Qualifying
Victor spent the entire session chasing pole position before eventually finishing in 3rd, securing his 8th top 10 finish from 12 qualifying sessions.
Luke finished his first ever F2 qualifying session in a very impressive 11th place, just missing out on the opportunity to start from the Sprint pole by just a few hundredths of a second.
Sprint Race
Victor methodically climbed from 8th to 4th, crossing the finish line just 20 thousandths of a second behind 3rd place.
Luke had a solid race, briefly entering the top 10, before finishing 11th, gaining some very valuable experience for the rest of the weekend.
Feature Race
Victor overtook the leading two drivers ahead of him to take the lead on lap 5 in a race that was shortened by a collision on the opening lap. The second rolling start took place behind the safety car after a thirty-minute red flag.
Victor lost time in his pit stop, re-joining the race in a virtual 4th position. He finished 2nd, unable to challenge the leader as the race ended under safety car.
An opponent broke Luke’s front wing in a rough defense, which resulted in a penalty. Nevertheless, the British driver climbed back to finish 7th, scoring his first ever points in Formula 2.
Victor Martins:
“Pole position was within reach, but I made one or two small mistakes on my final lap. The first race confirmed we had good pace, and we were close to getting on the podium. The next day, victory slipped away at the pit stop, but the team is one of the most efficient in this area, and no one was to blame. Once I was in 2nd, I hoped to regain 1st place, but the safety car came out. The car was efficient on both tire compounds, I could manage their degradation, and all the work done with the team is paying off, giving us confidence ahead of the final two rounds.”
Luke Browning:
“A huge thank you to ART Grand Prix for this opportunity. The F2 car is phenomenal and driving it for the first time was very exciting and demanding. I don’t think I made any major mistakes, and if you had told me I’d score my first points, I would have jumped at the chance! The goal is to gain as much experience as possible and learn from the team.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“For his F2 debut, Luke was impressive in his attitude and progress. He was rightly rewarded with points and has gained excellent benchmarks for the rest of the season, which will be very important. Victor couldn’t have done any better in the Sprint race and deserved the win in the Feature race. We’re working on all the details of a race weekend and have made significant progress since the start of the year. We will continue to give our best until the final lap of the last race. The momentum is very positive, and without unforeseen events, we should be aiming for top positions in Losail.”
Copyright: Dutch Photo Agency
