Jak Crawford took victory in the Formula 2 Feature Race at Silverstone, holding off the challenge of Rodin’s Alex Dunne to cement his status as a prime contender for the title.
The American benefited from a poor start by polesitter Victor Martins to lead for much of the race, despite two late Safety Car periods which threatened to create more drama.
Luke Browning produced an overtaking masterclass in the tricky conditions to take third, with team-mate Dino Beganovic fourth, himself driving superbly from the field.
Sebastian Montoya was fifth, with Sprint victor Leonardo Fornaroli sixth, and Richard Verschoor seventh.
Arvid Lindblad was eighth, with Pepe Marti ninth and Rafael Villagomez rounding up the top 10.
At the start, Martins got a dreadful start and dropped to fourth, as Dunne and Crawford got away well, the American taking the lead.
Amid a wall of spray, Martins got into third ahead of Roman Stanek, as many remained in position, yet to attempt a risky move in the unfavourable weather.
But nobody told Browning, who, by Lap 2, was swarming all over the back of Lindblad’s Campos from the entry into Copse, all the way up until the end of the lap.
The Hitech tried around the outside of Stowe, but Lindblad got his elbows out and ensured Browning had nowhere to go except onto the sausage kerbs.
But Browning held in there, eventually sticking side-by-side into Turn 1 from the outside of Club Corner, and then taking eighth from the Red Bull junior.
Browning was not done there, as he began to inch closer to the tail end of Verschoor’s MP.
Feinting to the outside into Copse, he then switched to the inside to take seventh from the Dutchman.
Crawford was by now nearly two seconds ahead into Lap 5, with Verschoor dropping backwards. Browning’s team-mate Beganovic was past him into Turn 1.
Lindblad, who was now down to 10th, found himself in the clutches of Sprint Race winner Fornaroli, who was looking to make good on his previous day’s work.
Montoya had been in sixth, but dropped two places behind the charging Hitechs, who then set about Joshua Durksen.
Lindblad and Fornaroli’s battle continued, the Brit doing an admirable job to keep the Invicta behind him.
Crawford was managing to maintain a lead of around 1.5s from Dunne, who were both leaving Martins behind, a further five seconds back, with Stanek another three away.
He was now under pressure from Durksen, who momentarily freed himself from Browning’s advances to take fourth, but Browning soon followed him through for fifth.
Beganovic soon went past the second Invicta too, taking sixth, as team-mate Browning was now putting Durksen under intense pressure.
Lindblad in the thick of the action as Browning continues to surge
Lindblad was now thinking less about Fornaroli and more about Verschoor ahead of him, harrying him as Fornaroli stayed in touch with interest.
Browning was still unrelenting in his pursuit of Durksen, forcing the Paraguayan wide into Stowe, but he kept the place and tried to weave his way out of the tow he was placing Browning in into Lap 12.
Verschoor was now leading a train of cars he was holding up. Lindblad tried again at the end of the Wellington Straight, but in doing so, nudged the MP, sending him off line and sending Fornaroli through.
Marti, Gabriele Mini and Oliver Goethe now formed a train behind the trio, all looking for a way into the points-scoring places.
Browning was now just three seconds off third place, as Crawford continued to lead. Stanek was in danger of slipping further back, with Montoya now hot on his heels
With the race now at half distance, race control decided to enable DRS, giving Browning added insentive as he took another second out of Martins.
By the end of Lap 15, it was now less than a second, giving him the opportunity to take on his fellow Williams academy member for the final podium spot.
Into Brooklands, he tried up the inside, and with Martins going wide at Luffield, Browning would try again, but to no avail.
He had another go around the outside into Stowe but again Martins put up a brave and robust display of defending.
His next attempt was at the same corner and on the inside this time, but again found Martins’ car getting wider as he approached the Frenchman.
At Luffield, he finally made the move stick, sweeping past around the outside to take third. Up ahead, Dunne began to slowly eat into Crawford’s lead, the DAMS now weaving on the straights in a bid to stop the tow.
The gap was now down to seven tenths as Lindblad became the first to blink and pit from 10th place.
Mini and Goethe collide as double Safety Car ensures Crawford win
Mini and Goethe pitted together, the Alpine junior just reemerging ahead on Softs. As the Red Bull junior tried around the outside as soon as they left the pits, and with no grip, Mini couldn’t turn and found himself straight into the side of Goethe.
The German kept going, but Mini was in a spin, managing to turn and get going again.
Dunne was now just two tenths behind with seven laps to go, and the Irishman was hounding Crawford into Turns 1, 2, 3 and 4, but Crawford resisted as Browning pitted from third.
Mini spun out of contention for good, and the Virtual Safety Car was called into play, giving Crawford an opportunity to pit.
Stanek was now out, coming to a stop at the start of the Hangar Straight, prompting the Safety Car.
Dunne was now stuck behind team-mate Amaury Cordeel, who would not heed the blue flags. An increasingly angry Dunne gesticulated at the Belgian, as he pitted for new tyres as the Safety Car period came into effect.
With the order shaken back out, Crawford was back in the lead as the Safety Car ended. He held the lead as a flurry of cars bunched up behind, all looking to gain a position.
Lindblad was up to eighth, as into the penultimate lap, Durksen, still in fourth, dropped on the exit of the final corner, spinning out of the race and prompting another Safety Car.
This would now end the race in the current order, ensuring Crawford took victory, with Dunne second, and Browning a brilliant third.
