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F2: Bearman survives SC re-starts in Monza win; Edgar has it in F3

  • Darshan Chokhani
    • F2, F3

    Oliver Bearman survived multiple safety car re-starts to win feature F2 race at Monza, as Jonny Edgar took the win in F3.

    F2:

    It was a clean start to feature F2 race at Monza as Prema’s Oliver Bearman went wheel-to-wheel with pole-sitter Theo Pourchaire in the ART to take the lead of the race. Just behind, ART’s Victor Martins made an aggressive pass on Trident’s Roman Stanek at Turn 4.

    While defending fourth, Stanek went to his right which forced Prema’s Frederik Vesti onto the grass and spun around to retire in a big championship points loss. Stanek was handed a 5s penalty for forcing another driver off but the damage was done.

    He was fourth still from Campos’ Kush Maini who fended off Van Amersfoort’s Richard Verschoor after the Dutchman tried a move. Hitech GP’s Jak Crawford was seventh from MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger, Campos’ Ralph Boschung and MP Motorsport’s Jehan Daruvala in the Top 10.

    The safety car was deployed to not just clear out Vesti’s car but also Trident’s Clement Novalak who spun out. The re-start was well for Bearman who held off Pourchaire and Martins, as Virtuosi’s Amaury Cordeel had a puncture at Turn 1.

    He was hit by PHM Charouz’s Josh Mason who was handed a 10s time penalty. There was another safety car period when DAMS’ Arthur Leclerc went straight on at Turn 1 while coming in hot and trying to not hit the car ahead of him.

    It was Daruvala in the lead from Virtuosi’s Jack Doohan and DAMS’ Ayumu Iwasa on the alternative strategy. The re-start saw the Indian keep the lead even though Doohan went off and gave up the place with the move under investigation.

    While Daruvala and Doohan went on it, Iwasa cleared them both at Turn 1 to take the lead until another safety car period after PHM Charouz’s Roy Nissany tapped the back of Carlin’s Zane Maloney which sent him into the barrier on left, then to the right and back to the left.

    As the safety car went through the pits, it was Bearman in the lead after his stop from Doohan, Pourchaire, Daruvala, Maini, Verschoor, Martins, Crawford, Hauger and Iwasa in the Top 10 where both Daruvala and Iwasa pitted early in a gamble.

    The re-start had Bearman in the lead with Pourchaire clearing Doohan for second after couple of laps of try. Daruvala was fourth from Martins who passed Maini but had his DRS stuck open in a malfunction which forced him to pit and retire.

    While his DRS stuck open, Maini tried to pass him but Crawford made an opportune move to get past them both. At the fag end of the Top 10, Hauger lost points places after coming in hot at Turn 1 and having to take the run-off.

    Even before things could settle in, there was another safety car after Maini and Crawford came together at the Lesmos. The American tried a move on Daruvala for fourth but couldn’t make it stick which allowed Maini to chase Crawford.

    But a slight turn towards the left from Crawford left Maini with no space which damaged his front wing to retire. Crawford had a puncture into the pits as the safety car period saw Doohan pit for his mandatory stop along with Daruvala who made his second stop.

    It was Bearman in the lead from Pourchaire, Iwasa, Verschoor, Carlin’s Enzo Fittipaldi, Hauger, Van Amersfoort’s Juan Manuel Correa, Cordeel, Boschung and Doohan in the Top 10, with Daruvala just behind, while Nissany was handed a drive through penalty.

    The re-start had Bearman in the lead again but Iwasa made the move on Pourchaire to take second but before they could race for long, there was another safety car period when Crawford was forced off the track while battling Stanek for track position.

    The race eventually under the safety car with Bearman winning the feature F2 race at Monza from Iwasa and Pourchaire, with Verschoor in fourth from Fittipaldi and Hauger, as Doohan climbed up to seventh from Correa, Daruvala and Cordeel in the Top 10.

    After the penalties were applied, it was Fittipaldi in fourth from Hauger, Doohan, Daruvala, Cordeel, Boschung and Stanek in the Top 10.

     

     

    F3:

    Drama already began to unfold before the 21 laps of racing had gotten underway. Pole sitter Oliver Goethe pulled off the grid reporting a broken throttle, leading to an extra formation lap. Once the five lights went out, Collet covered off the inside to hold the lead in the #17 Van Amersfoort Racing car. Third-placed Paul Aron immediately tried to take advantage of the space in front but lost out to Edgar, who edged past the PREMA driver at the apex of the Della Roggia chicane, allowing Champion Gabriel Bortoleto to follow him through into third.

    The Safety Car was deployed on the opening lap after Sprint Race winner Franco Colapinto stopped on track after contact at Turn 5, leaving the Argentinian with broken suspension. After racing had resumed on Lap 4, Edgar was back on the attack, diving past Collet at Turn 1. Three-wide with Aron and O’Sullivan in the battle for third, Bortoleto went too deep and was forced to bail out down the escape road at the first corner, dropping him down to P6.

    Another off-track excursion for Brazilian at Turn 4 gave Nikola Tsolov the opportunity to attack, allowing Barnard and Mari Boya to also come through and demote Bortoleto to P9. Grégoire Saucy tried the same but contact between the pair left the ART Grand Prix driver with a puncture, sending him sailing off into the barriers, necessitating another Safety Car appearance.

    Back racing on Lap 9, Edgar couldn’t shake off Collet. The VAR driver looked to get the job done around the outside of the Della Roggia exit, but the Briton showed was back through for first at Lesmo 1. Behind them, Aron found himself bouncing over the gravel at Turn 1 after banging wheels with Leonardo Fornaroli, dropping the Mercedes junior from fourth to 11th. A lap later, a mistake for home hero Fornaroli at the Della Roggia chicane meant the Trident driver dropped to ninth.

    The leading battles were fierce as Collet slid past Edgar to regain the lead on Lap 12, whilst Barnard lunged at O’Sullivan to claim third through the first chicane. Undeterred, Edgar made full use of the slipstream, carrying enough overspeed to breeze past the Brazilian back up to the front of the field one lap later.

    Another Safety Car interruption to running came after Sebastián Montoya got stuck in the gravel at Turn 5 having been tagged by Hitech Pulse-Eight teammate Gabriele Minì. Edgar was able to defend from Collet who went for a move into Turn 1, as Barnard tried to join in on their duel. Seeing their battle, O’Sullivan seized his chance to slip around the outside of both Barnard and Collet for second. Going straight on the hunt for Edgar, the two ran side-by-side into Della Roggia, touching wheels and sending the Williams junior over the run-off.

    The Safety Car returned that same lap after Josep María Martí was hit from behind, the Campos Racing driver found himself stuck in the gravel, joined by Rodin Carlin’s Ido Cohen. Roberto Faria joined the duo in retirement, pulling over on the main straight to extend the Safety Car’s appearance.

    With a last lap shootout to overcome, Edgar went early to break clear on the restart. O’Sullivan was slow to react. Collet tried the switchback out of the Della Roggia chicane to take second, but it was Barnard who made his move stick, swooping through on the Brazilian at the first Lesmo to secure the final podium spot.

    Champion Bortoleto recovered to take fifth ahead of Mari Boya. Aron took seventh ahead of Campos’ Christian Mansell. A five-second time penalty for forcing another driver off track demoted Fornaroli from P9 to P16, lifting Dino Beganovic up to 9th and Rafael Villagómez took the final point in 10th.

     

    Here’s how sprint F2, F3 race panned out in Monza