Ghiotto wins Hungary F2 Sprint Race

Luca Ghiotto
Luca Ghiotto hung on by just 0.423 sec.

Italian Luca Ghiotto clinched first in the Sprint Race, for his maiden Formula 2 win of the campaign, but it was strategy which once again dominated the day in Budapest, as the field struggled with tire degradation.

The Italian was one of just two drivers not to change their rubber and he hung on to the win ahead of reverse polesitter Callum Ilott, who had pitted from first and narrowly failed in his attempts to catch up with the Hitech racer.

Mick Schumacher took his second podium in a row, and his third at the Hungaroring in F2 to get his title bid underway, after a difficult opening two rounds.

Robert Shwartzman followed up his stunning Feature Race win yesterday with a strong fourth place, ahead of Nikita Mazepin, who enjoyed his best weekend in F2.

AS IT HAPPENED

Mick Schumacher 3rd again
Mick Schumacher 3rd again 11.7 sec behind

Ilott pulled away at the race start as Ghiotto and Louis Deletraz went side-side at the first turn, with the Italian coming out on top. Mazepin and Dan Ticktum enjoyed excellent starts and fired into fourth and fifth.

By the end of the first lap, the fast-starting Ilott had increased his margin at the front to a solid 3.6s, although the trailing pack remained very convoluted. Having enjoyed such a strong start, Ticktum fell down the order following mechanical issues. The DAMS driver returned to the pits for a fix, and did manage to get back out, but five laps behind.

Schumacher was lighting up the timing screens as he went to work dispatching of Mazepin and Deletraz to provisionally get onto the podium again. His teammate Shwartzman had gotten up to fifth

himself, but warned his team over radio that his front left tire was degrading badly.

The rest of the field were enduring the same struggles with their rubber and Deletraz was the first to dive into the pits and change tire. Schumacher and Ilott made the same decision and dove in for a change in successive laps.

All bar Ghiotto and Giuliano Alesi made the same choice, leaving the duo out in front, desperately trying to preserve their rubber. Shwartzman eyed up Mazepin on his return to the track, his first attempt was down the left, his next was down the right, before Mazepin went wide and allowed the PREMA driver to make the overtake stick.

Ilott was in hot pursuit of Ghiotto from third, setting a lap 5s faster than the Italian, but with a 34s gap between them. The Briton got ahead of Alesi for P2 with relative ease, and the Frenchman started to fall down the order, as his gamble to avoid a pitstop failed to pay off.

Schumacher was amongst those to benefit from Alesi’s struggles, getting ahead of the BAT HWA RACELAB driver, and Deletraz, in one swift move, throwing his car up the inside of Turn 14.

Ilott had closed the gap down to 12s with two laps to go, but was only lapping 4s faster than Ghiotto and quickly running out of time. He increased his speed, but the win was looking more and more unlikely.

The UNI-Virtuosi driver managed to get within DRS range on the final lap, with Ghiotto struggling to find any form of grip, and sliding all over the road. Their battle came down to the final straight, but Ghiotto managed to cling on and cross the line in first, a car-length ahead.

Schumacher claimed his second podium in a row with third, ahead of Shwartzman and Mazepin. Deletraz, Jehan Daruvala and Guanyu Zhou took the final points’ positions.

Shwartzman’s strong weekend increased his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship to 81 points, ahead of Ilott on 63. Lundgaard is third with 43, ahead of Schumacher and Ticktum. In the Teams’ Championship, PREMA lead on 120 points, ahead of UNI-Virtuosi and ART Grand Prix.

Hitech Grand Prix are fourth, ahead of DAMS.

KEY QUOTE – LUCA GHIOTTO (HITECH GRAND PRIX)

“I am in the press conference room for the second time this weekend, this time for P1, and I am super happy. It was an amazing race today, but a tough one, and it was very close at the end with Callum Ilott.

“I was one of only two cars who decided not to stop. It was a big gamble. We had to push and just manage the tires as best we could. It just about worked out, and after a bad start to the season, we needed this weekend. Fourth yesterday and first today, the team done a mega job and I am super happy."

Results

POS NO DRIVER TEAM LAPS BEHIND GAP
1 25 Luca GHIOTTO Hitech Grand Prix 28 0.000s 0.000s
2 4 Callum ILOTT UNI-Virtuosi 28 0.423 0.423
3 20 Mick SCHUMACHER PREMA Racing 28 11.762 11.339
4 21 Robert SHWARTZMAN PREMA Racing 28 13.818 2.056
5 24 Nikita MAZEPIN Hitech Grand Prix 28 15.152 1.334
6 11 Louis DELETRAZ Charouz Racing System 28 23.451 8.299
7 8 Jehan DARUVALA Carlin 28 23.831 0.380
8 3 Guanyu ZHOU UNI-Virtuosi 28 32.230 8.399
9 5 Marcus ARMSTRONG ART Grand Prix 28 34.275 2.045
10 17 Giuliano ALESI BWT HWA RACELAB 28 39.283 5.008
11 14 Nobuharu MATSUSHITA MP Motorsport 28 42.731 3.448
12 1 Sean GELAEL DAMS 28 44.953 2.222
13 6 Christian LUNDGAARD ART Grand Prix 28 46.926 1.973
14 16 Artem MARKELOV BWT HWA RACELAB 28 51.733 4.807
15 12 Pedro PIQUET Charouz Racing System 28 52.231 0.498
16 15 Felipe DRUGOVICH MP Motorsport 28 55.890 3.659
17 22 Roy NISSANY Trident 28 64.365 8.475
18 7 Yuki TSUNODA Carlin 28 73.806 9.441
19 9 Jack AITKEN Campos Racing 28 75.656 1.850
20 23 Marino SATO Trident 28 83.059 7.403
21 10 Guilherme SAMAIA Campos Racing 27 1 LAP 1 LAP
DNF 2 Dan Ticknam DAMS 23 5 LAPS 5 Laps

5 Laps