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Megan White

F2 Spa: Doohan holds off Drugovich for first feature win

The Virtuosi driver started fourth before a great launch moved him up to second by Turn 1, with an undercut on the pitstop putting him ahead of his MP Motorsport rival. 

Despite polesitter Drugovich closing in as Doohan tackled traffic, the Australian held fast to cross the line almost two seconds ahead of the Brazilian. 

Drugovich’s secondplace finish came as title rival Theo Pourchaire had a heartbreaking retirement on lap three, leaving the ART driver unable to score at a crucial juncture in the championship. 

Liam Lawson finished in third to take his second podium of the weekend for Carlin, having started in sixth. 

Doohan’s stellar weekend moves him up to fourth in the drivers’ standings, behind Sargeant and ahead of Lawson. 

Enzo Fittipaldi, starting second on an all-Brazilian front row, missed out off the line as he was passed by Doohan, with David Beckmann moving up into fourth for Van Amersfoort Racing. 

Beckmann took third from Fittipaldi into Les Combes before the Charouz driver faced fierce competition from Lawson, running wide at the run-off and having to give the place back two laps later. 

Richard Verschoor made it past Fittipaldi down the Kemmel straight, before the latter pitted with Logan Sargeant, Marcus Armstrong and Ralph Boschung at the end of lap seven. 

Fittipaldi led those who had stopped back out on track, while Doohan ran one second behind Drugovich before their stops. 

It was Doohan who pitted first, coming out ninth ahead of his rival, with Drugovich following suit a lap later and emerging behind Doohan. 

Further back, Fittipaldi and Lawson had a rematch of their earlier battle, an identical outcome resulting for the pair and prompting frustration from the New Zealander. 

By lap 14, the Alpine Academy junior had pulled a four-second gap to Drugovich, but a battle with Amaury Cordeel for seventh on the road slashed his lead, bringing the Brazilian back into contention. 

A brief tussle ensued at Les Combes, but Doohan held his lead before rebuilding his lead to 1.3s by lap 18. 

Fittipaldi cleared Cordeel for sixth at Les Combes, but Verschoor, on the alternate strategy, was on the charge, eventually passing Fittipaldi on lap 21 on the Kemmel straight for fourth place. 

Sargeant, who lined up third, settled for sixth, with Beckmann and Ayumu Iwasa (DAMS) in seventh and eighth respectively. 

Juri Vips took ninth, having started last after a spin in qualifying, with Drugovich’s teammate Clement Novalak claiming the final point from reigning FIA Formula 3 champion Dennis Hauger (Prema) on the final lap. 

F2 Spa - Feature race results:

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