Marti holds off Lindblad, then Dunne, for F2 sprint race victory

Photo: Red Bull

Pepe Marti held off attacks from Arvid Lindblad and then Alex Dunne for his fourth Formula 2 sprint race win at the Hungaroring.

Rodin Motorsport’s Dunne split the Campos Racing drivers at the front of the reversed grid, but a slow start meant he dropped behind Lindblad.

Climbing three spots to fifth on lap one was DAMS’ Jak Crawford, while Invicta Racing’s Roman Stanek dropped out of the top 10 due a collision. Prema’s Gabriele Mini had tried and failed passing him into the chicane, and his slow exit allowed AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen alongside. They managed to remain wheel-to-wheel through to turn eight and heading into nine, where Mini clipped the rear of Stanek and sent him spinning down to last place.

Just 0.4 seconds split the top two at first, and the gap never grew beyond 0.7s in the first 11 laps. Lindblad was particularly close on lap seven, having a look into turn two, and on lap eight where a dive into turn one put him ahead until turn three where Marti got back past.

Marti had anticipated Lindblad’s attack, opened the line and then was able to cut back at the exit. Lindblad then covered the inside for turn two, but Marti cannily pulled off with the switchback to be ahead before turn three.

They continued pushing, and both set personal best laptimes on lap 10. Marti was not happy with the situation, and Campos told Lindblad to save his tyres.

He remained within DRS range of Marti though until lap 19 of 28 when Dunne reclaimed second with a late turn one dive.

Lindblad was immediately gapped this time, and a failed overtake attempt on him by ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins allowed Crawford to nab fourth.

The top two set personal bests on lap 21, as eight cars queued behind Lindblad. The race then took a twist, as Prema’s Sebastian Montoya stopped on the pit straight and the safety car was called. It aided Lindblad, who could cool his tyres, and Mini as he was at the back after switching to the soft compound and serving a 10s penalty for his Stanek clash a few laps earlier.

The pit-lane was closed for the marshals to recover Montoya’s car through the accesses to the main straight. Therefore, no one could pit for softs and attempt a late charge.

Three laps remained when racing resumed, and Mini came back from 21st to 14th, one spot behind Stanek.

Marti set another personal best on the restart lap, but still had late pressure after sliding at turn five on the last lap. Dunne almost got fully alongside around the outside of turn 13 , but ran wide, and was cautious rather then attacking into the final turn to finish 0.225s behind Marti.

Crawford overtook Lindblad at turn one, and pulled away, while Browning slipstreamed past Martins at the restart then held on to fifth after a wide moment at turn five and then cutting the chicane.

Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli pipped Richard Verschoor to seventh to extend his points lead over him, with MP Motorsport team-mate Oliver Goethe’s own failed passing attempt on Fornaroli on lap two granting him eighth.

Race results (28 laps)