Richard Verschoor retains his victory after the collision with Arvid Lindblad

Although he crossed the finish line in first place, there was doubt about Richard Verschoor's victory in the sprint race. Formula 2 in Spain. The Dutchman, who won thanks to a successful strategy by returning to the pits to put on soft tires under safety car conditions, had experienced a hectic first part of the race.

On lap 14, he was closing in on Arvid Lindblad, the pole-sitter in the main race, when he attempted a DRS-assisted attack at turn one. The young Campos driver moved out to defend, and a second move in the braking zone forced Verschoor to bite the grass with two wheels. The MP Motorsport driver followed up his maneuver by diving down the inside onto Lindblad. Inevitable contact between the two sent the Campos into a spin, while Verschoor was able to restart without damage.

After the finish, the stewards assessed the situation, explaining that the contact did not require a penalty for Verschoor because of Lindblad's movement during braking.

"Car No. 6 (Verschoor) attempted to overtake car No. 4 (Lindblad) on the main straight. In defensive response, car No. 4 first moved towards the center of the track, then its driver straightened its trajectory for a few meters. After this maneuver, car No. 4 moved slightly to the right a second time, leaving a gap equivalent to the width of a car between it and the white line," the commissioners remind.

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No guilty party between Verschoor and Lindblad

“At the same time, car No. 6 placed two wheels on the grass at the edge of the track. As the surface changed from grass to concrete and back to grass, its car bounced several times around the 150-meter sign before Turn 1. As a result, cars No. 4 and No. 6 approached Turn 1 side by side. Around the apex of the corner, car No. 6 lost rear-end traction and collided with the rear of car No. 4. As a result of this collision, car No. 4 spun and came to a stop at Turn 1. The video footage confirms that when car No. 4 moved slightly to the right a second time, before the 150-meter sign, it was not braking. During the hearing, the driver of car No. 6 explained that he had lost complete control of his car as it bounced on the main straight, which explained his excessive speed entering the corner and the contact with car No. 4.

"After careful consideration of the facts, the Stewards considered that neither driver was wholly or primarily responsible for the collision. Therefore, the Stewards decided to take no further action in this matter," They conclude.

Richard Verschoor therefore retains his victory ahead of Alex Dunne and Rafael Villagómez, while Arvid Lindblad, 9th, will perhaps console himself on Sunday, where he will start from pole position.