A masterful performance from Jack Doohan saw him convert a pole position start into a Formula 2 sprint race win in Hungary, his second race win of the season. The Aussie was joined on the podium by Juri Vips in P2 and Enzo Fittipaldi in P3 who both finished over five-seconds behind.
Jack Doohan’s dominant drive left him relatively unchallenged throughout the race. Starting on pole he briefly lost out to Enzo Fittipaldi however when the Brazilian ran wide at turn 2, Doohan returned to the lead of the pack. Even with the added challenge of controlling a safety car restart, the Virtuosi driver immediately stretched out a gap of over a second leaving Vips and Fittipaldi to battle it out behind. Crossing the chequered flag, Doohan had gained a very comfortable five-second lead from Vips in P2.
“I’m happy with the win. Obviously, it’s only a Sprint Race, but I think we managed it very well. I feel a little bit more deserving of it due to that…it’s good to know I’ve made progress in my development of tyre management and also becoming more at one with the Virtuosi car, and it’s good knowing that we have a strong race package now as well.”
Jack Doohan in the post-race press conference
Juri Vips ran a quiet yet consistent race. Jumping from P5 to P2 within the first lap, he held onto his position throughout the race resisting challenges from Fittipaldi behind and being unable to get near enough to Doohan to execute an overtake.
“I think we managed it quite well, also we were on the correct starting map and so well done to them. That’s what made our race today.”
Juri Vips in the post-race press conference
Getting a great start off the line, Enzo Fittipaldi initially got the better of Jack Doohan and took the lead of the race. That was until he ran wide at turn 2, rejoining the pack in P3 which he managed to hold onto across the line. Bob Vavrik, team principle of Charouz Racing, has commended Fittipaldi for his recent performances in an interview this week, and Saturday’s sprint race was yet another showcase of his talent and growing maturity.
“We are good together. He’s a very nice person and he’s doing everything we teach him. He’s grown up more. If there’s something not perfect, then we work on it together. He’s part of the team and it’s a real team effort.”
Post-race penalties
Saturday’s sprint race was one to forget for Richard Verschoor, and his woes continued even after the chequered flag. During the race, Verschoor was given both a five and a 10-second time penalty. He entered the pits with the intention of serving his penalties however the stewards judged that the 10-second penalty was not served correctly. Viewing it as a breach of penalty procedures, the Trident driver was given a retrospective 20-second time penalty dropping him further from P16 to P18.
How the championships stand
Saturday’s sprint race win took Jack Doohan into the top 5 of the drivers’ champisonship, the Aussie now moves six points clear from Liam Lawson in P6. A second-place finish for Juri Vips has seen him climb two places in the championship up to P10. He is currently level on points with DAMS’ Ayumu Iwasa on 75 points, just 8 behind Frederik Vesti.
The constructors’ standings remain largely the same following Saturday’s sprint race. A win from Jack Doohan saw Virtuosi Racing take P6 in the constructors’ championship from DAMS though the two teams are separated by a single point.