Richard Verschoor, determined to make amends for last year’s disqualification, emerged victorious in the Spielberg F2 Feature Race.
Starting from 11th place with an alternative strategy, the Dutch driver put on a spectacular show for the fans, securing Van Amersfoort Racing’s maiden win in an F2 race.
Ayumu Iwasa showcased his own remarkable skills, surpassing Championship contender Frederik Vesti to secure second place, with the PREMA Racing driver completing the podium.
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As It Happened
Vesti, starting second on the grid, got a strong start and quickly passed polesitter Victor Martins for the lead. However, he lost position to his teammate Théo Pourchaire at Turn 1, continuing to struggle early on.
Kush Maini, with a late braking maneuver in Turn 3, snatched third place from the Frenchman – but his joy was short-lived as Jack Doohan, from Invicta Virtuosi Racing, swiftly passed both drivers at the following corner.
Iwasa, showing incredible speed, gained five positions in the opening lap, climbing up to ninth by Lap 6. Amaury Cordeel squeezed Dennis Hauger, forcing him onto the grass at Turn 1 and creating an opportunity for Iwasa to overtake them both.
Martins eventually reclaimed third place from Maini on Lap 8. Meanwhile, Maini lost two more positions in quick succession, with Enzo Fittipaldi overtaking him for fifth on softs.
Pourchaire was the first frontrunner to make his mandatory pit stop on Lap 8, followed by Maini and Jehan Daruvala. Doohan and Martins were next in a lap later, while Vesti extended his stint with an additional lap before relinquishing the lead to Fittipaldi.
Fittipaldi steadily built a gap to Verschoor, who had opted for an alternate strategy. Engaged in a battle for eighth place, Doohan caught up with Pourchaire and successfully overtook him after a dive at Turn 3.
Tyres Tyres Tyres
On Lap 27, Arthur Leclerc and Oliver Bearman both pitted for supersoft tyres. While Bearman rejoined the race in 18th position, Leclerc was forced to retire shortly after his pit stop, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that later turned into a full Safety Car on Lap 29. Verschoor, running an alternate strategy, capitalized on the situation, completing his mandatory pit stop and reentering the race in fifth place. Fittipaldi, the race leader, chose to pit one lap later, dropping back to ninth.
The race resumed on Lap 33, and it became evident that Verschoor had made the right call. Making the most of his fresh tyres, he overtook both ART drivers, Martins and Pourchaire, to climb up to third place.
Virtual Safety Car
A brief Virtual Safety Car period was withdrawn after Maini’s Campos Racing car sustained contact at the restart. With four laps remaining, the drivers on supersoft tyres resumed their charge. Bearman passed Martins and Pourchaire to claim fifth place.
At the front, Vesti struggled to hold off Doohan, Verschoor, and Iwasa. Doohan was the first to lose ground to Verschoor, followed by Vesti. Coming out of Turn 3, Verschoor pulled off a switchback move, overtaking Vesti for the lead at Turn 4.
Iwasa then overtook Vesti, setting up a thrilling final-lap battle between the Van Amersfoort Racing and DAMS drivers for victory. Verschoor defended his position when necessary and held on to secure a popular win in front of the enthusiastic Dutch fans. Iwasa crossed the finish line in an impressive second place after starting from 16th, while Vesti secured the final spot on the podium in third.
Doohan finished in fourth place, earning a valuable 12 points, and Bearman turned his weekend around with a strong fifth place finish. Fittipaldi had to settle for sixth place. Pourchaire, Jak Crawford, Victor Martins, and Jehan Daruvala completed the top ten, with Daruvala grabbing the last available point for MP Motorsport.
Richard Verschoor expressed his joy and excitement after the race, saying…
“Just won the race from P11. It was an amazing one, especially the last few laps were a good fight with Iwasa. It was super nice, also very happy for the team. I cannot wait to get to Silverstone next week.”
The Championship Standings after the F2 Feature Race
In the Drivers’ Championship, Frederik Vesti maintained his position at the top for the third consecutive round, extending his lead to 20 points. Théo Pourchaire remained in second place with 105 points, closely followed by Ayumu Iwasa, who closed the gap to just four points. Oliver Bearman continues to be the highest scoring rookie in fourth place with 81 points, while Richard Verschoor’s victory propelled him to fifth place with 75 points.
PREMA Racing surpassed the 200-point mark, establishing a significant lead of 43 points over ART Grand Prix, who currently sit in second place with 206 points. DAMS remained in third with 137 points, followed by Rodin Carlin in fourth with 105 points.
The action-packed Formula 2 season continues next weekend at the legendary Silverstone circuit from July 7-9. As the drivers head to the iconic British track, the competition is sure to heat up, and fans can expect more thrilling battles for victory and crucial points in the championship standings.
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