It’s a sunny Sunday in Spielberg, Austria. The Feature Race was just moments away from the green light.
Yesterday’s Sprint Race was an exciting one. Under warm and sunny conditions, Prema Racing’s Oliver Bearman started from second on the reverse grid and quickly took the lead at the start. Despite consistent pressure from Campos Racing’s Pepe Martí throughout the race, Bearman held on to secure his first podium and race win of the season.
The race featured multiple position changes and challenges throughout the field, with Paul Aron of Hitech Pulse-Eight rounding out the podium in third place. This result marks a significant turnaround for Prema Racing, who had been struggling earlier in the season.
Just as the Formation Lap was underway, pole-sitter Dennis Hauger stalled and was stranded on the grid. He wasn’t the only driver to stall. Kush Maini and Jak Crawford were also wheeled into the pitlane for the race start. — This allowed Joshua Dürksen of AIX Racing, a front-row start.
🚨 FORMATION LAP 🚨
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 30, 2024
DRAMA before the race even gets underway as three cars stall on the grid, including the pole sitter Dennis Hauger! 😱#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/7DAMFSEpDB
It was lights out and Dürksen held the lead into Turn 1, with Gabriel Bortoleto right at his tail, and Franco Colapinto in third. Aron was not afraid to put the latter under pressure.
Isack Hadjar was in for a fight, going side-by-side at Turn 4 with Aron, but Aron defended beautifully, holding on to fourth.
Bortoleto and Dürksen were also in the fight for the lead, but Bortoleto could not fight a way through Turn 6 and 7. DRS opened for Bortoleto on the run to Turn 4, and he dove into the inside, to take the lead from Dürksen.
LAP 4 / 40
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 30, 2024
Bortoleto moves into the race lead! 👊
He dives up the inside of Dürksen into turn 4#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/yT6NL0aoUw
The virtual safety car was deployed. Zane Maloney stopped on track.
Martí had pitted for Campos and rejoined in 21st place. Dürksen pitted from third, allowing Aron to move into third. On Lap 8, Bortoleto pitted from the lead, while Colapinto continued without stopping. Hadjar also completed his mandatory stop.
Unfortunately, Andrea Kimi Antonelli stalled in the pit lane while switching to Softs.
Bortoleto set the fastest lap with a 1:18.510 on Lap 10.
Aron rejoined behind Hadjar and Dürksen in 14th. Colapinto led on the Soft tyres without making his mandatory stop. Martí’s earlier stop had moved him up to lead those who had already pitted, with Bortoleto behind him in 11th. The closest on-track battle was between Stanek, Miyata, and Villagomez for fifth position.
Colapinto’s lead over Bearman increased to 6.7 seconds, while Martí was 21 seconds back in 10th after his stop.
Paul Aron received a five-second penalty for moving under braking.
LAP 17 / 40
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 30, 2024
5 second time penalty for the championship leader 👀#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/Ceq2Zstxnn
By Lap 18, Martí and Bortoleto had moved up to seventh and eighth, catching those on Softs yet to pit. The fight for the effective race lead between Martí and Bortoleto tightened as they cleared traffic, with Bortoleto now having DRS on Martí.
Bortoleto overtook at Turn 3 for seventh on the road. Bearman slowed down and reported over the radio that his race was finished, returning to the pit lane.
Bortoleto passed Stanek easily, but Martí struggled, with the Czech driver fighting back and costing the Campos driver precious time. Martí was now 2.3 seconds behind the Brazilian ahead.
There was some side-by-side action between the Campos teammates. Hadjar went up the inside of Martí at Turn 3 and was through for sixth. He dropped back to 2.7s from Bortoleto.
On Lap 29, Crawford overtook O’Sullivan for third at Turn 6. This happened right in front of Bortoleto, causing him to drop further behind Colapinto.
Colapinto was instructed to box at the end of this lap.
By Lap 33, Colapinto rejoined the track behind Dürksen and Enzo Fittipaldi in P8. He quickly passed both within two corners, making the most of his Supersoft tyres.
Colapinto then set the fastest lap on Lap 35 with a time of 1:12.868.
He rapidly closed in on Aron, reducing his gap to the lead to just 6.8 seconds.
On Lap 38, Colapinto overtook Aron for fourth at Turn 4, with the battling Campos teammates just ahead.
LAP 38 / 40
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 30, 2024
HE'S ON IT! 👊
Colapinto is now up to 4th after cruising past Aron going into turn 4#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/GygBZsH11d
It was time for the final lap!
Bortoleto had a 4.4-second lead over those behind him. However, Hadjar couldn’t resist Colapinto’s charge, as the MP driver took P2 at Turn 3.
Bortoleto clinched his maiden F2 victory in Spielberg!
Colapinto finished second, and Hadjar held on to third ahead of Martí and Aron. Fittipaldi finished sixth, with Dürksen in seventh, Cordeel in eighth, Barnard in ninth, and Juan Manuel Correa rounding out the points positions.
