ART Grand Prix’s Nyck de Vries claimed victory during a chaotic Formula 2 race that was suspended for 30 minutes due to a track blockage in Monaco.
De Vries controlled proceedings from pole position for his second win in a row, but drama befell several other contenders in a crazy race.
Front-row starter Callum Ilott was unable to take up his spot on the grid after a mechanical issue on the formation lap, leaving Luca Ghiotto as de Vries’ primary challenger.
Ghiotto ultimately came home second but the final spot on the podium was only decided late on as Nobuharu Matsushita got the jump on Sergio Sette Camara.
But the biggest incident came mid-race when Mick Schumacher, in the mix for a podium, tried to pass the yet-to-stop Tatiana Calderon at Rascasse.
His move was unsuccessful and Calderon’s stranded car blocked the track, causing the race to be suspended, while officials tried to work out the right order.
Through the melee every driver behind Schumacher – at that point in ninth – wound up being lapped, effectively splitting the field in two.
It facilitated Dorian Boccolacci in taking fifth and Guan Yu Zhou sixth, the last driver on the lead lap, after seventh-placed Artem Markelov was lapped late on.
That restart procedure, and the order confusion, remains under investigation.
Juan Manuel Correa had been in that mix but he crashed out at Piscine late on, requiring the appearance of the Safety Car, while simultaneously the abject Mahaveer Raghunathan punted off Jack Aitken at the hairpin.
Louis Deletraz picked up eighth and reversed-grid pole position, while Anthoine Hubert – having narrowly avoided the barriers through Massenet – and Ralph Boschung capped the top 10.
Nicholas Latifi, who entered as title leader, endured a difficult Friday as a so-so first lap was followed by a spate of incidents and near-misses and he came home 13th.
Schumacher was sanctioned for his move on Calderon and finished 14th.
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