Richard Verschoor claimed victory in the Formula 2 feature race in Austria after gambling on slick tyres as the circuit dried.
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Although the track had been drying during the earlier Formula 3 race, most drivers began on wet tyres. A few, however, chose differently: Verschoor, Jehan Daruvala and Roberto Merhi started on slicks and that decision paid off over the 40-lap contest.
On lap two Marcus Armstrong crashed on the inside of turn three, bringing out the Safety Car until lap five. The restart forced drivers to contend with a surface that was clearly evolving and no longer suited to full-wet tyres. By lap seven, as the circuit continued to dry, Verschoor had taken the lead while many competitors on wets were already heading to the pits.
Daruvala, who pitted from second place as the first of the slick-starting drivers to stop, managed to retain the position but trailed Verschoor by around three and a half seconds a few laps later.
A clash at turn three between Frederik Vesti and Olli Caldwell was investigated by the stewards, who determined Vesti had left the track and gained an advantage. Vesti was later handed a five-second penalty.
After a sprint race on Saturday that featured several penalties for exceeding track limits, Sunday’s feature race was mostly straightforward until late in the event. Jack Doohan, Calan Williams and Liam Lawson each received five-second penalties for track limits breaches.
Out front, Verschoor built a commanding lead, stretching it to nearly eight seconds by lap 36. Behind him, Merhi closed on Daruvala and brought himself into DRS range. Merhi moved past Daruvala on the final lap on track, but a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits dropped him off the podium on his return to the series.
Lawson picked up an additional ten-second penalty on top of an earlier five-second penalty. With Merhi penalised, Daruvala was promoted back to second and Logan Sargeant moved onto the podium. Verschoor took the chequered flag first, with Merhi and Daruvala crossing the line behind him on track.
After the race Verschoor pulled to the side of the circuit and reported, “I don’t think I can bring it home,” suggesting his car required attention. Merhi was classified fifth after the penalty, elevating Sargeant to third.
Olli Caldwell, who narrowly avoided a race ban following incidents in the sprint race, picked up his first Formula 2 point by finishing tenth. Felipe Drugovich remains the championship leader, holding a 40-point advantage over Theo Pourchaire.
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Formula 2 Austria race two results
| Position | Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Richard Verschoor |
| 2 | 2 | Jehan Daruvala |
| 3 | 6 | Logan Sargeant |
| 4 | 22 | Enzo Fittipaldi |
| 5 | 15 | Roberto Mehri |
| 6 | 1 | Dennis Hauger |
| 7 | 24 | Jake Hughes |
| 8 | 14 | Olli Caldwell |
| 9 | 17 | Ayumu Iwasa |
| 10 | 8 | Juri Vips |
| 11 | 16 | Roy Nissany |
| 12 | 5 | Liam Lawson |
| 13 | 11 | Felipe Drugovich |
| 14 | 10 | Theo Pourchaire |
| 15 | 9 | Frederik Vesti |
| 16 | 21 | Calan Williams |
| 17 | 4 | Marino Sato |
| 18 | 12 | Clement Novalak |
| 19 | 25 | Amaury Cordeel |
| 20 | 3 | Jack Doohan |
| DNF | 23 | Cem Bolukbasi |
| DNF | Marcus Armstrong |
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