Martins leads Stanek around Jeddah in F2’s sunny practice session

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins was fastest in Formula 2’s free practice session in Jeddah, which was held during the daytime.

The hot temperatures in Jeddah meant there was little action during the first 10 minutes of the 45-minute session, and AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen was the first driver to go around in anything more than outlap pace.

He set a 1m49.034s, which was soon beaten by a 1m48.633s from Prema’s Gabriele Mini. Then Martins posted a 1m47.735s, and before long the track was full of cars.

MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor was the next driver to break into the 1m47s, then DAMS’ Kush Maini lowered the pace by 0.012 seconds. Invicta Racing’s Roman Stanek was next to the top, setting a 1m47.689s.

After 14 minutes, Jak Crawford made it two DAMS drivers in the top four as he set a 1m47.937s. But a minute later he was down in 10th. Mini moved ahead of him first, as Martins set a new 1m47.000s benchmark, then Maini and Stanek improved to 1m46.437s and 1m46.744s at the top. Verschoor slotted into fourth with a 1m47.259s, and between Mini and Crawford were Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad and Pepe Marti, Invicta’s Leonardo Fornaroli and MP’s Oliver Goethe.

Far later to leave the pits than everyone else was Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne, and once he was up to pace he set a 1m46.788s to go third fastest.

Martins reduced Maini’s advantage to 0.1s on his next lap, as Mini got into the 1m46s in fifth place and Crawford jumped back up to sixth ahead of fellow improver Marti.

Crawford found even more to move up to third, then Martins set a new 1m46.432s benchmark to beat Maini by 0.005s before ending his first run. Before returning to the pits, Goethe and then Fornaroli went fourth fastest.

The next change at the top came with 15 minutes to go, as Duerksen lowered the pace to 1m46.387s. Four minutes later Stanek beat him by 0.17s as the track filled up, and a 1m46.248s lap from Crawford put him second ahead of Martins.

With eight minutes left on the clock, Mini set a new 1m46.193s benchmark and that stood for a few minutes before Stanek recorded a 1m45.820s. Fornaroli went 0.003s quicker than Crawford to snatch third, and Duerksen was down in seventh.

Stanek’s time looked unbeatable, as Dunne could only get within 0.37s of it on his next effort, but there was still more life in the tyres. Martins usurped Stanek with a 1m45.671s lap, and Stanek’s subsequent 0.003s gain meant he stayed in second.

Crawford posted a 1m45.892s to go third fastest as the chequered flag waved, but the lap was deleted so fellow last-second improver Duerksen occupied the position with a 1m46.062s before Hitech GP’s Dino Beganovic crossed the line and became the third driver to lap in the 1m45s.

Free practice results