Richard Verschoor has claimed victory in the Formula 2 Sprint Race in Barcelona, with what can only be described as a brilliant drive from the Dutchman.
Starting fifth, Verschoor didn’t make the best start – in fact, he lost places, finding himself on the fringes of the top 10 by the completion of the opening lap. Yet this didn’t deter Verschoor – he kept working his way through the field through a strategic masterclass, aided by the perfect stroke of luck.
At the front of the field it was Leonardo Fornaroli who started from pole – yet by Turn 1, Luke Browning had catapulted himself into the lead through a lightning-quick start, from third place. Jak Crawford – starting on the second row alongside him – similarly had a good start, moving up to P2.
The pair settled down quickly at the front, establishing a lead over the chasing pack, with Crawford making a move for the lead on Lap 4. Despite the pass, Browning remained optimistic for the race, with his engineer communicating that they would, “play the long game”, conserving tyres for the end of the race.
Behind them, there were battles aplenty, especially in the middle of the pack. Ritomo Miyata gained seven places in the opening laps, and Verschoor was tussling to claim back the places he’d lost off the start – coming together with Arvid Lindblad in the process. And whilst both could continue, it left Lindblad running significantly down the order.
The real turning point of the race came on Lap 18, with the Prema duo of Sebastian Montoya and Gabriele Minì clashing at Turn 1 – putting the Italian out of the race on the spot. Montoya – whilst sustaining damage – could continue onward, with a Safety Car being deployed in wake of the collision.
This gave multiple drivers the chance to change tyres to the faster soft compound, including Verschoor, Alex Dunne and Rafael Villagomez. The trio took advantage of the intervention to roll the dice, taking a risk whilst running outside the points. And upon the restart – with six laps to go – it was apparent that the risk taken would pay dividends.
The trio quickly carved their way through the pack, and by Lap 24 Verschoor had claimed P1 on the road, with Dunne following hot on his tail. And whilst Dunne couldn’t quite pass, he remained within the Dutchman’s DRS, pressuring him until the end.
Villagómez followed the pair closely, and on Lap 25 made the move for P3 – a move which cemented his first podium placement in the category. Furthermore, the charge through the field came from P22 – dead last on the grid, showing the strength of his drive.
Dunne’s podium placement also came from deep in the field, starting 19th after accumulating grid penalties – yet his drive to second propels him to the lead of the drivers championship, 4 points clear of Luke Browning in P2. Verschoor also benefits from his sprint race win, jumping back to P3 in the standings in wake of the victory.
In tomorrow’s Feature Race, Arvid Lindblad starts from pole, and he’ll be looking to turn around his fortunes after just missing out on points in the sprint. He’ll be joined on the front row by Sebastian Montoya, after the Colombian’s rollercoaster race – though a race which still yielded a top 5 finish.
Image: Getty Images
