Nyck de Vries opens his 2019 counter in Barcelona

First success in 2019 in FIA F2 for Nyck de Vries (ART Grand Prix), after his victory this Sunday morning in a sprint race in Barcelona.

However, it is Anthoine Hubert (Arden) who leads the start by taking an excellent start from the second row and taking control of the race followed by Nyck de Vries (ART Grand Prix).

Pole sitter Callum Ilott (Sauber Junior Team by Charouz) and Jordan King (MP Motorsport), second on the grid, drop to third and fourth.

The safety car is deployed on the first lap following the start of a fire on the car by Nobuharu Matsushita (Pug). Time to evacuate the car, the Safety Car returns at the end of the 4th lap and frees the peloton. Hubert is quickly put under pressure by de Vries, but the Frenchman resists the Dutchman's attack well when braking for the first corner.

Hubert, however, had to lose at the start of the 8th lap against the attack of the ART Grand Prix resident, well helped by the DRS, who took control of the race as he entered the first corner. The Frenchman then gave way three laps later to Callum Ilott, still at the same first braking.

Luca Ghiotto (Uni-Virtuosi), unhappy yesterday, then passed Hubert on the 17th lap, the Frenchman losing the podium. The positions freeze until the last lap where Ghiotto finally finds the opening on Ilott for second place, when Zhou gets rid of Hubert.

LAP 26 / 26

What an action-packed final lap that was

– Ghiotto gets through past Ilott for P2
– Zhou gets past Hubert for fourth
- Schumacher gets a 5s penalty after contact with Aitken#SpanishGP  #F2 pic.twitter.com/VgPYY92Czl

- Formula 2 (@ FIA_F2) May 12, 2019

De Vries therefore won ahead of Ghiotto and Ilott, who took his first podium. The top 5 is completed by Zhou and Hubert. The championship leader Nicholas latifi (DAMS), winner in the main race yesterday, takes the points for 6th place.

Eighth under the checkered flag, Mick Schumacher (Prema) was penalized 5″ on his race time for not having rejoined the track safely on the last lap, after a fight with Jack Aitken (Campos Racing). Giuliano Alesi (Trident) finished 16th.

 TOP TEN (End of race)

De Vries
Greedy
ilott
Zhou
Hubert
Latifs
King
aitken
Gelael
Embankment#SpanishGP  #F2 pic.twitter.com/13JguMvUQl

- Formula 2 (@ FIA_F2) May 12, 2019

Discover the full report of the Barcelona FIA F2 event, in issue 2216 of AUTOhebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.