Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto won a thrilling FIA Formula 2 Feature Race at Italy’s historic Monza circuit despite starting the race 22nd and last.
The Invicta driver was the last-placed driver on Sunday’s grid after spinning out in Friday’s Qualifying session without setting a lap time.
But the McLaren Development Driver Programme (MDDP) member took advantage of a well-timed Safety Car which allowed him to make his mandatory pit stop with a reduced time loss, allowing him to emerge ahead of pole sitter Zane Maloney.
? LAST. TO. FIRST.
GABRIEL BORTOLETO DID THAT! ?
? Congratulations on an incredible Feature Race victory at Monza, @gabortoleto85 and @InvictaRacing! #F2 #Formula2 #RoadToF1 #ItalianGP ?? pic.twitter.com/wt1rR2JwrU
— ?????? F2.COM (@insidef2) September 1, 2024
The victory is even sweeter given that Championship leader Isack Hadjar failed to score points, allowing Bortoleto to slash the Frechman’s lead to just 10.5 points.
The 19-year old said: “There are no words that can express what I’m feeling now.”
He added: “This morning I’ve been imagining my car coming to the P1 board, even if the chances were probably less than one percent.
“We did it, we had the pace, we flying on track and we achieved the impossible.”
Rodin Motorsport’s Maloney finished second ahead of Trident’s Richard Verschoor, who also benefited hugely from the Safety Car timing to vault to the podium from 19th on the grid.
Not all down to luck for Bortoleto
While Bortoleto was fortunate with the timing of the Safety Car to remove the stricken MP Motorsport car of Dennis Hauger from the first corner, the Brazilian left no one in any doubt he had the pace at the ‘Temple of Speed’.
The Invicta driver had displayed enormous pace in Saturday’s Sprint Race, finishing eighth in a dead heat with the aforementioned Hauger – a race Bortoleto also started last for.
It earned him what could turn out to be a crucial half-point as race officials split the final point’s position.
But following the Safety Car period, which was the second of an entertaining race, Bortoleto eased his way past the handful of drivers who had started on the medium compound Pirelli tyre.
And while others were making their way through those yet to stop – and fighting amongst themselves in the case of the PREMA’s – Bortoleto pulled out a comfortable advantage.
He eventually won by over eight seconds.
“The car was amazing,” Bortoleto said, adding: “I think one of the reasons I wanted to push so hard today was to prove to myself that I didn’t only win because of a lucky moment.”
“This shows we had the fastest car this weekend and we were flying on track, so I’m super happy.”
The Brazilian said he wants to become F2 Champion ‘more than anything in life’.
“I won F3 last year and now the target is to win F2, especially now we can have a great weekend like this and we can come closer to P1,” he added.
Resurfaced layout provides thrill-a-minute ride
While Bortoleto’s victory was stunning in all aspects – the action was non-stop as F2 returned to Feature Race action following the summer break.
The action was instant as Hitech’s Paul Aron appeared to be taking the lead from third on the grid, but he was wiped out of the race – and the championship battle – by a Red Bull liveried machine that all believed to be Hadjar.
However, it was the Campos drivers team mate Pepe Martí who skittled the Estonian into retirement, necessitating the first Safety Car of the race.
The chaos allowed Sprint Race victor Oliver Bearman to leap into second, with Mercedes F1 bound team mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli right behind in third.
Hadjar had been relegated to fifth after another slow start, with his miserable race compounded by the timing of the Safety Car later on.
The PREMA duo of Bearman and Antonelli provided much of the mid-race action as they chased ART’s Victor Martins, with the pair – who will both graduate to F1 next year – going wheel-to-wheel on numerous occasions.
The scrap was eventually decided in Antonelli’s favour as the Italian forced his way around the outside of Turn 1, gaining the upper hand through Turn 2 over Bearman.
Antonelli went on the finish fourth ahead of Joshua Dürksen, Martins, Bearman, Rafael Villagomez, Jak Crawford and Enzo Fittipaldi.
??? And breathe…
Here’s the Provisonal Results (Top 10) from the #F2 Feature Race at Monza! ?#Formula2 #RoadToF1 #ItalianGP ?? pic.twitter.com/Cdt95zdC3Q
— ?????? F2.COM (@insidef2) September 1, 2024
Image: FML
