In an exhilarating display of skill and strategy, Richard Verschoor clinched victory in the main race of the 12th round of the 2024 Formula 2 season on Sunday, September 15. Held at the iconic street circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan, this race saw the Trident driver start from pole position, briefly lose the lead to Victor Martins, but ultimately reclaim first place after the pit stops to secure a memorable win.
Race Highlights and Standings
Victor Martins, driving for ART Grand Prix, finished in a strong second place. Despite leading for a portion of the race, Martins was overtaken by Verschoor following the pit stops. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, representing Prema, rounded out the podium in third. Gabriel Bortoleto, driving for Invicta, came in fourth and, with this result, took the lead in the championship standings. Joshua Durksen, who secured victory in Saturday’s race for AIX, completed the top five.
Paul Aron of Hitech finished in sixth place, followed by ART Grand Prix’s Luke Browning in seventh. Jak Crawford, also from Hitech, took eighth place, with Dennis Hauger of MP Motorsport finishing ninth. Christian Mansell, Verschoor’s teammate at Trident, rounded out the top ten.
Brazilian driver Enzo Fittipaldi finished 11th for Van Amersfoort after starting from 15th position. Isack Hadjar, who entered the Baku race as the championship leader, struggled to 14th place with his Campos Racing car.
Major Incident and Race Resumption
The race was marred by a significant incident at the start. Kush Maini’s car stalled on the track, leading to a collision with Oliver Goethe, who overturned, and Josep María Martí. The red flag was waved to clear the debris and ensure the safety of the drivers. Niels Koolen and Rafael Villagómez also retired from the race. Fortunately, all drivers involved were unharmed, and after a lengthy delay, the race resumed with 38 minutes of racing time.
The event concluded under a Safety Car following a crash involving Gabriele Mini of Prema. Mini, who was making his Formula 2 debut after finishing as the runner-up in Formula 3 two weeks prior in Italy, crashed into the wall, ending the race prematurely.
Points and Upcoming Schedule
Due to only 17 of the initially scheduled 29 laps being completed, the drivers received reduced points. Verschoor earned 19 points for his victory, instead of the standard 25 points awarded for races where more than 75% of the laps are completed.
With the Baku race behind them, the Formula 2 season now takes a break. The championship will resume with the Qatar round at the Lusail circuit on November 30 and December 1.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights as the 2024 Formula 2 season continues to unfold!