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Megan White

F2 Monza: Vesti sprint victory closes championship margin

Lining up third, the Prema driver, who is second in the championship, had a great start as he and Richard Verschoor (VAR) tussled with poleman Ralph Boschung (Campos) for the lead.

Boschung locked up into Turn 1 before Vesti made it into the lead soon after, with Verschoor in second.

Despite an early safety car, Vesti remained in control, and though there was a second pause in action and a late challenge from charging ART driver Victor Martins, held on to take victory.

It is the Dane’s fifth win of the season, closing the gap to championship leader Theo Pourchaire, who finished fourth behind Verschoor, to nine points.

The leading trio ran three-wide into Turn 1, with Boschung locking up and forced through the escape road as Vesti and Verschoor tussled for the lead, while Kush Maini moved into third for Campos.

The safety car was deployed for the first time after Virtuosi driver Amaury Cordeel came to a stop on track at the second chicane, having made contact with Zane Maloney (Rodin Carlin).

Vesti went early on the restart, leading from Verschoor and Maini as Boschung continued to fall backwards, eventually pitting with an issue.

Theo Pourchaire, ART Grandprix (Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd)

Behind, Martins made it past Jak Crawford (Hitech) and his team-mate Pourchaire on lap six, before taking third from Maini up the inside of Turn 1 two tours later.

Vesti was 1.2s clear of Verschoor up ahead, but the gap to the charging Frenchman was closing, down to 0.9s by lap 10.

Martins then made it past Verschoor at Turn 2 for second on lap 12 before the safety car was deployed again after PHM’s Roy Nissany came to a stop at Turn 5, having tussled with Juan Manuel Correa (VAR).

Racing resumed on lap 16, with Pourchaire passing Maini for fourth at the second chicane.

The midfield pack had bunched up behind, with several drivers fighting between ninth and 14th. Dennis Hauger ran across the gravel at Ascari and almost made contact with OIlie Bearman (Prema) upon rejoining.

Martins had closed on Vesti with two laps remaining but was unable to catch the Dane.

Pourchaire settled for fourth with Maini in fifth and Crawford sixth after Hadjar was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Bearman finished seventh ahead of DAMSArthur Leclerc, Trident driver Roman Stanek and Jack Doohan (Virtuosi).

F2 Monza Sprint Results

 
 
       
Driver Info
 
 
 
   
Cla Driver # Laps Time Interval km/h Pits Points Retirement Bonus
1 Denmark F. Vesti Frederik Vesti Prema Powerteam 7 21 -       10    
2 France V. Martins Victor Martins ART Grand Prix 6 21 +0.500 0.500     8   1
3 Netherlands R. Verschoor Richard Verschoor Van Amersfoort Racing 22 21 +0.900 0.400     6    
4 France T. Pourchaire Theo Pourchaire ART Grand Prix 5 21 +1.700 0.800     5    
5 India K. Maini Kush Maini Campos Racing 24 21 +3.900 2.200     4    
6 United Kingdom O. Bearman Oliver Bearman Prema Powerteam 8 21 +6.300 2.400     3    
7 Monaco A. Leclerc Arthur Leclerc DAMS 12 21 +7.200 0.900     2    
8 Czech Republic R. Staněk Roman Staněk Trident 20 21 +8.700 1.500     1    
9 Australia J. Doohan Jack Doohan Invicta Virtuosi Racing 14 21 +9.400 0.700          
10 France C. Novalak Clement Novalak Trident 21 21 +10.100 0.700          
11 France I. Hadjar Isack Hadjar Hitech Pulse-Eight 10 21 +10.500 0.400          
12 Norway D. Hauger Dennis Hauger MP Motorsport 1 21 +10.700 0.200          
13 United States J. Crawford Jak Crawford Hitech Pulse-Eight 9 21 +11.100 0.400          
14 Barbados Z. Maloney Zane Maloney Rodin Carlin 3 21 +11.400 0.300          
15 Brazil E. Fittipaldi Enzo Fittipaldi Rodin Carlin 4 21 +13.800 2.400          
16 United Kingdom J. Mason Joshua Mason PHM Racing by Charouz 17 21 +16.200 2.400          
17 India J. Daruvala Jehan Daruvala MP Motorsport 2 21 +18.900 2.700          
18 United States J. Correa Juan Manuel Correa Van Amersfoort Racing 23 21 +21.900 3.000          
19 Switzerland R. Boschung Ralph Boschung Campos Racing 25 21 +24.100 2.200          
20 Japan A. Iwasa Ayumu Iwasa DAMS 11 12 9 laps            
21 Israel R. Nissany Roy Nissany PHM Racing by Charouz 16 11 10 laps            
22 Belgium A. Cordeel Amaury Cordeel Invicta Virtuosi Racing 15 21              
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