F2 | Sprint Race | Austrian GP | Martí claims victory after last lap collison - Motorsport

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The F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race saw Pepe Martí claim victory after surviving multiple safety car interruptions during 28 intense laps.

Starting grid for the Sprint Race

With the top 10 from Friday’s qualifying reversed and grid penalties applied, it was John Bennett who took pole after his 10th place qualifying finish, with Joshua Dürksen alongside him on the front row.

Alex Dunne lined up in third, followed by Roman Staněk and Josep “Pepe” Martí. Both Martí and teammate Arvid Lindblad received3 place grid penalties following the F2 Austrian GP qualifying session. This penalty relegated Lindblad to 15th position. Cordeel, Miní, Verschoor, Martins, and Fornaroli conclude the top 10.

Further down the order, notable starters included Sebastián Montoya in P11, Ritomo Miyata in P12 , and Sami Meguetounif in P13. Luke Browning found himself down in P17, while Kush Maini started P18.

Pre-race drama

A yellow flag was waved before the formation lap as Jak Crawford’s DAMS Lucas Oil machine suffered a technical issue on the grid. The American was forced to start from the pit lane, dealing a significant blow to his championship aspirations.

Lights out and away we go

Dürksen made a lightning start from second. He seized the lead immediately. Bennett had a poor getaway despite pole position. He quickly tumbled down to 5th.

Staněk moved up to second place. Martí quickly responded with an aggressive move. Martí swept past Staněk for P2. Martins ran wide at Turn 3 but recovered.

Dürksen led after lap one. Martí held second. Staněk occupied third. The AIX Racing driver broke DRS immediately at the beginning of lap 2.

Early red flag halts F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race

Serious contact triggered red flag conditions on lap two. All cars not involved returned to the pit lane. Three cars became involved in the dramatic incident. Lindblad, Browning, and Meguetounif collided at high speed.

Meguetounif attempted a risky overtaking maneuver that went catastrophically wrong. His car launched over Luke Browning’s machine at high speed. The Halo device prevented potentially serious injuries to both drivers.

Lindblad reported limited visibility of Meguetounif’s approaching car. The Red Bull Junior couldn’t avoid the collision. Max Esterson was also involved, making slight contact with Lindblad’s car.

Medical teams responded immediately to the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race incident. All drivers reported no injuries afterward. Race stewards noted all three for causing the collision.

The top ten under red flag conditions: Dürksen, Martí, Staněk, Cordeel, Bennett, Verschoor, Fornaroli, Dunne, Miní, Martins.

Crawford initially appeared retired on timing screens after his grid issues. Officials listed him for the restart despite his earlier problems. Crawford’s team decided the car wasn’t suitable for racing and retired.

Kush Maini seemed to have experienced the same problems as his teammate. The team quickly escorted him out of the fast lane of the pit lane prior to the restart. He ended up joining the race. The F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race resumed with 25 laps remaining at 14:52 local time. 2 laps were completed under the safety car.

Safety car restart after red flag period

Joshua Dürksen quickly put his foot down to get the cars back to racing conditions. He led Pepe Martí by 7 tenths.

The yellow flag was deployed shortly after the restart due to an incident at turn 3 during lap 4.

Second safety car disrupts F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race

Dino Beganovic’s difficult run continued with front wing damage. The Hitech driver’s car sat at an awkward angle on track.

Oliver Goethe’s Red Bull Junior car made contact with Beganovic from behind. The collision sent Beganovic spinning out of the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race. Goethe continued racing despite causing the incident.

Beganovic attempted to restart his car using the hill gradient but failed. He retired from the F2 Sprint Race immediately.

Race stewards issued Goethe a 10 second penalty for causing the collision. Alex Dunne received a five second penalty for his false start infringement.

Five cars were now retired from the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race. The cars include Beganovic, Browning, Lindblad, Meguetounif, and Crawford.

Safety car restart after red flag period

Joshua Dürksen led the field as the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race resumed. Pepe Martí struggled with his restart timing and lost crucial positioning. Staněk positioned himself directly behind, ready to attack once DRS activated.

Race stewards investigated Kush Maini for a safety car infringement during the restart. Maini received a five second penalty for the breach of regulations. The penalty had minimal impact as Maini ran two laps behind the lead.

Mid-race developments

The top 3 sat in the same order. Dürksen led both Martí and Staněk.

Victor Martins lost DRS from Montoya and came under pressure on lap 14. Championship leader Alex Dunne went on the attack for the ART driver. Dunne forced Martins wide and seized the position up the inside. Race stewards noted the incident for potential investigation after the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race.

Miyata attempted to capitalize on his teammate’s misfortune but was denied.

Front runners battle intensifies at Red Bull Ring

Lap 16 brought intense action to the front of the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race. Pepe Martí closed within DRS range of race leader Dürksen.

Martí launched his attack down the main straight into Turn 4. The Red Bull Junior briefly seized the lead of the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race. Dürksen responded immediately with a counter attack into Turn 6.

The pair ran side by side, but Dürksen was the one who emerged ahead. Martí retained DRS for another attack. Staněk closed rapidly on both leaders, creating a three way battle.

Martí struck decisively on his second attempt, taking the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race lead. Staněk positioned himself behind Dürksen for the next phase of attacks. Dürksen began checking his mirrors as Martí pulled away without DRS assistance.

Eight cars formed a DRS train behind the leading battle. The pack prepared for attacks down the main straight toward Turn 4.

Final Laps

Into lap 21 down into turn 4, Dürksen broke away from Staněk ready to attack Martí. It wasn’t until lap 23 where Dürksen appeared as though he was going to make a move.

Verschoor completed a crucial overtake on John Bennett, moving into fifth place. The move secured Verschoor the championship lead after the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race.

Pepe Martí briefly broke DRS range but Dürksen closed the gap quickly. The Red Bull Junior held a slim six-tenths advantage over his pursuer. Meanwhile, race control alternated between lap count and time limit throughout the finale.

Martí successfully broke clear of DRS range in the closing stages. His gap provided crucial breathing room for the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race victory.

Minì executed a brilliant overtake around the outside of Bennett at Turn 8. The move came on lap 26 of the 28-lap F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race. Bennett’s top-ten finish would represent an excellent result for the rookie.

Staněk pushed hard for second place in the closing laps. His podium finish marked his first appearance in twelve months.

Verschoor ran wide in the final corner but maintained his crucial gap. The championship leader secured valuable points despite the minor mistake.

Late drama unfolds in F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race

Cordeel spun at the final corner, triggering a multi car collision. Minì, Bennett, and Fornaroli crashed into the stationary car on the last lap. Yellow flags waved as the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race concluded under caution.

Pepe Marti won the F2 Austrian GP Sprint Race, leading Dürksen and Staněk.