Both the Indian drivers driving in Formula 2 and Formula 3 had promising weekends in Bahrain, as Jehan Daruvala scored a podium in the F2 Sprint race and Kush Maini finished P3 in qualifying. However, their weekends weren't as great as they'd hoped for.
Richard Verschoor dominated the F2 Sprint race in Bahrain. Starting 2nd on the grid, Verschoor capitalized on the poor getaway from pole sitter Felipe Drugovich - who dropped down to 6th at the start of the race - and quickly moved to the lead and move away from the pack. Daruvala confirmed his title challenge in the opening race of the season, where he started 4th and finished 2nd, just 2 seconds shy of Verschoor. He was challenged by Ralph Boschung at various stages of the race, but he held on to bring home the runner-up trophy. Boschung was later overtaken by Liam Lawson, who wrapped up the last podium place.
Also Read: F2: Jehan Daruvala Finishes Second In Opening Race Of The Season
Jehan Daruvala (Car No. 2) got a good start and was P2 before the first corner.
Photo Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited.
The F2 Feature race saw a lot of drama. Being the only race in the 2 junior categories to have a mandatory pitstop, the teams varied their strategies by either starting on hard tyres then moving to softs, or the other way around. Red Bull junior Juri Vips got an amazing start launching his Hitech car from 3rd on the grid into the lead, while also fending off Boschung who started in P5 but almost took the lead right at the start. Jack Doohan on the other hand, struggled to get away from the pole position and was 3rd after the opening corner. Later in the race however, Boschung went tumbling down the order, Vips had a very slow pitstop, and Doohan had his front wing get clipped by Theo Pourchaire, who went on to win the Feature race in a spectacular manner. Liam Lawson finished second in the race, as Juri Vips made a brilliant recovery to P3.
Trident's Richard Verschoor leading Ralph Boschung.
Photo Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited.
Ayumu Iwasa also showcased a stellar display of racing after climbing from last to first place, before making his pitstop. His race was cut short with a mechanical failure, taking away any points he could've scored. Jehan Daruvala had a poor start which saw him drop positions, while a late contact with Roy Nissany meant that he couldn't finish in the points.
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Kush Maini impressed everyone by qualifying in P3 - less than a tenth of a second behind pole - after spending over a year out of single seater race cars. He had his result taken away from him though, as he failed to stop at the weigh bridge which randomly calls any driver for a weight check during practice and qualifying sessions. This meant that he was disqualified from qualifying, and had to start from the pitlane, last in the 30 driver grid.
Kush Maini was disqualified from qualifying for failing to report to the weigh bridge when he was called.
Photo Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited.
Hitech's Isack Hadjar won the first F3 Sprint race of the season ahead of Prema's Ollie Bearman, who led the race for a long duration. MP Motorsport driver and Kush Maini's team mate Alex Smolyar wrapped up the podium. Maini also drove a great recovery drive, overtaking 15 cars to finish P15.
After grabbing pole position, Fanco Colapinto led the race in the initial stages, until his pace fizzled out and he dropped down to P5. ART Grand Prix drivers dominated the race, with Victor Martins grabbing the victory and Gregoire Saucy taking 3rd place. JM Correa finished 4th, and this finish gave the team the championship lead. Arthur Leclerc, brother of Ferrari's F1 driver and Bahrain GP winner Charles Leclerc, finished 2nd. Maini again drove a great recovery drive to reach 16th, before losing his position in an extremely close finish and eventually finishing 17th.
Victor Martins driving the no.7 ART GP FIA F3 car.
Photo Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited.
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Formula 2 Driver Standings After Round 1
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 25 |
| 2 | Liam Lawson | Carlin | 24 |
| 3 | Juri Vips | Hitech Grand Prix | 18 |
| 9 | Jehan Daruvala | Prema Racing | 8 |
Formula 2 Team Standings After Round 1
| Pos. | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlin | 33 |
| 2 | Hitech Grand Prix | 28 |
| 3 | ART Grand Prix | 25 |
| 7 | Prema Racing | 8 |
Formula 3 Driver Standings After Round 1
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix | 25 |
| 2 | Arthur Leclerc | Prema Racing | 24 |
| 3 | Oliver Bearman | Prema Racing | 17 |
| - | Kush Maini | MP Motorsport | 0 |
Formula 3 Team Standings After Round 1
| Pos. | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ART Grand Prix | 54 |
| 2 | Prema Racing | 47 |
| 3 | Hitech Grand Prix | 14 |
| 4 | MP Motorsport | 12 |
