Verschoor fastest, Duerksen crashes, Fornaroli slowest in F2 practice

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Richard Verschoor topped Formula 2’s 45-minute free practice session at Monza, which was ended early by Joshua Duerksen crashing.

AIX Racing driver Duerksen posted the first flying lap nine minutes in, a 1m34.847s, and Trident’s Max Esterson soon beat him by 0.039 seconds.

Invicta Racing’s Roman Stanek and Hitech GP’s Dino Beganovic were third and fourth, until ART Grand Prix’s Ritomo Miyata set a 1m34.262s to go fastest. He was then sandwiched by DAMS drivers, as Kush Maini lowered the pace to 1m34.064s and Jak Crawford went third fastest. At this point Rodin Motorsport and MP Motorsport’s drivers were without laptimes.

When Rodin’s drivers headed out, they swiftly entered the top 10. Dunne set a 1m34.661s almost 13 minutes in that put him fourth. That very quickly became 10th place, as Beganovic, Pepe Marti (Campos Racing) and Gabriele Mini (Prema) broke into the 1m33s, Arvid Lindlad (Campos) went fourth fastest and Trident’s Esterson and Sami Meguetounif also beat him.

When the next group of cars crossed the line, Maini reclaimed top spot with a 1m33.302s and Miyata and Crawford joined the group to lap sub-1m34s.

MP’s drivers took to the track a third of the way through practice, as many rivals returned to the pits.

Dunne got within 0.285s of Maini’s pace 16 minutes in, and Duerksen was just 0.031s slower than him in third.

They were then bettered by Lindblad and Beganovic, both lapping in the 1m33.5s, and a minute later Crawford and Miyata got within 0.163s of Maini. Verschoor and MP team-mate Oliver Goethe went 15th and 18th fastest with their first flying laps.

As practice’s 20-minute mark approached, Hitech’s Luke Browning reduced Maini’s gap to 0.108s, and Dunne improved to fifth.

Lindblad returned to second a minute later, 0.068s off Maini, and Crawford set a 1m33.406s in third. MP’s pace was now being displayed, as Verschoor and Goethe both posted 1m33.4s in fifth and seventh.

Maini showed he had pace in hand by setting a 1m33.047s at the session’s halfway point, before the track became quieter.

Those who stayed out improved, with Dunne posting a 1m33.304s to return to second for one minute. Beganovic usurped him, setting a 1m33.190s, but by the time he had exited the first chicane Verschoor had beaten him by 0.071s.

Goethe crossed the line a few seconds later and toppled Maini with a 1m33.017s on his fresher tyres. Two laps later Verschoor lowered the pace to 1m32.547s, leading Goethe by 0.154s.

ART GP’s Victor Martins jumped up to third with a 1m33.091s, and held it until Lindblad bettered him by 0.075s with 10 minutes to go.

The top two were in the pits as a flurry of improvements came six minutes from the end. Dunne, Maini, Browning and Beganovic went sub-1m33s, and later on Martins joined their group in fifth place.

Yellows flags were waving, but Browning and Dunne were able to go second and third fastest with 1m32.6s laps before session-ending red flags waved as Duerksen went into the barriers at the Ascari chicane.

Free practice results