Dunne goes fastest then goes off in F2’s Baku practice

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne led the way in Formula 2’s Baku practice session, but ended it with an off.

AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen and Cian Shields were first out, and eight minutes in Prema’s drivers joined them in setting laptimes.

Trident’s Laurens van Hoepen and Martinius Stenshorne were next on track, for their first ever laps in F2, and their opening efforts appeared on the board 10 minutes in.

Duerksen lowered the pace to 2m00.278s soon after, then pitted, with Prema’s Gabriele Mini setting a 2m01.986s in second.

Shields also pitted next time by and Mini failed to imrove, while van Hoepen posted a 2m02.1s 13-and-a-half minutes in that put him third. A third of the way through practice, Mini reduced Duerksen’s gap to 0.246s, Prema’s Sebastian Montoya was 0.615s off and Stenshorne improved to 2m01.279s in fourth. By now, all but AIX’s drivers were on track.

When the rest of the field’s first flying laps were completed 18 minutes in, Hitech GP’s Luke Browning sat at the top with a 1m58.407s, over a second clear of MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor, ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins, DAMS’ Kush Maini and Hitech’s Dino Beganovic.

Stenshorne broke back into the top 10 with a 1m59.570s that put him fourth, then DAMS’ Jak Crawford leapt from seventh to first by setting a 1m58.285s. Prema’s drivers pitted.

Only four drivers improved at that point, and Invicta Racing’s Roman Stanek was one of those as a 1m59.323s put him second. Stenshorne found even more pace on his next lap 20 minutes in, getting within 0.006s of Crawford.

Later Browning lowered the pace to 1m56.769s. He had a big gap again, going 0.54s faster than Martins in second, and with Beganovic just behind. Verschoor was fourth, and Arvid Lindblad (Campos Racing) and Dunne were less than a second off too.

DAMS’ duo set personal bests as the second half of practice began, both less than half a second slower than Browning, uninterrupted by waving yellows flags.

There were 15 personal bests set with 19 minutes to go, and a 1m56.388s put Martins 0.094s ahead of Browning, with Verschoor 0.155s behind. Crawford and Dunne were next up, with non-improver Maini sixth.

The track got quieter as more drivers pitted, and Browning set a 1m55.869s to reclaim top spot by 0.158s from Martins. Beganovic was now third, 0.522s off, and Stanek fifth.

Duerksen headed back out and slotted into ninth, and with 11 minutes to go everyone had ended their first run.

Mini jumped up to 11th with nine minutes remaining, Dunne improved in seventh, then yellow flags waved. Later Lindblad going down an escape road triggered a virtual safety car period.

The final three-and-a-half minutes ran green, and Martins pitted.

With just over a minute left, Beganovic set a new 1m55.778s benchmark and Mini posted a 1m56.177s in fourth.

ART GP’s Ritomo Miyata and Verschoor both set 1m56.4s, and with 30s remaining Dunne went quickest by 0.058s then went down turn three’s escape road.

Crawford got within 0.049s of him, and after the chequered flag Van Amersfoort Racing’s Rafael Villagomez lapped 0.182s shy of Dunne in fifth. Martins was sixth, Invicta’s points leader Leonardo Fornaroli was 12th, and Stenshorne was 15th.

Free practice results