Ghiotto clinches late win in F2 Sprint Race

Luca Ghiotto won the Formula 2 Sprint Race in dramatic fashion today to cap the opening round of the series’ 2019 season, held in support of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. 

After leading early on in the 23-lap race, Ghiotto dropped all the way to 14th as he emerged from a pit stop on lap 13 with fresh tyres in his UNI-Virtuosi challenger.

But the Italian masterfully fought his way back to the front and re-captured the lead on the penultimate lap after passing DAMS rival Sergio Sette Camara. Earlier, he overtook Feature Race winner Nicholas Latifi in the other DAMS car to go into second position.

All three drivers finished in the top thee, forming a similar podium from the one that appeared for the Feature Race on Saturday. Ghiotto was in second place from that event, but this time he was able to claim the sensational victory in a time of 42m 36.192s.

Sette Camara had to settle for second place 5.4s behind Ghiotto, while Latifi this time was third 6.8s back.

Earlier in the 23-lap sprint, pole-sitter Mick Schumacher of Prema Racing got away with a clean start, but he didn’t hold on to the lead very long as Sette Camara took over for a few laps.

As the race went on, Ghiotto eventually made his way to the front before pitting.

Ghiotto’s UNI-Virtuosi teammate Guanyu Zhou (+18.2s) finished fourth, Carlin’s Louis Deletraz (+21.9s) was fifth, Schumacher (+24.6s) came sixth while ART Grand Prix’s Nyck De Vries (+25.1s) and MP Motorsport’s Jordan King (+25.5s) completed the top eight.

The second round of the Formula 2 season takes place in Baku from April 26 to 28.