Bearman fastest, Boschung crashes in F2 practice at Zandvoort

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Prema’s Ollie Bearman set the pace in Formula 2 practice at Zandvoort, while Campos Racing’s Ralph Boschung had a late crash.

Rodin Carlin’s Zane Maloney was first on track in the 45-minute session, but like most drivers he went out and then headed straight back to the pits.

The first laptime did not come until almost eight minutes in, when PHM Racing by Charouz’s Josh Mason set a 1m40.978s. He improved next time by to 1m29.746s, then two laps after that set a 1m27.025s.

Only after 15 minutes did others head back out, and Hitech GP’s Jak Crawford was first of those to lap at a representative pace as he set a 1m26.097s after 18 minutes. Seconds later Boschung beat him by 0.052 seconds, then Maloney set a 1m25.752s while Mason pitted. He was shuffled down the order as Frederik Vesti and Juan Manuel Correa lapped in the 1m26s.

Campos’s Kush Maini then set a 1m25.309s, but was only on top for 10 seconds before Bearman posted a 1m24.528s. DAMS’ Ayumu Iwasa slipped into second with a 1m25.096s, and Trident’s Clement Novalak went third with a 1m25.181s.

At the 19-minute mark Theo Pourchaire and then his ART Grand Prix team-mate Victor Martins took over second place, with Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan completing a top four covered by 0.297s.

MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger and Jehan Daruvala left it late to set laptimes, while DAMS’ Arthur Leclerc still had no time on the board at practice’s halfway point.

His team-mate meanwhile was lowering the pace, setting a 1m23.562s to lead Pourchaire by 0.116s and Bearman by 0.295s. But then Martins went fastest by 0.084s and Doohan moved into fourth, while Hitech’s Isack Hadjar rose into the top six.

Two minutes later Vesti set a new 1m23.377s benchmark, and 20s after that Iwasa bettered it by 0.022s. There were not too many improvements in the final 19 minutes, although Doohan quickly improved in fourth.

A 1m23.111s lifted Hauger from 10th to first with 16 minutes to go, as Bearman set a 1m23.407s to go fourth fastest, and Leclerc finally setting a laptime. Over 10 minutes later Maloney improved to sixth, although that position was taken by Daruvala with just over three minutes left on the clock.

Bearman set the session’s fastest lap with 2m43s to go, a 1m22.715s putting him over a third of a second clear of Hauger. His team-mate Vesti then jumped into third place before session-ending red flags appeared due to Boschung crashing at turn seven.

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