Russian Time’s Artem Markelov got the new Formula 2 era and season off to a spectacular start with a charging drive to victory in the Bahrain feature race.
He had a good start and featured in the lead battle with Norman Nato and polesitter Charles Leclerc early on, but staying out for a few extra laps in the pitstop phase lost him time.
Markelov emerged a slightly distant third but on fresher tyres, he closed in on the leading duo with a few laps left to go.
Having lost the lead to Nato after a stunning pass around the outside at Turn 4, Leclerc was the first to come under pressure from Markelov.
He was passed with three laps to go, with Nato looking clear out front. But Markelov’s pace advantage was so great, he was soon all over the back of the leading Arden.
Markelov snatched first place on the penultimate lap to secure victory at the F2 season-opener, his second-ever win at the wheel of the Dallara GP2/11. Nato and Leclerc rounded out the podium.
Jordan King was fourth for MP Motorsport, with Oliver Rowland recovering from a poor qualifying and difficult opening few laps to finish fifth.
Alexander Albon was sixth for ART, ahead of Markelov’s Russian Time team-mate Luca Ghiotto and Honda junior Nobuharu Matsushita – who will start from reversed-grid pole for Sunday’s sprint race.
