DAMS driver Jak Crawford scored his second Formula 2 victory ahead of Franco Colapinto and Juan Manuel Correa in the Barcelona feature race
The American passed early leader Paul Aron shortly after making his mandatory pitstop and eventually came home 1.4 seconds clear, while his team-mate Correa bounced back from losing his third-place finish in Saturday’s sprint race for track limits infringements to officially end his five-year podium drought.
Aron converted pole into the lead at the start ahead of Crawford and Colapinto, while Saturday’s sprint race winner Victor Martins and MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger retired in a collision at turn two resulting in the safety car being deployed.
Aron pulled over two seconds clear once racing resumed, and Crawford was one of the first to make his pitstop after struggling with his tyres. Colapinto followed Aron into the pits three laps later, the latter briefly emerging ahead of Crawford who then snatched the net lead. Having stopped one lap earlier, Bortoleto passed Colapinto.
Aron started to apply pressure on Crawford but, struggling with oversteer, the championship leader got sideways in the final corner and lost several places after a trip through the gravel trap.
AIX Racing’s Joshua Duersken led on the alternate strategy but then pulled off the circuit with an issue, with Correa holding first place until making his mandatory stop with 10 laps to go. He rejoined in eighth and used his fresh tyres to charge up the order in the closing stages to third.
Aron recovered from his earlier off to finish fourth ahead of Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar, while Kush Maini beat his Invicta Racing team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto to sixth despite the a final-lap collision between the pair while the latter tried to get by at turn one. Rodin Motorsport’s Zane Maloney climbed from 17th to eighth ahead of Hitech’s Amaury Cordeel and Campos driver Pepe Marti.
Prema’s struggles continued, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli finishing 12th, two places ahead of team-mate Ollie Bearman. AIX’s Taylor Barnard retired after stopping by the pit entry.
Featured image credit: Formula Motorsport Ltd
