Qatar – Main Race: First win of the season for Martins, Fornaroli crowned champion

On this Sunday afternoon, strategy proved paramount in gaining an advantage in the main race. Formula 2 Victor Martins, winner here in Qatar, made a much better start than Leonardo Fornaroli, despite the latter starting from pole position. Leading from the first straight, the Frenchman then benefited from a pace once again superior to that of his rivals, simply managing his position from the front of the pack. After spending a considerable amount of time in seventh place due to the various tactical maneuvers attempted here and there, the ART Grand Prix driver opted to pit on lap 8, one lap later than Fornaroli, Donne, Montoya, and Verschoor, among others.

Patient and able to keep Leonardo Fornaroli behind him in the closing laps, Victor Martins was ultimately untroubled, although he didn't really influence the title race. The Italian, who finished second, opted for a simple strategy, switching between the soft and hardest Pirelli tires, primarily benefiting from the misfortunes of his rivals in the pack. Jak Crawford started from 15th and needed to finish 5th to keep his title hopes alive (he ultimately finished 11th), while Richard Verschoor was aiming for a podium finish in Qatar. The Dutchman, who finished 6th, also failed to achieve this goal.

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Fornaroli has to settle for 2nd place; Hitech's plan doesn't work.

By opting for a strategic shift, starting on hard tires and switching to mediums mid-race, Dino Beganovic, Arvid Lindblad, and Luke Browning, among others, were not rewarded. While their pace seemed to suggest a winning gamble, all these drivers suffered from Oliver Goethe's forced pit stop on lap 15. Suffering from a burning exhaust, the German brought out the safety car at a point when it was still too early to stop.

Arvid Lindblad complied nonetheless, finishing fourth in the main race in Qatar. The other competitors were then caught out by this detail. Delaying their pit stops as long as possible, Beganovic and Browning made their tire changes on laps 28 and 30, respectively, finishing the race in ninth and tenth place. With a bit more luck, the podium would have been within reach for the Hitech drivers.

In the end, Leonardo Fornaroli did indeed take the title, a year after the one he won in Formula 3 in Abu Dhabi. The Invicta driver, who hadn't won a single race for over three seasons, seems to have made a significant breakthrough this year, and at the wheel of a car particularly competitive. Victor Martins, for his part, secured his third F2 victory, one race away from closing the chapter on the junior categories in his young career.

More information coming soon ...

F2 – Qatar (Losail)
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