looking for redemption in Zandvoort.
On form
After a frustrating start to what was anticipated to be a strong weekend for the Aussie driver, Jack Doohan has come back with two incredibly strong drives in the past two rounds. He took his second consecutive Feature race win of the 2023 Formula 2 season, starting from 11th on the grid. He capitalized on a late safety car and an alternative strategy; he pitted from the lead of the race and, with fresh tires, was able to challenge his now championship rival, Theo Pourchaire.
Top 10 Championship Standings after 11 Rounds:
T. Porchaire | 168 pts |
F. Vesti | 156 pts |
A. Iwasa | 134 pts |
J. Doohan | 130 pts |
V. Martins | 120 pts |
O. Bearman | 102 pts |
E. Fittipaldi | 98 pts |
R. Verschoor | 84 pts |
D. Hauger | 82 pts |
Z. Maloney | 78 pts |
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