Winner of the race Enzo Fittipaldi, from the Van Amersfoort Racing team, celebrates on the podium after the Feature Race in the FIA Formula 2 Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 9, 2024.
Fittipaldi secured his first victory in the F2 series Feature Race with an impressive double overtake at the end of the race. He comfortably crossed the finish line with a 7.8-second advantage, dedicating his triumph to his late uncle, Wilson Fittipaldi.
Starting from pole position, Kush Maini had a good start but lost his position after the first round of pit stops. He dropped to the middle of the pack but managed to fight back and return to second place with an incredible recovery.
Norwegian driver Dennis Hauger had a tough battle for third place, fighting against Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli. In an exciting final lap, Hauger managed to overtake two cars and secure third position.
Maini inherited the pole position from Oliver Bearman, who was replacing Carlos Sainz at the Ferrari team this Formula 1 weekend due to Sainz’s recovery from appendicitis surgery.
Ritomo Miyata received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for an unsafe pitlane release before the formation lap, while Taylor Barnard was forced to go to the pitlane after failing to get out of his grid position.
After losing his pole position in Bahrain due to a technical infringement, Maini made a perfect start from pole position, while chaos ensued behind him on the first lap.
Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli and Van Amersfoort Racing driver Fittipaldi gained a position on the first lap. However, Gabriel Bortoleto, driving for Invicta, retired from the race due to a technical issue after a slow start.
Roman Stanek had an unlucky weekend, as the Trident driver quickly got involved in an incident with Pepe Marti, causing both cars to retire from the race and the Safety Car to be deployed.
On the fourth lap, the Safety Car returned to the pits and Maini maintained his lead. However, the super soft tires, with which most of the grid started, began to wear out due to the colder temperature during the Safety Car period.
The DRS (Drag Reduction System) was activated on the fifth lap, with Jak Crawford closing in on Maini’s lead. The top four drivers started to open up a gap from the rest of the pack.
Isack Hadjar, from Campos Racing, battled for fourth position, managing to overtake Victor Martins on the seventh lap. Meanwhile, the race leader, guided by two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen, made an early pit stop to get ahead of Crawford, who was in second place.
The top three drivers made their pit stops simultaneously, but Crawford fell behind Antonelli due to lower tire temperatures. However, Crawford managed to overtake Antonelli at Turn 22 with the help of DRS. Antonelli briefly regained the position, but Crawford took it back after Antonelli went off track at Turn 1 on the eighth lap.
On the tenth lap, Juan Manuel Correa took the lead, opting for a later pit stop. Meanwhile, the Mercedes junior driver moved up to seventh position, overtaking Isack Hadjar from Red Bull at Turn 1. Miyata faced a delayed pit stop after serving a ten-second penalty, pushing him back in the race. On the other hand, Barnard chose the hard tire and aimed to complete the race without another pit stop after starting from the pitlane.
Fittipaldi made a bold move on the 13th lap, diving inside Maini to secure fourth place. Crawford closely followed in fifth and set the fastest lap. However, a touch from Franco Colapinto on the wall at Turn 27 caused him to spin into the wall at Turn 1 on the 16th lap, resulting in a loss of power and the deployment of the Safety Car.
During the Safety Car period, some drivers, including Amaury Cordeel and Barnard, decided to pit. However, race leader Correa entered and exited the pits without changing tires, hoping to extend the life of his medium tires for the final three laps. Correa quickly pulled away from the safety car, while Crawford found himself off track battling with Maini for fifth place.
Fittipaldi set the fastest lap on the 20th lap, taking advantage of the DRS zone towards the final corner. Correa faced pressure from Cordeel, who eventually overtook him, leaving Fittipaldi just half a second behind. In a daring move, Fittipaldi passed both Correa and Cordeel on the outside to take the lead on the 22nd lap and create a gap to the DRS pack.
The top six drivers formed a DRS pack led by Cordeel, while a four-car battle unfolded on the 24th lap for the second spot on the podium. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed on the 24th lap after Zak O’Sullivan spun and stopped in the middle of the track at Turn 2. Antonelli went off track at Turn 2 to avoid a collision with Hauger, allowing the race leader to extend his lead to almost five seconds. Finally, Correa pitted for soft tires with just three laps remaining.
Hauger overtook Antonelli for fifth place on the next lap, breaking away from the DRS pack behind Crawford. Maini moved up to second place, six seconds behind Fittipaldi, as he chased his first win in the Feature Race. In an exciting final lap, Hauger made a bold move around Cordeel on the last corner, securing the final spot on the podium by a tenth of a second.
Crawford also managed to pass Cordeel, claiming fourth place and pushing the Hitech driver down to fifth. Antonelli’s strong performance earned him a sixth place finish, while championship leader Zane Maloney settled for seventh after a relatively calm race. Richard Verschoor, Rafael Villagomez, and Victor Martins rounded out the top ten positions.
© 2024
Shocking events in the world of sports have left fans in disbelief. A renowned football player was caught up in a doping scandal that rocked the sports community. The player, whose name cannot be revealed for legal reasons, tested positive for drugs during an important match. This raised suspicions about the integrity of the sport and left many fans disappointed.
The player in question had an impeccable reputation and was considered one of the best in the world in his position. His talent and skill were undeniable, but now his career is tarnished by this incident. The news spread quickly and fans are divided in their opinions on the matter. Some believe the player should be permanently banned from the sport, while others argue that he deserves a second chance.
Sports authorities are investigating the case and promise to take strict action against the player if the use of prohibited substances is proven. The doping scandal is a reminder that no one is above the rules and that sports should be played fairly and cleanly.
Meanwhile, fans are wondering how this will affect the player’s future and the sport as a whole. The scandal will certainly have lasting consequences and may lead to changes in anti-doping policies. Fans are eager to see how this story will unfold in the coming days and weeks.
It is important to emphasize that the player still has the right to defend himself and present his version of the facts. Until the investigation is concluded, we cannot jump to conclusions. However, it is undeniable that the doping scandal has shaken the fans’ confidence and called into question the integrity of the sport.
As more information becomes available, we will continue to provide updates on this scandal on our website. Stay tuned for the latest news and analysis on this ever-evolving issue. The world of sports will never be the same after this shocking event.
