Formula 2’s first visit to the Madring delivered plenty of drama across the weekend.
Three red flags interrupted qualifying before two unpredictable races around the new circuit. For some drivers, Madrid became one of their strongest weekends of the season. For others, it was an opportunity they will want to forget. Here are the winners and losers from Formula 2’s inaugural Madrid weekend.
WINNERS
Dino Beganovic
Few drivers could leave Madrid happier than Dino Beganovic. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver immediately showed his pace during Friday’s qualifying session. Beganovic eventually secured pole with a 1:44.331, beating Alexander Dunne and Rafael Câmara. That put the Swede in the perfect position for Sunday’s Feature Race.
Beganovic converted pole into victory and led every lap around the Madring. Even when Dunne began reducing the gap behind, Beganovic had an answer. He responded by increasing his pace and eventually crossed the line 7.3 seconds clear.
The result completed a near-perfect weekend for the DAMS driver. After a difficult weekend in Monza, Madrid provided the perfect response. Pole position and a dominant Feature Race victory made Beganovic one of the weekend’s clear winners.
Ritomo Miyata
Madrid may prove to be a turning point in Ritomo Miyata’s Formula 2 season. The Hitech driver started Saturday’s Sprint Race from second alongside Emerson Fittipaldi. A strong launch allowed Miyata to take the lead before Turn 1.
From there, he controlled the race through two Safety Car restarts. Miyata eventually crossed the line 2.6 seconds clear to secure his maiden Formula 2 victory.
“Finally we won a race because we have struggled during the season,” Miyata said afterwards.
However, his weekend did not end there. Miyata backed up Saturday’s victory with third place in Sunday’s Feature Race. It gave the Japanese driver two podiums from two races around the Madring. After waiting for his first Formula 2 victory, Miyata leaves Madrid with his strongest weekend yet.
Alexander Dunne
Alexander Dunne did not win in Madrid, but consistency made him another major beneficiary. The Rodin Motorsport driver qualified second alongside Beganovic for Sunday’s Feature Race. He also worked his way into the points during Saturday’s Sprint Race, finishing seventh.
Sunday provided the bigger reward. Dunne retained second at the start and remained Beganovic’s closest challenger throughout the race. He reduced the gap to around one second during the closing stages.
However, Beganovic responded and Dunne ultimately had to settle for second. The result still delivered another valuable haul for the Irishman. With three rounds remaining, Madrid helped keep Dunne among the leading Championship contenders.
Emerson Fittipaldi
Madrid marked another important step forward in Emerson Fittipaldi’s rookie Formula 2 season. The AIX Racing driver started the weekend with his best qualifying result in the Championship. Fittipaldi secured 10th despite three red flags and an earlier lap deletion. That result handed him reverse-grid pole for Saturday’s Sprint Race.
The Brazilian believed Madrid’s unfamiliarity also worked in his favour. Most circuits have been new to Fittipaldi this season. Many of his rivals have arrived with previous experience. However, nobody arrived at the Madring with previous racing experience.
“Because no one’s been here before, I think that really helped level things out,” he said after qualifying.
Fittipaldi took advantage of the opportunity. Although Miyata beat him off the line, Fittipaldi remained second throughout the Sprint Race. He then resisted late pressure from Laurens van Hoepen to secure his maiden Formula 2 podium.
“It feels great to be on the podium in Formula 2 in my rookie season,” Fittipaldi said.
From a season-best qualifying result to his first podium, Madrid showed clear progress for the AIX rookie.
LOSERS
Nikola Tsolov
Madrid could have been an important weekend for Championship leader Nikola Tsolov. Instead, he leaves Spain without adding a single point.
Tsolov’s Sprint Race ended after contact with the wall sent him spinning into retirement. Sunday initially offered another opportunity. The Campos Racing driver started fifth and was the highest-placed driver beginning on the Hard tyre.
However, the race gradually slipped away from him. Tsolov lost several positions during the closing stages and eventually finished outside the points. Remarkably, he still leaves Madrid leading the Championship on 177 points.
However, his advantage over Rafael Câmara has been significantly reduced. With three rounds remaining, a pointless Madrid weekend could prove costly.
Rafael Câmara
Rafael Câmara had an opportunity to significantly reduce Tsolov’s Championship advantage. He ultimately leaves Madrid having only partially capitalised. The Invicta Racing driver qualified third and finished sixth in Saturday’s Sprint Race. With Tsolov retiring, those points already helped reduce the Championship gap.
Sunday offered an even bigger opportunity. Câmara started third and spent the opening stages fighting among the leading group. However, contact with Oliver Goethe changed his afternoon.
The incident sent Goethe into the barrier, while Câmara received a 10-second penalty. That penalty eventually dropped him to 10th in the final classification. Câmara still leaves Madrid significantly closer to Tsolov in the Championship. But with his main rival scoring nothing, Madrid could have delivered considerably more.
Kush Maini
Very little went right for Kush Maini in Madrid. His problems began during qualifying when he spun and hit the wall. The incident caused the first of three red flags during the session. Maini failed to set a representative time and required permission to start both races.
Saturday then brought further trouble. The ART Grand Prix driver collided with Nico Varrone during the Sprint Race. Stewards found Maini wholly responsible for the incident and handed him a 10-second penalty. As he failed to finish, that became a five-place grid drop for Sunday’s Feature Race.
His Feature Race then lasted only a handful of laps. Maini made contact with Cian Shields before ending up in the barrier at Turn 18. The incident brought out the first Safety Car and ended another difficult race early.
From qualifying onwards, Madrid became a weekend Maini will want to quickly move past.
Colton Herta
Colton Herta’s Madrid weekend was effectively over before either race began. The Hitech driver crashed at Turn 19 during the closing stages of qualifying.
He was then absent from Saturday’s Sprint Race after feeling unwell. Hitech later confirmed Herta would also withdraw from Sunday’s Feature Race. It meant the American completed neither race during Formula 2’s inaugural visit to Madrid.
His teammate’s results made the contrast particularly striking. While Miyata collected a victory and another podium, Herta never got the opportunity to race. It was an unfortunate end to a weekend that never truly got started.
Feature Image Credit: Formula 2