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Robert Shwartzman won F2’s first Sprint Race of the weekend after managing three Safety Car restarts and fending off the challenges from behind.
Juri Vips held onto his starting position with the Estonian continuing from where he left off and scoring another podium by finishing second. Christian Lundgaard failed to convert reverse grid pole position into a race win but remained on the podium crossing the line in third.
Starting Grid
Christian Lundgaard started from pole position after he qualified in 10th with the Dane joined by Juri Vips on the front row of the grid.
DAMS’ Roy Nissany started the second row of the grid starting from third as he was joined by Robert Shwartzman with the Russian in fourth.
Felipe Drugovich followed in fifth ahead of Theo Pourchaire, Dan Ticktum, Richard Verschoor, Guanyu Zhou and pole-sitter for Sunday’s Feature Race, Oscar Piastri, who started from 10th.
An all Red Bull Academy sixth row was made up by Hitech’s Liam Lawson and Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala as the duo qualified in 11th and 12th.
Lirim Zendeli started 13th with Marcus Armstrong alongside him in 14th and then came Ralph Boschung, Matteo Nannini, Bent Viscaal, David Beckmann, Jack Aitken, Guilherme Samaia, Marino Sato and Alessio Deledda, who started from the back of the field in 22nd.
As It Happened
From the get-go, Shwartzman made a fantastic getaway with the Prema driver moving from fourth to first after a very brave move that promoted him into the lead of the race.
The Safety Car was more or less released instantly as Zhou and Nissany were both sent spinning off the track. Zhou’s Championship lead was subsequently taken away by leader Shwartzman at that point in the race.
Green flags were waved once more with the Russian leading the drivers over the line. Shwartzman’s Prema teammate, Oscar Piastri, locked horns with Liam Lawson but the New Zealander was able to hold onto sixth place.
A lap later, Alessio Deledda was left stranded on the middle of the track as the Safety Car was released again with the trackside marshals quickly to the scene to remove the HWA car off the track.
Shwartzman lead the drivers over the line for a second time as the Russian continued to manage the gap ahead of Vips and Lundgaard in second and third.
Piastri was able to get a fantastic second Safety Car restart as the Australian made the move on Lawson which promoted him up to sixth.
At the halfway point of the race, the Prema of Shwartzman was in the lead of the race with Vips and Lundgaard rounding off the podium. Drugovich followed in fourth ahead of Pourchaire in fifth, Piastri in sixth, Lawson in seventh, Ticktum in eighth, Armstrong in ninth and Zendeli in 10th.
Once more, the Safety Car was released as Samaia was sent into the gravel which triggered a whole host of cars into making a pit stop.
Aitken was one of the drivers who decided it would be a good idea to make a stop, but a problem with his front right tyre saw the Brit drop to the back of the field.
Another restart and another good getaway from Shwartzman as the Prema driver lead the drivers over the line for the third time.
Lawson displayed fantastic resilience and defending as the New Zealander held onto seventh with Ticktum looking to gain the position, but the Brit thought better of it and remained in eighth.
The man on the charge, Richard Verschoor, made up several positions with the Dutchman moving in 10th place in the space of three laps which slotted him into reverse grid pole position for the second Sprint Race.
It was Shwartzman who crossed the line first as the Russian claimed his second victory of the season which promoted him into second place in the Championship, two points behind Prema teammate Piastri who claimed the fastest lap in the latter stages of the race.
Vips and Lundgaard kept their places on the podium with the duo finishing second and third. Dtugovich held off Pourchaire to finish fourth with the Frenchman in fifth, Piastri in sixth, Lawson in seventh, Ticktum in eighth, Armstrong in ninth and Verschoor in 10th.
What’s Next?
Richard Verschoor will line up from pole position for the second Sprint Race of the weekend as the Dutchman made the charge up to 10th after a pit stop.
The MP Motorsport driver will be joined on the front row of the grid by Marcus Armstrong with the DAMS driver looking for a first podium finish this season.
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