Official F1 Journal Formula 2 Sprint Race Round Up- Bahrain

​Before the race even started we saw a change of position for the whole grid when Pole sitter Kush Maini was disqualified for excessive wear on the underneath of his car and he was put back to last position, moving Crawford up to 10th and to the front of reverse grid with Barnard 2nd next  to him on his debut in Formula 2, along with 9 other rookies starting their Formula 2 careers today. Dunne didn't quite make it to the start for his first race in F2 after stalling pulling away for the formation lap meaning he had to started from the pitlane after his mechanics restarted the car. 

Off the start it was Crawford who lead the pack into turn 1 after a great start from pole, Barnard did not have such a good start from 2nd and was quickly overtaken by ART driver Victor Martins, followed  by his team mate O'Sullivan, pushing Barnard down the order. Bortoleto (2023 F3 Champion) also had a tough start and dropped down to 9th, both drivers poor luck helping Zane Maloney move forward from his 8th place start and just as Bortoleto and Barnard started to swap places for 8th and 9th a Virtual Safety car was triggered by the spinning car of Cordeel who needed to be recovered from the run off at turn 4.
Lap 3 the track went green and the racing was back underway, Martins was straight on the back of Crawford but couldnt get past as Maloney started his attack on Fittipaldi, who he passed quickly and rapidly chased down O'Sullivan in 3rd  who he also over took with a great move in to turn 1.

Lap 5 and Maloney continued his charge forward in his Rodin Motorsport car, chasing down 2nd place man Victor Martins, as Hadjar caught O'Sullivan who was now in 5th (after Fittipaldi also passed him) struggling on his Hard tyres in the early stages of the race hoping they come to life in the closing laps. Lap 6 both Maloney and Hadjar got their moves done, Hadjar into turn 1 and Maloney moved up to 2nd place at turn 4. Now Maloney only had 1 car between him and 1st place and only 1 lap later attempted a move into turn 1 on Crawford but didn't get it done till he out dragged the DAMS car  on the straight and was ahead into turn 4. 

Further back Hadjar had also over taken a struggling Fittipaldi, by diving up the inside into turn 4, a popular over taking spot for the F2 and 3.
Lap 9 Colapinto was handed a 10 second penalty for starting in the wrong grid slot, after Dunne stalled and was forced to start from the pitlane Colapinto was confused returning to the grid and pulled into the wrong slot.
The fight between Bortaleto and Barnard for 10th was still alive and the 2 continued to swap back and forth until Bortaleto's hard tyres switched on and his fight forward began leaving Barnard behind on the edge of the points.
Prema were having another terrible day with Bearman and Antonelli down in 18th & 19th before they pit both cars in a bid to gain an advantage on fresh tyres if a Safety car was to happen sadly for them there was not one. 

Hauger also had begun to push forward passing Fittipaldi into turn 1 as the Soft tyre runners struggled, the best of their rubber gone. Victor Martins ART was one of the biggest casualties of this making it fairly easy for Hadjar to catch and pass him for 3rd, While Marti over took Aron for 5th and set his sights on Martins 4th place. 
 Barnard retired at the end of lap 17 with an engine or gear box issue as Marti caught and passed Martins who just couldn't fight back on dying rubber and would continue to fall down the standing as the race drew to a close ending up down in 11th and out of the points by the chequered flag.

3 laps to go and Maloney had a 4 second lead over 2nd place man Crawford, and as Aron passed Martins for 5th Bortaleto found his pace in the closing laps passing Miyata, O'Sullivan and Hauger to go up to 6th almost catching Paul Aron at the line on the final lap. O'Sullivan followed Bortaleto past Hauger meaning he finished a respectable 7th on his F2 debut never really getting the best from the hard tyre but beating team mate Martins as the team split the tyre strategy's. Fittipaldi was forced to pit before rejoining leaving him well down the order and pointless at the season opener.
It was a brilliant race by Maloney who really showed his class and ability to race to the front and manage the race from the front perfectly to bring home his first win in Formula 2, the first win of 2024 and Rodin 1st win since Fittipaldi won the 2023 Belgian Sprint race. 
The new chassis the F2 grid is running this year really has achieved what the FIA set out to when they began designing the new generation of Formula 2 car, the cars were fundamentally faster but racing closer and it made for great viewing. 
​The anticipation for tomorrows race only amplified by the brilliant Sprint race today.

Sprint Race Result 

1 MAL                    2 CRA + 5.490
3 JMA +7.57          4 HAD +9.783
5 ARO +18.18        6 BOR +18.320
7 OSU +20.135      8 HAU +21.032
9 MIY +21.490      10 VER +21.839 
11 MAR +23.840   12 JCO +26.833
13 MAI +27.246    14 ANT + 30.260
15 DUR +35.257   16 BEA +36.247
17 FIT + 56.183     18 COL +64.819
19 VIL +81.558       20 BAR DNF
​21 STA DNF           22 COR DNF

Joanna Blackmore 
​Writer @f1journal.co.uk