Formula 2’s chaotic Sprint Race during the Imola GP weekend had a post-race disqualification.
Taylor Barnard got disqualified from the Sprint Race after his start set-up procedure was not engaged as required per the FIA regulations. This disqualification moved Kush Maini into the final point-scoring position.
Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto starts on pole for the FIA F2 Imola Feature Race, while Oliver Bearman takes his position on the second grid box. Isack Hadjar of Hitech Pulse-Eight will start third.
The Brazilian Bortoleto takes the pack away for the Formulation Lap, as the top drivers take the option tyre.
Light are green and we go racing!
Oliver Bearman has a brilliant start as he takes the lead of the Feature Race, Isack Hadjar follows suit taking P2. Durksen has climbed to P3 from P5, as Bortoleto falls to P4 on the opening lap.
After a tangled start to yesterday’s Sprint Race, the Feature Race has a clean start for everyone.
Dennis Hauger loses four places as he goes off-track, trying to make up his way through the field. Up ahead, Hadjar pulls the fastest lap in the early stages. While yesterday’s Sprint Race winner, Franco Colapinto, is P8.
Kush Maini has been noted for a false start by the Race Control.
Lap 6 is when the pitlane opens up for their mandatory pitstops, as Hadjar chips away the distance between him and Ollie Bearman. Lap 7 sees a flurry of activity in the pitlane as Hadjar pits from chasing the race leader; he comes out P19. Next lap sees the race leader and Bortoleto comes in the pit, as Bearman stalls in the pits twice. Bearman comes out P21.
Hadjar maintains his net lead in front of Bortoleto, Durksen behind those two. Kimi Antonelli makes his pitstop next, comes out ahead of Durksen.
The top six drivers on Lap 10 are all the medium tyre runners, they are playing the tyre management game, hoping for a well-timed Safety Car to gain advantage of going long.
Zak O’Sullivan makes a move on Dennis Hauger as he comes out of the pits with cold tyres. O’Sullivan is P17.
Antonelli, Colapinto and Aron are in a fight for virtual P3 as they close in the gaps slowly. Bearman is still down in P21 on Lap 13. Maini, running in P5 on alternative strategy, gets handed a 5-second penalty for the earlier mentioned false start.
Hadjar and Bortoleto are exchanging fastest laps, as Bortoleto closes in on Hadjar. Dennis Hauger steals the fastest lap in the end. Behind Aron, Zane Maloney slowly chases Roman Staněk lap after lap for P13, as Crawford joins the chase.
Right ahead, Antonelli, Colapinto and Aron are still in the fight for the virtual P3. Bortoleto continues to chip away on Hadjar’s lead on Lap 18.
Richard Verschoor falls back, enough for Hauger to be close for a potential overtake. Crawford makes an attempt to move ahead of Maloney, and he does so as Crawford climbs to P14.
While Staněk gets noted for weaving on the straight; however, receives a clean chit from the Race Control. Maloney comes under pressure from Verschoor with Hauger right behind.
Up ahead Amaury Cordeel, on the alternative strategy, is managing his pace and his tyres. On Lap 22 of 35, Cordeel has pulled a 4.5-seconds lead from Pepe Martí. Paul Aron lines up a move on the driver from Barbados, Zane Maloney, unable to move up.
Lap 29 sees the grid relatively stagnant; Cordeel has managed to up his lead with almost 7-seconds. The first from the alternative strategy runners to pit on Lap 30 is Juan Manuel Correa, comes out in P13.
The rest of them follow suit, as Cordeel has a botched pitstop and so does Pepe Martí – tyres coming off the cars. Both of them are out of the race. The incident gets noted by the Race Control for unsafe release.
On the road, Maloney finally passes Staněk for P12, climbs to P11. Three laps to the chequered flag, Bortoleto is chasing Hadjar, putting him under immense pressure for the race lead.
After an immense display of defensive driving, Isack Hadjar maintains his lead and takes the Feature Race win!
Gabriel Bortoleto takes P2 while Joshua Dürksen becomes the first driver from Paraguay to finish on a FIA F2 Podium with P3.
