In the last race of the Formula 2 Championship, which took place in Imola, Franco Colapinto emerged as the winner. The Argentine driver secured his first victory in Formula 2, which is recognized as the official series for access to Formula 1. Colapinto started the Sprint race in third position on the grid and quickly overtook Amaury Cordeel to secure second place on the seventh lap.
The start of the race was chaotic, with several cars involved in incidents. Colapinto then focused his attention on the race leader, Paul Aron. He relentlessly pursued Aron and eventually managed to take the lead from the Estonian driver as they approached Tamburello on the final lap.
Aron expressed his disbelief over the team radio, exclaiming, “This can’t be legal.” However, the stewards took no action, leaving Aron to settle for second place.
“I am extremely happy to secure my first victory in Formula 2. This is a memorable day for me and for all the Argentinians who have supported me so far. I am incredibly proud of my team and grateful to everyone who has been by my side. Thank you to all the fans and let’s cheer for more victories in the upcoming races,” exclaimed the jubilant winner from Buenos Aires.
Zane Maloney, the current championship leader, secured third place on the podium. Cordeel, who started the race in third position, finished in fourth place. Oliver Bearman, a junior Ferrari driver, completed the top five.
In the main event held on Sunday, Isack Hadjar, a driver of Franco-Algerian descent and a member of the Red Bull junior team, secured his second consecutive victory in the main race. Gabriel Bortoletto from Brazil started the race in pole position, but was quickly overtaken by Oliver Bearman and Hadjar early on.
Hadjar was one of the first drivers to make a pit stop and switch from soft to hard tires. Unfortunately for Bearman, who had been the highlight of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in his debut, things went wrong during his pit stop. He faced not one, but two issues, which ended his hopes of securing a spot on the podium.
In the final stages of the race, Bortoletto fiercely challenged Hadjar, but couldn’t overtake him, finishing less than a second behind when the race ended.
Joshua Dürksen, from Paraguay, celebrated his first Formula 2 podium by securing third place. Andrea Antonell, also known as “Kimi” from Toto’s Wolfpack, finished in fourth place. Franco Colapinto, the winner of the Sprint race, completed the top five.
Zane Maloney, from Barbados, maintains his position as championship leader with a total of 68 points. Paul Aron holds the second position with 63 points. Hadjar, the race winner, currently sits in third place with 59 points.
Over an hour after the F2 race, I approached Hadjar to request an interview. He showed no interest in speaking to the press. When asked if he was part of Kimi Raikkonen’s program, he replied, “All drivers are the same, they have no desire to communicate with the press. They simply choose not to express it.”
During the official press conference, Hadjar shared his thoughts: “Honestly, it was the most challenging race of my career. I had a solid first stint following Oliver Bearman and felt the car was performing well. The pit stop was also smooth. From there, I was able to take the lead, but Gabriel was putting pressure on me.
“He was incredibly fast. He closed the gap, which was three seconds at one point. Then, I managed to open up a bit of an advantage, but I made a mistake. In the final laps, he was right behind me, so I had to defend. It’s great to be on top,” added Hadjar, who currently holds third place in the standings.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend marked the first time this season that the F3 cars were in action in Europe. After an exciting weekend in Italy, the top three drivers in the standings are separated by nine points as they prepare for the double round in Monaco.
During the first lap, yellow flags and the safety car were present after Mari Boya went off track. Mexican driver Noel Leon took the lead at Tamburello from second-placed Robert Kubica, Kacper Sztuka.
French driver Sami Meguetounif went off track after a slight collision with Australian driver Tommy Smith on lap 8. By lap 15, the top three drivers were closely grouped, with Leon leading two German drivers, Oliver Goethe and Tim Tramnitz. Championship leader Luke Browning went off track on lap 17 of 18, resulting in a virtual safety car (VSC).
On the final lap, at the end of the VSC, race leader Leon was overtaken by Goethe. However, the German driver was subsequently penalized with a 5-second penalty for not adhering to the minimum time during the safety car procedure.
After the race, the penalty was revoked, returning the race victory to Goethe. Some may consider this poetic justice. Leon was demoted to third place for weaving between turns 17 and 18 during a new safety car restart, promoting Tramnitz to second place.
The pilots of the Italian Trident team secured the top three positions on the grid for the main race. Mexican driver Santiago Ramos initially led the pack, but was overtaken by his teammate and local favorite Luca Fornaroli on the third lap.
However, Fornaroli’s lead was short-lived, as Oliver Goethe passed him on lap 6. By lap 12 of the 22-lap race, Goethe was in the lead, aiming for a German one-two finish. Sami Meguetounif held second place, followed by Ramos, Fornaroli, and Luke Browning.
Meguetounif made a decisive move on lap 18 to take the lead and secure his first victory in F3. Goethe finished in second place, while Fornaroli claimed the third spot on the podium.
Fornaroli’s impressive performance in securing a podium finish propelled him to the top of the championship standings with 52 points. Luke Browning, the reigning champion of the Macau Grand Prix, currently sits in second place with 49 points. Swedish driver Dino Beganovic and Sicilian driver Gabriele Mini are tied for third place, each with 45 points.
Reflecting on his victory, Meguetounif expressed his disbelief and joy: “It’s surreal. A year ago, I couldn’t imagine this. I will take the time on the way home to process this. Now, I’m on cloud nine. I will savor this moment with my team. There’s nothing like the smell of champagne in my racing suit.”
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The future of football is in good hands, as young talents continue to emerge. One of these talents is the young Brazilian player, Lucas Silva. At just 19 years old, he is already making an impact in the world of football.
Lucas Silva started his career in the youth categories of Flamengo and quickly caught the attention of scouts. His talent and skill with the ball led him to be promoted to the club’s first team. Since then, he has shown his potential and stood out in every match.
The young player is known for his speed and agility, making him a difficult opponent to mark. He also has excellent ball control and an impressive game vision. Lucas Silva is capable of creating goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates and also scoring goals himself.
In addition to his technical abilities, Lucas Silva is also known for his work ethic and determination. He is constantly striving to improve his game and become an even better player. His winning mentality and passion for football are inspiring to his teammates and fans.
Despite his young age, Lucas Silva has already attracted the interest of major European clubs. His impressive performance has caught the attention of scouts and coaches from around the world. It is only a matter of time before he makes the leap to a more prestigious league.
The future of Lucas Silva certainly looks bright. With his natural talent and dedication to the sport, he has everything to become one of the best football players of his generation. Football fans around the world are eager to see what he will do next.
