F2: Hubert clings onto Monaco Sprint Race victory

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Rhonan Colquhoun
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Anthoine Hubert after winning the Formula 2 Sprint Race at Monaco earlier this year. Image sourced from @AnthoineH via Twitter

BWT’s Anthoine Hubert narrowly won the Formula 2 Sprint Race from the Carlin of Louis Deletraz and Uni-Virtuosi’s Guanyu Zhou.

Feature Race Aftermath

Luca Ghiotto’s disqualification from the Formula 2 Feature Race, has dented the Italian’s title charge. Image sourced from @remco_v_eldik via Twitter

After yesterday’s Feature Race, Luca Ghiotto was dis-qualified from the race result due to a steering rack issue.

Elsewhere, the Red Flag conditions caused by the incident between Mick Schumacher Tatiana Calderon, caused confusion amongst the stewards.

Although the cars were correctly assembled in the right order during the stoppage, drivers from ninth downwards lost a lap on the race leaders. The regulations stated that these drivers should have been allowed to unlap themselves, but this did not occur.

Since then, the stewards apologised and admitted to the error. However, some have raised concerns over the potential implications this could have on the championship at the end of the year.

More Monaco Madness as Hubert Leads

Hubert started on Reverse Grid Pole ahead of Deletraz, followed by MP’s Artem Markelov, Zhou and Campos’ Dorian Boccolacci. Hubert kept his lead into Turn 1, as Zhou overtook Markelov for third after the Russian’s slow start.

Behind them, Mahaveer Ragunathan received a ten-second time penalty for corner cutting, Jack Aitken moved up to 13th place.

On Lap 3, Calderon found herself in the barrier at Mirabeau, after Ghiotto tried to overtake  down the inside. Unsighted, the Colombian turned into the corner and caused contact between the two.

This brought out the Safety Car and diminished Hubert’s healthy lead at the front. The racing resumed on Lap 5, as Hubert was once again able to pull clear of the chasing pack.

On Lap 7, Ghiotto and Raghunathan clashed at the Lowes hairpin. A late manoeuvre by the Ferrari academy caught Raghunathan by surprise and contact was made. After a second Safety Car appearance, Hubert maintained his race lead.

The field stayed calm until Lap 19, when Trident’s Giuliano Alesi found himself against the flow of traffic. Whilst braking for the Nouvelle Chicane, Alesi was hit from behind by from Sean Gelael.

Earlier on the lap, he recieved further contact from Gelael at the Lowes hairpin. Despite the incident, the marshals recovered the car without a Safety Car.

Hubert Wins by the Skin of his Teeth

With ten laps to go, Hubert was closely followed by Deletraz and Zhou and was put under pressure for the remainder of the race.

After Hubert got a poor exit on the final lap at Anthony Noghes, Deletraz drafted alongside him as they approached the finish line. However, Hubert held on to claim the win, by just  0.059 seconds.

Zhou rounded-out the podium in third, while Markelov finished in fourth place. Boccolacci claim fifth ahead of Sergio Sette Camara. Feature Race winner Nyck De Vries took seventh, with Nikita Mazepin, Nobuharu Matsushita and Nicholas Latifi also in the top ten.

After a difficult weekend, Latifi still leads the Formula 2 championship, but De Vries is only one point behind.

Latifi still holds onto the championship lead with 95 points – one clear of De Vries in 2nd. Ghiotto’s disqualification in the feature race leaves him in third, ahead of Aitken and Zhou.

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