John Bennett took an impressive last lap victory in the Austrian Sprint Race, beating Sebastian Montoya and Rafael Villagomez to the Formula 2 podium.
Sebastian Montoya was starting on reverse pole with John Bennett alongside him. Both drivers were eager to get ahead in Turn 1. However, overtaking is easier at the Red Bull Ring than at many other circuits on the calendar.
Montoya was slow off the line, with Bennett getting the jump on the PREMA driver in the first corner. Montoya was still close behind the TRIDENT driver but was just too far back to make any passes at that stage.
Further back in the order, Rafa Camara tapped the back of Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, who spun into the corner, making contact with Ollie Goethe. Nikola Tsolov was also caught up in the incident, and he and Camara managed to get going.
Dino Beganovic came into the pits after damaging his front wing in the collision, as did Joshua Duersken.
A Safety Car was brought out as Inthraphuvasak’s car had to be wheeled off the track.
Bennett holds the lead
On Lap 3, Bennett was ready to lead the field green, with Montoya close on his gearbox. The PREMA driver was looking down the inside of Bennett into Turn 3, but was just too far back to make it past.
Further back in fourth, Camara was able to get past Gabriele Mini, with Alex Dunne close behind, getting past his fellow Alpine Junior.
Mini wasn’t giving up, the Italian bringing the gap back down and diving alongside Dunne into Turns 3 and 4. Though he wasn’t able to make the move stick, he kept close behind the Irishman. On Lap 6, DRS was enabled, bringing a higher chance for overtakes across the grid.
On Lap 8, Montoya looked down the inside of Bennett, nearly making contact with the TRIDENT, but was just unable to get past. However, in the journey down to Turn 4, the PREMA driver broke late, sweeping past Bennett and moving back into the lead.
It was a difficult end to a difficult day for Duerksen, who retired from the race halfway through.
Dunne was closing in on Camara, the Alpine junior finding more grip than the Invicta and breezing past into fourth.
Mini was watching the Invicta closely, preparing to make a similar move on Camara. However, he also had Roman Bilinski’s DAMS Lucas Oil car on his gearbox.
Bilinski made a late lunge into Turn 3, but was just too far back to make a place gain.
Sprint Race over for Herta
On lap 21, it was a disaster for Colton Herta, who stopped on the side of the road. Luckily, he was parked by the escape road. However, for Herta’s championship, it was another weekend that didn’t go the Americans’ way.
Montoya led the field green on the next lap, holding onto his lead. Further back, Mini was sweeping around the outside of Turns 5 and 6, Camara helpless on the inside line as Mini took fifth place.
With three laps left, Bennett was finally closing on the PREMA driver, with just 0.6s separating the two. Into Turn 3, the Trident driver was too far back, but he still had two more laps to take a look.
Lap 27, Bennett was even closer, nearly hitting the back of Montoya in the early corners. Bennett moved to the outside on Turn 4, trying to make a pass but just unable to make it stick.
Onto the final lap, Bennett was 0.2s behind Montoya, the Colombian struggling with his tyres. Bennett ran alongside Montoya into Turn 4, and both drivers ran wide into the corner. Bennett held steadfast into Turn 6, taking the lead.
Montoya was trying to hold on, but his tyres were struggling as he slipped back into the front wing of Rafael Villagomez in third.
Bennett crossed the line with a 1.4-second gap, taking his maiden F2 victory in spectacular fashion from Montoya. With Villagomez closing out the podium.
Dunne and Mini finished the race fourth and fifth, with Camara close behind. Bilinski and Maini closed out the points scorers in the Sprint Race.
Discussion about this post