Official F1 Journal FIA Formula 2 Sunday Round Up

Saturday Catch Up

The Saturday Sprint race started Dry with Daruvela on the top grid spot.
It was a clean start for the front of the field, Vesti got a great start but better still was the start of his former ART team mate Theo Pourchaire who by the time he was at La Source was in 2nd position. Bearman put a great move on Doohan for 10th.
Lap 2 the Safety car joined the race as Daruvela dived in to the pits minus his head rest which had worked it's self free and come out of the car on track at speed, while at the same time Cordeal spun and stalled his car. Racing was back underway on lap 5 and both the Alpine Academy liveried cars were on the move, with Hauger also hunting down Pourchaire in 3rd and Fittipaldi starting his push for the win chasing Vershoor.
The Penultimate lap began and Fittipaldi was on the back of Vershoor and with a brilliant move into Le Combes took the lead and went onto win his first FIA Formula 2 race. With a name like Fittipaldi you can only imagine its the first of many. The last lap also saw moves from Doohan on Vesti, Iwasa on Boschung and Crawford was given the Black and White flag for late track limits infringements. 

Sprint Race Result

1-FIT      2-POU
3-HAU    3-MAR
5-DOO    6-VES
7-IWA      8-BOS
9-LEC     10-MAL
11-HAD   12-BEA
13-NIS     14-CRA
15-STA     16-JCO
17-NOV    18-MAI
19-MAS    20-DAR DNF
21-ACO    22-VER (disqualified)

Sunday Feature Race 

Before the 25 lap F2 feature race could even start Vesti & Martins had incidents on their lap to the grid, Martins spinning but continuing to start the race but Championship leader Fredrik Vesti crashed heavily and was out of the race before it even started. The preferred strategy for the delayed start was to begin on the softest tyres, Iwasa and Doohan choosing to not go along with the rest of the field and started on the medium tyres. 

Bearman got away well off the start, with Pourchaire moving up to 2nd and Martin losing places off the start. Hauger and Iwasa came together on the first lap bringing out the Safety car. Iwasa took to much curb through the chicane and lost control as the wheels left the floor and hit Hauger, braking Iwasa's suspension and ending his race, Hauger got going again but only after a push start from the marshall's and on lap 6 he was given the Black flag(disqualification signal) as that is expressly against the rules. 

On the restart Bearman lead the way again followed by Pourchaire and the 2 Rodin Carlin, Redbull young drivers Maloney and Fittipaldi almost came together as they crested Radillion and again at le Combes. A dangerous move by Nissany on Leclerc sent the monagasque driver flying towards the barrier half way up Eau Rouge with a puncture, which later Nissany was awarded a 10 second penalty for.
Lap5 and the fight for first was on!! Pourchaire was right on the tail of Ollie Bearman and for the next  7 laps the Prema driver held him off but after both cars pit on lap 15 the ART Pit crew did their driver proud getting the Frenchman back out into the lead, jumping Bearman in the pitstops. The next lap it was Fittipadli's turn to pit and despite coming out into 1st, on cold tyres he was quickly passed by Pourchaire, Bearman and Martins. 

Feature Race Result

1-DOO       2-POU
3-FIT          4-MAL
5-MAR        6-VER
7-BEA         8-MAI
9-STA         10-BOS
11-LEC       12-NIS
13-NOV       14-MAS
15-ACO       15-JCO
DNF'S
CRA 
DAR
HAD
HAU Disqualified
IWA
VES  

​Lap16 saw Martins get a penalty for speeding in the pitlane and the Safety car left the pits after an incident involving Crawford & Correa. 
Doohan pit under the safety car came out 2nd on track behind Pourchaire capitalizing on a shorter stop under the safety car.
On the restart Fittipaldi got Maloney into Le Combes and heading into lap 21 Doohan was on the back of Pourchaire. Mean while Victor martins was on the back of Ollie Bearman into la Combes and the 2 touched sending Martins to the run off and up to 3rd.
Lap 22 the DRS was enabled and Doohan was on the hunt  for his 2nd win in as many weeks. He couldn't get it done into Les Combes so instead followed Pourchaire closely through the rest of the lap and made the move up Eau Rouge and into the start of Radillion. It was a mighty move and Doohan was not chancing a come back from Pourchaire and by the end of the race had a 1.5 second lead over the ART driver. There was still a lot of action on the last lap Maloney & Fittipaldi over took Bearman, then Fittipadli got Maloney and then finally Bearman dropped another place to Vershoor before crossing the finish line. 
A really Brillant Race!!!! 

Driver Championship Standing 

Team Championship Standings

1st- Pourchaire        168
2nd Vesti                  156
3rd Iwasa                 134
4th Doohan              130
5th Martins               120
6th Bearman            102
7th Fittipaldi              98
8th Vershoor             84
9th Hauger               82
10th Maloney           78 

1st  ART Grand Prix         288
2nd Prema Racing           258
3rd Rodin Carlin              176
4th DAMS                        173
5th MP Motorsport           135
6th Virtuosi Racing         130
7th Van Amersfooort         96
8th Campos                      91
9th Hitech                         78
10th Trident                      15
​11th PHM Racing              0

Joanna Blackmore 
​Writer f1 Journal