Dutchman wins chaotic race in Qatar and cuts gap in the Standings
Richard Verschoor converted reverse-grid pole into victory at Lusail after a race filled with tyre swings, close-quarters battles, and two Safety Car interruptions.
At the start, Joshua Duerksen got the jump and took the lead as Verschoor slipped to second after a slow getaway. Behind them, Nikola Tsolov moved past Rafael Villagomez for P3, while the two Invicta teammates continued their internal fight, with Roman Stanek eventually emerging ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli for P7. Their squabbling allowed Alex Dunne to close onto the back of Sebastian Montoya in the battle for fifth.
Verschoor immediately came back at Duerksen, setting the fastest lap on Lap 3. By Lap 4 he had the grip advantage and retook the lead down the main straight. Duerksen continued to drop time, coming under pressure from Tsolov by Lap 6. Further back, tyre management began early, with the field settling into a controlled pace.
Montoya remained locked onto Villagómez’s gearbox for P4 while both closed in on Tsolov. Victor Martins slipped wide at Turn 1, losing positions to Jak Crawford, Dino Beganovic and Gabriele Mini. The first major incident came when the two Trident drivers collided into Turn 1, leaving James Wharton in the gravel and triggering a Safety Car on Lap 11.
Several drivers chose to pit under caution, Stanek, Oliver Goethe, Arvid Lindblad, Kush Maini, Luke Browning, John Bennett, and Cian Shields, as the field prepared for a restart on Lap 16. Maini then stopped on track, bringing a second Safety Car. At Lap 19 the Soft compound fell away, with the Hard runners gaining clear pace.
Shields spun and stopped, causing another regroup before a final one-lap sprint to the flag. On the last lap, Villagómez and Tsolov went wheel-to-wheel again, with the Bulgarian tumbling down the order as Montoya fought for the podium places.
Out front, Verschoor broke free and held on to take the Sprint Race victory, finishing ahead of Duerksen as the pack battled behind.
Formula 2 Qatar Sprint race results
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