SPRINT RACE: Verschoor dominates to score Jeddah victory for Trident

Richard Verschoor put in a dominant performance to take victory in the Jeddah Sprint Race for Trident, crossing the line to score his fourth Formula 2 win.

The Dutchman made a lunge down the inside of leader Paul Aron on Lap 8 and from then on kept a hold of first place. MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger was able to overtake the Hitech Pulse-Eight rookie before the end for P2, while Aron wound up in third to score his second Formula 2 podium in as many rounds.

AS IT HAPPENED

A fast getaway for Aron meant he retained the lead ahead of fellow front row starter Verschoor, while Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar kept Hauger at bay to maintain third. However, the Safety Car was immediately called upon after ART Grand Prix driver Victor Martins ended up in the wall at the exit of Turn 2.

There was further contact between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Jak Crawford after the PREMA Racing driver collided with the rear of the DAMS Lucas Oil. The Italian had damage on the front wing but both cars continued on.

Elsewhere the Williams Academy pair Franco Colapinto and Zak O’Sullivan stalled at the start and were forced to get going in the pit lane, dropping them to the back of the field. On Lap 4 of 20, the Safety Car period ended and Zane Maloney, having had a great start from 15th, overtook the other Trident of Roman Stanek for P8.

As Lap 8 got underway, and with a second and a half separating the top four, Verschoor made a lunge down the inside of Aron at Turn 1, taking the lead from the Estonian. Further back, Maloney was now up to seventh after overtaking Josep María Martí in the Campos at the same corner.

At the halfway stage of the proceedings Hauger was the latest driver to get a move done at Turn 1, overtaking Hadjar for the final spot on the podium. Moments later, another Safety Car intervention was needed with Amaury Cordeel having spun his Hitech at Turn 2.

On Lap 12, the action was back underway with Maloney diving down the inside of Kush Maini for sixth again at Turn 1. Just behind the pair, Martí made the move on Crawford at the following corner for the final points paying position. However, the American then took back the position a lap later.

Out at the front, Verschoor had now extended his lead over Aron and was outside of DRS range of the Hitech rookie. As the drivers set of on their 14th tour of the track, Hadjar was down to fifth after Enzo Fittipaldi won the traction race on the exit of Turn 2 to take P4 for Van Amersfoort Racing.

Maloney was now under threat from Crawford, with the DAMS driver briefly taking sixth position only to lose it on the run down to Turn 1 at the start of Lap 16.

The Virtual Safety Car was signalled on Lap 17 after Juan Manuel Correa clipped the wall at Turn 22. A piece of his front wing needed to be cleared from the track with the DAMS driver forced to retire. However, once the lights turned green, Hauger dived down the inside of Aron for second at Turn 1.

Onto the penultimate lap and Hadjar slowed on track, with the Campos driver forced to retire with an issue. But out in front Verschoor kept a hold of the lead to take the victory, and he was joined on the podium by Hauger and Aron.

Fittipaldi took fourth ahead of the Championship leader Maloney, with Crawford crossing the line in sixth. Antonelli recovered from his difficult start to take seventh ahead of Martí, who took the final point just ahead of Maini.

KEY QUOTE – Richard Verschoor, Trident

"Super happy to win today for Trident Motorsport. We have worked hard for this and we didn't have the easiest of starts in Bahrain but super happy and proud of the team to get the win today and we are ready to push tomorrow."

THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Maloney remained at the top of the Championship on 40 points, although Aron is now in second place on 26. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver is a point ahead of fellow rookie Josep María Martí in third. Gabriel Bortoleto remains in fourth place with 14 points to his name, while Hauger has moved up into the top five with 14 himself. Rodin Motorsport stay at the top of the Teams’ Standings with 42 points, with Campos Racing in second, trailing by 12 points, ahead of Hitech Pulse-Eight in third place on 26. MP Motorsport moved up to fourth place and are now on 22 points, as Invicta Racing round out the top five on 21.

UP NEXT

The second Feature Race of the season will get underway in Jeddah at 16:25 local time on Saturday with Kush Maini set to start on pole position in the 28-lap affair.