Artem Markelov breezed to his second Formula 2 victory of the campaign in the Sprint Race in Austria, in front of Alexander Albon and Oliver Rowland.
Markelov maintained the advantage from pole position and quickly pulled a gap to his rivals after two early interruptions, necessitating the use of the Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car.
The Safety Car was required after front-row starter Ralph Boschung stalled and was collected by Trident’s Raffaele Marciello; while the VSC period came when title leader Charles Leclerc spun out.
Leclerc had narrowly avoided Boschung’s car off the line – the Ferrari junior’s Prema getting out of shape as he took evasive action – and held sixth at the restart.
Having overhauled Jordan King into Turn 1, Leclerc caught the squabbling Rowland and Antonio Fuoco, as the trio battled into Turn 4.
Fuoco drifted slightly wide on exit and Leclerc was caught out; he clipped the rear of Fuoco’s car and spun into retirement.
Fuoco went on to finish fifth, having been passed by compatriot Luca Ghiotto, the Russian Time racer carving through the midfield from 14th spot on the grid.
King came home in sixth place, while Norman Nato profited from a time penalty for Nicholas Latifi, who was deemed to have sped in the pit lane, where the drivers were taken through during the Safety Car period.
Nato, having started at the back of the grid, thus took seventh, with the sanctioned Latifi in eighth.
Discussion about this post