F2 points leader Hadjar quickest in practice at Spa

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

Campos Racing’s points leader Isack Hadjar was quickest in Formula 2 practice at Spa-Francorchamps.

Many drivers embarked on outlaps on slick tyres a few minutes in, then came straight back in and switched to a second set of the same compound of rubber.

The sun was shining, but after 12 minutes there were only four cars on track. MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger set the first laptime, a 2m20.529s, a few minutes later, as four more drivers left the pits.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Rafael Villagomez was next to post a time, then AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen.

DAMS duo Juan Manuel Correa and Jak Crawford lowered the pace 17 minutes in, the former setting a 2m14.335s while the latter did a 2m18.312s as his first effort.

Hauger responded with a 2m02.959s, with Rodin Motorsport’s Ritomo Miyata going fifth fastest.

VAR’s Enzo Fittipaldi then set a 2m15.346s to go third, before Villagomez went to the top with a 2m03.606s as Hauger’s fastest lap was deleted.

Duerksen was half a second slower than Villagomez as he went second fastest after 19 minutes, then Correa set a new 2m02.634s benchmark and half a minute later Miyata climbed to third with a 2m03.438s.

Two more drivers ahead out, and as the session approached its halfway point Fittipaldi improved to 2m02.784s. Red flags waved shortly after as Villagomez had a big crash exiting turn nine that destroyed the rear of his car and sent him spinning seven times.

He was able to vacate his car unaided, but the clear-up was lengthy and practice restarted with 14 minutes left on the clock.

All but Trident’s Roman Stanek headed out, and the first laptimes came in with nine-and-a-half minutes to go as ART Grand Prix duo Victor Martins and Zak O’Sullivan went one-two with a 2m00.773s and a 2m01.911s respectively.

Trident’s Richard Verschoor and then Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar went second fastest, before Crawford lowered the pace to 2m00.516s. However that laptime was deleted, putting Martins back ahead until Hauger set a 1m59.682s with seven-and-a-half minutes left of practice.

Prema’s Ollie Bearma and Virtuosi Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto reduced his gap at the top, then with just under five minutes to go there was lots of improvements and Hadjar set a 1m58.761s to take over top spot.

Martins was just 0.026 seconds slower in second, with Prema’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli setting a 1m59.265s in third and Hauger being shuffled down to sixth by team-mate Franco Colapinto and Crawford as he did not improve.

Two minutes later Hauger did find more pace, a 1m59.539s putting him fourth while everyone else failed to improve.

Martins snatched back first place with 13s remainig, setting a 1m58.740s, which Hadjar beat by 0.01s (as the first driver to meet the chequered flag) while Antonelli also improved and Hitech GP’s Paul Aron set a 1m59.314s to go fourth fastest ahead of team-mate Amaury Cordeel and O’Sullivan.

Some still had time for one more lap, and Hauger set a 1m59.391s to end practice in sixth.

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