Collard beats Fielding in reverse-grid race to close points gap

Photo: Paul Davies Photography

Ricky Collard defeated Sennan Fielding in the reverse-grid MSA Formula race at Silverstone to cut the gap to championship leader Lando Norris.

Fielding and Collard sat second and third in the early laps behind front-row starter Dan Baybutt, before Baybutt was pushed back to sixth place on lap seven.

Collard continued to pursue Fielding, now for the lead, and eventually got past at the start of lap 19 of 21.

Fielding finished 0.693 seconds adrift at the line, with Dan Ticktum right on his tail, the Fortec driver recovering after falling to sixth on the opening lap.

Toby Sowery followed up his race one podium with fourth place at the line, but a 10-second penalty for exceeding track limits relegated him to 13th. Matheus Leist therefore picked up fourth ahead of Baybutt.

Colton Herta was sixth with polesitter Sandy Mitchell, Rafa Martins and Norris all on his tail, although Mitchell fell to 10th with a five-second penalty for track limits abuse.

From ninth on the grid, Norris had climbed to seventh ahead of Carlin team-mate Herta at one stage but found himself bumped backwards again.

By taking the fastest lap as well as the win, Collard has slashed Norris’ lead from 32 to 10 points with four races remaining.

The penalties promoted Jack Butel to ninth ahead of Mitchell.

Race results