Duerksen takes maiden F2 win in Baku sprint, Mini scores debut podium

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Joshua Duerksen resisted a late safety car restart to take his first Formula 2 win in the sprint race on the streets of Baku.

The AIX Racing driver had looked on course for a comfortable triumph after climbing from fourth on the grid to lead in the race’s second half but, despite the late caution period, the Paraguayan edged away once more to finish 3.4 seconds clear of DAMS driver Jak Crawford.

Prema’s Gabriele Mini scored a podium on his first F2 start by finishing third, while Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto survived a late clash to come home fifth and close the gap to points leader Isack Hadjar (Campos Racing) who failed to score.

Trident’s Christian Mansell made good use of reversed-grid pole to lead into turn one ahead of fellow F2 debutant Mini. Duerksen meanwhile moved up to third after squeezing up the inside of Crawford who had made a slow start from the front row.

Mansell built almost a one-second advantage over the first four laps but, having not been able to edge out of DRS range, was then reeled in by Mini who snatched the lead into turn one on lap seven and then resisted a renewed challenge from the Australian two corners later.

Duerksen dived inside Mansell for second into turn one on the next tour and then began his charge after Mini. There was little to separate the front two by the halfway stage of the 21-lap contest, and Duerksen soon capitalised on a sideways moment from Mini to sweep past into the lead at turn one.

Having quickly pulled over four seconds clear, Duerksen’s advantage was wiped out by the appearance of the safety car after Rodin Motorsport’s Ritomo Miyata slid into the wall on lap 15.

Duerksen remained ahead at the restart before edging clear once more over the remaining four lap to take victory, while Mini ran wide at turn one and conceded second to Crawford before prevailing in a photo finish for third with ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins.

Martins was involved in a thrilling early scrap with Rodin’s Zane Maloney, the pair swapping places several times and, after narrowly avoiding striking the Techpro barriers at turn one, the Alpine F1 junior picked off Invicta’s Kush Maini for fifth.

Mansell lost out to both Crawford and Martins into turn one before the safety car intervention, and was then challenged at the restart for fifth by Bortoleto who hit the wall at turn three after the pair made contact.

Having avoided significant damage, Bortoleto was able to come home just ahead of fellow title contender Paul Aron (Hitech GP) who climbed from 12th on the grid to sixth. Prema’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli made up two places to seventh ahead of Mansell who scored his first F2 point in eighth.

Maini and Maloney were both shuffled out of the points to ninth and 10th, the latter having lost some bodywork by brushing an inside wall, while ART’s Luke Browning ran ahead of Antonelli in ninth early on before finishing his first F2 race in 11th.

Hadjar meanwhile climbed from the back of the grid following his qualifying incident and subsequent penalty to 12th.

Race results (21 laps)