SPRINT RACE: Verschoor holds off Dunne to claim victory in late Barcelona comeback

Richard Verschoor made an inspired strategy call work in his favour to come through the field and win the Barcelona Sprint Race.

The MP Motorsport driver used a late Safety Car intervention to put on the Soft tyres and using them to his advantage he claimed a second victory of the season.

Verschoor held off Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne across the line, while Rafael Villagómez came from P22 on the grid to claim a first ever Formula 2 podium in third.

AS IT HAPPENED

It was an even launch for front row starters Leonardo Fornaroli and Joshua Duerksen, but it was a superb one from Luke Browning, who took the lead down the Main Straight before getting to Turn 1.

Jak Crawford also got away well from fourth and took second place from Fornaroli at the exit of Turn 3.

Ritomo Miyata was on a charge and by the start of Lap 2, the ART Grand Prix driver had dived to the inside of Roman Stanek at Turn 1 for sixth, having lined up in P13.

At the start of Lap 4, Crawford closed in on Browning, before turning the outside to the inside line at Turns 4 and 5 to take the lead from the Hitech TGR driver.

Lap 7 of 26 and the drivers had settled into management mode although the entire field was in DRS range of each other.

Crawford was threatening to escape out in front, but Browning had managed to keep the gap to 0.9s at the end of Lap 9. However, by the next lap, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver had succeeded in escaping DRS range, with the gap now 1.1s, and Browning coming under pressure from Fornaroli and Duerksen.

But at the end of Lap 13, Duerksen started to slow down in the final sector, with the AIX Racing driver pulling off the racing line and later into the pitlane. The Paraguayan did later return to the track, but four laps down.

Moments later though, Verschoor and Lindblad went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 1, and the two collided, sending Sunday’s polesitter into a spin.

The Briton got going again, although he slipped to the back of the field. His teammate Josep María Martí did use the battle to his benefit to take seventh from the MP driver.

As Lap 16 of 26 started, Browning had closed to within six-tenths of Crawford, with Fornaroli in third, Maini fourth, Miyata fifth and Stanek sixth.

At the start of Lap 18, the Safety Car was called upon after the PREMA Racing teammates Sebastián Montoya and Gabriele Minì collided at Turn 1. The contact sent both into a spin, and while the former could continue on, the latter was out of the race.

With just over seven laps remaining, several drivers, from Verschoor in 10th down to Duerksen in P21 all pitted for the Soft tyre.

Racing resumed on Lap 21 of 26 and Crawford kept a hold of the lead, but the action had heated up further behind.

Verschoor and Dunne – who were 10th and 11th at the restart – used the softer tyre to their advantage to come through the field and by the start of Lap 22, they were sixth and seventh.

The MP and Rodin driver were third and fourth by the end of the next lap, overtaking Miyata, Maini and Fornaroli, with Browning and Crawford next up.

Verschoor then dived to the inside of Browning at Turn 7 to take second, while Dunne went past the Hitech TGR driver a few corners later at Turn 10.

The Dutchman took the lead at the start of Lap 24 down the Main Straight, and once again the Rodin rookie followed him through, going around the outside of Crawford at Turn 4.

Villagómez was also on the move on his Soft tyres, and by the start of the penultimate late, the VAR driver had overtaken Browning for fourth.

The Mexican driver then went around the outside of Crawford at Turn 13 to put him into the podium places.

Back at the front, Verschoor managed to hold off Dunne, with to take a second victory of the season. Villagómez took his maiden F2 podium in third in front of Crawford in fourth ahead of another driver to switch to Softs, with Montoya P5 at the chequered flag.

Victor Martins also made the switch work to fight through and finish sixth ahead of Browning, as Fornaroli took the final point in P8.

KEY QUOTE – Richard Verschoor, MP Motorsport

“I really hope you didn’t miss this F2 race, because it was absolutely crazy. I stalled at the start, had contact as well and damage as well, so the race was more or less over. But then the Safety Car happened and we did an insane race to win the race. So really happy and looking forward to tomorrow.”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Alexander Dunne moves to 76 points takes back the lead of the Drivers’ Championship, with Luke Browning in second place four points behind. Richard Verschoor also jumps up the order and is now third on 69 points, with Leonardo Fornaroli fourth on 65 and Jak Crawford rounding out the top five on 61.

Hitech TGR continue to lead the way in the Teams’ Standings on 101 points, with Campos Racing second on 92. MP Motorsport are third on 81 points, three clear of fourth-placed Rodin Motorsport, as Invicta Racing round out the top five on 77 points.

UP NEXT

The Feature Race is next on the agenda, with Arvid Lindblad going from Pole Position and Sebastián Montoya alongside him on the front row. Lights out is scheduled for Sunday morning 09:40 local time.