ART Grand Prix’s Nyck de Vries sealed the FIA Formula 2 (F2) Championship title after win in Sochi’s feature race, with three races to spare.
Pole-sitter and ART’s Nyck de Vries had a storming start to the F2 feature race at Sochi Autodrom with DAMS’ Nicholas Latifi and Sauber Junior Team by Charouz’s Callum Ilott held on to second and third.
UNI-Virtuosi Racing’s Luca Ghiotto and Guanyu Zhou were fourth and fifth but the Italian was the lead driver on the alternative strategy to start on the medium compound as opposed to super soft for others.
There was Virtual Safety Car soon after an early retirement for returning Artem Markelov in the BWT Arden car. On re-start, de Vries and Latifi held on their track position but Ghiotto was the man on charge.
Within few laps, Ghiotto was in the lead with Prema’s Mick Schumacher and ART’s Nikita Mazepin slotting in second and third – also on the medium tyres. By Lap 6, the super soft runners pitted already.
De Vries maintained track position from Latifi in the lower half of the Top 10 as Zhou and Trident’s Giuliano Alesi were handed five-second penalty for their off moment on Lap 1 and not rejoining in the safe manner.
It was Ghiotto in the lead with Mazepin passing Schumacher for second as Carlin’s Nobuharu Matsushita was fourth ahead of MP Motorsport’ Jordan King, Alesi, Ralph Boschung and Campos Racing’s Marino Sato in Top 8.
De Vries was ninth from Latifi, Carlin’s Louis Deletraz, Ilott and DAMS’ Sergio Sette Camara as the Top 5 of the alternate strategy runners. Up ahead, Ghiotto led from Mazepin comfortably.
Schumacher though had Matsushita behind for few laps and the Japanese made the move stick with King also in sight. It turned in disaster for Schumacher with suspected issue as smoke blowing from the rear.
He ran still for a lap but eventually pitted to retire as Matsushita took second from Mazepin. Meanwhile, Ghiotto eventually pitted on Lap 24 as he came out behind de Vries, Latifi and Deletraz.
It was Camara in fifth with Matsushita slotting in sixth from Mazepin, Campos’ Jack Aitken, Ilott and King in the Top 10. At the front, de Vries headed Latifi as Ghiotto got third from Deletraz.
But the Swiss racer fought back to retake third in the end with de Vries scoring the victory in Sochi’s feature win and with it, he sealed the 2019 F2 title as well with three races to spare.
Latifi was second with Deletraz third from Ghiotto as Camara held off the charge from Matsushita to be fifth. It was same for Aitken as he held off Mazepin for seventh, with the Russian securing reverse grid pole.
The Top 10 then had Ilott and Zhou after King lost couple of places to be 12th and behind Prema’s Sean Gelael. The alternate strategy didn’t work for Alesi as he was 13th with Boschung 14th.
Position 15-18: Calderon, Sato, Mahaveer Raghunathan, Matevos Isaakyan. DNF: Schumacher, Markelov.
