Formula 2 News: Arvid Lindblad converts pole into victory in Spain

Arvid Lindblad converted Pole Position into a maiden Formula 2 Feature Race victory, giving Campos Racing their first win on home soil in Barcelona.

The Briton was in brilliant form throughout, going off into the distance, before leading home PREMA Racing’s Sebastián Montoya in second and MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor in third, after a late Safety Car was withdrawn on the final lap.

AS IT HAPPENED

It was a great start for Lindblad, as he kept Montoya at bay on the run-down to Turn 1, while Kush Maini dropped from P3 to P12.

Verschoor was up two places to third, as home favorite Josep María Martí went on a charge, going round the outside of Joshua Duerksen at Turn 7 to claim sixth after starting in 11th.

From Lindblad in first to Duerksen in seventh, they had pulled away from Jak Crawford on the Hards, who was coming under attack from Alexander Dunne for P8 on Lap 3.

Onto Lap 5, and Leonardo Fornaroli came in to serve a 10-second stop and go penalty for a starting procedure infringement.

Duerksen, who had been putting Martí under pressure for sixth, was the first Option tire runner to pit for the Hards on Lap 7, while Lindblad had built a 2.6s lead over Montoya.

Verschoor in third and Luke Browning in fifth were the next to pit on Lap 9, and they came out in P16 and P17, just ahead of Duerksen.

Montoya was next in, and he returned to the track ahead of Verschoor, Browning and Duerksen, with the latter two battling for position going into Turn 1.

However, the AIX Racing driver took the position off track and was later given two five-second penalties, one for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, and another for not following the Race Director’s instructions.

Campos then called their drivers in, first Lindblad on Lap 14, and he managed to stay ahead of Montoya and Verschoor. Martí was in on the next tour, and the Spaniard managed to stay ahead of Duerksen and overcut Browning.

Onto Lap 17 of 37, and Ritomo Miyata was the last Soft tire runner to pit, putting Crawford into the lead on the Hard tire ahead of Dunne, and Oliver Goethe.

Lindblad had been picking his way through the drivers on old Hard tires, but after being held up by Gabriele Minì, Montoya reduced the gap from 2.6s to 1.5s in just one lap.

Behind them, Browning and Miyata collided as they went side-by-side into Turn 4 on Lap 22. The ART driver had to go through the gravel, while the former had to pit for a new front wing and was later given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision.

Crawford was the first Hard tire runner to pit for the Softs on Lap 23.

In the battle for what was effectively P4, Martí dived to the inside of Stanek at Turn 1, while up ahead, Verschoor was half a second back of Montoya.

Lindblad was back in the lead of the race as Dunne pitted for his Soft tires, coming back out in P12 on Lap 26.

Crawford was making his way through the field on his Softs, but as he looked to get past Duerksen for P8, the pair collided at Turn 3, although they were able to continue on.

The DAMS driver was up to sixth on Lap 29 after overtaking Maini and Stanek, while Dunne’s dive to the inside of Miyata at Turn 5 put him up to ninth.

In the battle for the podium places, Crawford had closed to within 1.3s of Montoya and Verschoor, while Dunne was up to fifth after a move on Martí at Turn 10 on Lap 33.

Crawford had DRS on Verschoor on Lap 35, but as they went past Turn 3, they drove by a slow moving Fornaroli. The Invicta Racing driver came to a halt in the gravel, bringing out the Safety Car.

With the Invicta not clear in time to go back racing, the Feature ended as the Safety Car was withdrawn on the final lap and Lindblad crossed the line to claim his second victory of the season.

Montoya was second and Verschoor third, with Crawford and Dunne’s late charge seeing them into fourth and fifth respectively, while Martí ended up in P6.

Maini was seventh, ahead of the ART pairing of Martins and Miyata, with Minì rounding out the points in 10th.

KEY QUOTE – Arvid Lindblad, Campos Racing

“Just won the Feature Race here in Barcelona, absolutely over the moon, amazing weekend and I am really grateful to the team.”

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Alexander Dunne retains his lead in the Drivers’ Championship on 87 points, with Richard Verschoor now up to second on 84 points. Arvid Lindblad’s victory puts him in third on 79 points, six ahead of Jak Crawford and Luke Browning in fourth and fifth.

Campos Racing now take the lead of the Teams’ Standings with 126 points, with Hitech TGR dropping to second, 26 points behind the Spanish outfit. MP Motorsport are third on 96, two points clear of DAMS Lucas Oil, with Rodin Motorsport fifth on 89 points.

Barcelona Feature Race Results – 37 Laps