Ghiotto holds on to win F2 Sprint Race in Hungary

Luca Ghiotto fended off the fast-charging Callum Ilott to take Hitech’s first victory in Sunday’s FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race at the Hungaroring.

The Italian started the race in fifth behind reverse-grid pole sitter Ilott, Louis Deletraz, Jehan Daruvala and Felipe Drugovich. Ghiotto rapidly leapt up to second by Turn 1 behind the Brit.

Deletraz was third, ahead of Nikita Mazepin, Dan Ticktum and Mick Schumacher. The beginning of the second lap saw Schumacher passing Ticktum’s DAMS into Turn 1, as his team-mate Shwartzman followed suit.

Ticktum would later pull into the pits with his car losing power, eventually re-joining the race five laps down.

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Meanwhile, Schumacher continued to slice his way through the field by passing Mazepin’s Hitech for fourth before Deletraz was disposed of for third on Lap 10.

Mazepin was able to overtake the Swiss driver, as did Shwartzman, with the Charouz driver pitting for tyres shortly afterwards.

The Sprint Race saw an unusual sight in Formula 2, with the majority of the runners changing tyres. One of a few that choose not to do so was Ghiotto, as he nursed his tyres all the way to the flag.

Schumacher pitted on Lap 16 to switch from the mediums to the softs. Ilott and Shwartzman would do the same next time around, allowing Mazepin a lap at the front before he pitted.

Just like Ghiotto, Giuliano Alesi stayed out on his mediums all the way through but his pace would drop drastically, thus seeing the Frenchman falling out of the points.

Six laps to go and Ghiotto held a lead of 25 seconds over Ilott in second position. The Italian’s gap would decrease by an average of around four seconds a lap. Further back, Schumacher fought his way past Deletraz and Alesi into third and on course for two podiums this weekend.

Shwartzman on his new tyres, would also sail past the pair to move up to fourth behind his German team-mate. Mazepin got by for fifth and Deletraz down to sixth.

Despite Ilott’s best efforts and narrowing the gap to under a second in the last few corners, Ghiotto held on to win his first victory in Formula 2 this year. Ilott took a hard-earned second ahead of Schumacher, Shwartzman, Mazepin, Deletraz and Daruvala. Guanyu Zhou was eighth and got the fastest lap points as well.

Robert Shwartzman continues to lead in the Drivers’ Standings, 18 points clear of Callum Ilott in second. Mick Schumacher’s double-podium in Hungary elevates him to fourth behind Christian Lundgaard, who leaves the Hungaroring without any points added to his total.

The next round for FIA Formula 2 will be on the weekend of the British Grand Prix on the 31 July – 2 August.