Richard Verschoor claims victory in the Sprint F2 race in Hungary! Kimi Antonelli leads for half the race before his tire fails him.
Verschoor! The Dutch national anthem plays in Budapest as Richard Verschoor WINS the Sprint, taking a well-deserved win during a tough period in his career! The Dutch driver managed his race well, initially sitting 2nd behind Antonelli before taking the lead. Maini and Martins complete the podium.
Disappointment for Kimi Antonelli: A brilliant start saw him climb from 4th to 1st, but multiple lock-ups on the front left tire forced him to pit, ending his race hopes despite a strong recovery with fresh tires. The top-8 finishers include Hadjar, Hauger, Colapinto, Aron (tomorrow’s pole sitter), and Barnard.
Sprint Race Recap
THE START – Maloney stalls on the formation lap, starting 22nd. Kimi Antonelli’s brilliant start propels him from 4th to 2nd, trailing Verschoor (whom he overtakes by lap 4). Bearman also makes a good start, climbing to 9th.
Antonelli also secures the fastest lap: by lap 6, he’s already built a two-second lead over the pack, showcasing an incredible start to the race. However, a lock-up at the start strains his tires: Verschoor and Maini, on hard tires, gradually close the gap, reaching the Italian by lap 13.
From here, a series of lock-ups plague Kimi: a crucial mistake on lap 17, where he over-pressures the brakes and runs wide, hands the lead to Verschoor, followed by Maini and Martins. Kimi drops to fourth. This is just the beginning of Antonelli’s decline:
by lap 18, he is forced to pit due to the severely worn tire from the repeated lock-ups, dropping to last place. Bortoleto also pits, while the front runners remain Verschoor-Maini-Martins.
A puncture late in the race forces Enzo Fittipaldi to retire.
Photo: Formula 2
