F2 sprint race: Antonelli wins the sprint under the rain at Silverstone
In a rain-soaked sprint race at Silverstone, it was the pole-sitter who emerged victorious: Kimi Antonelli. This marks his first win in Formula 2, following a challenging start to the season. He finished ahead of Zane Maloney and Kush Maini. The two French drivers retired.
This weekend’s Formula 2 sprint race in Great Britain took place in difficult conditions. On a very wet track at the start, the race direction preferred to send the drivers of the F1 feeder series behind the safety car.
After a few laps on the wet track, the intensifying rain caused a red flag to be shown for several tens of minutes. When the race resumed, several drivers were caught out, including the two Campos drivers (Frenchman Isack Hadjar and Spaniard Pepe Marti). Championship leader Paul Aron also had to retire.
After a slight touch from Zak O’Sullivan pushing him into a spin, Victor Martins also had to retire. Ollie Bearman – who has just been announced as a full-time driver for Haas in F1 next year – is also among the retirements.
In the end, Kimi Antonelli was never worried, leading the race alone. Zane Maloney was the man in form at the beginning of the season and thus returns to the podium after a long drought. Kush Maini makes a good move by overtaking Bortoleto towards the end of the race.
The long race also risks taking place under the rain this Sunday morning at Silverstone. French driver Isack Hadjar will start from pole position, just ahead of his compatriot Victor Martins, on the front row.
Results of the F2 sprint race at Silverstone:
| Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. Antonelli #4 | PREMA Racing | 1:02:34.856 | 21 | |
| 2 | Z. Maloney #5 | Rodin Motorsport | 1:02:43.539 | +8.683 | 21 |
| 3 | K. Maini #9 | Invicta Racing | 1:02:46.113 | +11.257 | 21 |
| 4 | G. Bortoleto #10 | Invicta Racing | 1:02:50.751 | +15.895 | 21 |
| 5 | F. Colapinto #12 | MP Motorsport | 1:02:52.920 | +18.064 | 21 |
| 6 | J. Crawford #7 | DAMS Lucas Oil | 1:02:53.647 | +18.791 | 21 |
| 7 | D. Hauger #11 | MP Motorsport | 1:02:55.047 | +20.191 | 21 |
| 8 | R. Stanek #23 | Trident | 1:02:55.788 | +20.932 | 21 |
| 9 | T. Barnard #25 | AIX Racing | 1:02:56.223 | +21.367 | 21 |
| 10 | R. Miyata #6 | Rodin Motorsport | 1:02:59.088 | +24.232 | 21 |
| 11 | R. Verschoor #22 | Trident | 1:03:00.629 | +25.773 | 21 |
| 12 | J. Correa #8 | DAMS Lucas Oil | 1:03:02.927 | +28.071 | 21 |
| 13 | E. Fittipaldi #14 | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:03:04.605 | +29.749 | 21 |
| 14 | R. Villagomez #15 | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:03:07.377 | +32.521 | 21 |
| 15 | A. Cordeel #16 | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:03:07.960 | +33.104 | 21 |
| 16 | J. Durksen #24 | AIX Racing | 1:03:08.816 | +33.960 | 21 |
| 17 | J. Marti #21 | Campos Racing | 30:09.019 | DNF | 7 |
| 18 | I. Hadjar #20 | Campos Racing | 30:09.433 | DNF | 7 |
| 19 | O. Bearman #3 | PREMA Racing | 47:56.772 | DNF | 14 |
| 20 | P. Aron #17 | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 30:07.745 | DNF | 7 |
| 21 | V. Martins #1 | ART Grand Prix | 49:50.648 | DNF | 15 |
| 22 | Z. O’sullivan #2 | ART Grand Prix | 52:40.821 | DNF | 16 |
