Formula 2
Formula 2: DAMS Double in Monaco as Maini Makes History
Kush Maini became the first Indian to win around Monaco in Formula 2. Jack Crawford wins on Sunday to make it a DAMS double in Monte Carlo.
When Formula 2 visits Monaco, chaos is almost guaranteed, and this weekend was no exception. The Sprint Race made history as Kush Maini became the first-ever Indian to win on the iconic streets of Monte Carlo. On Sunday, DAMS completed the double, with Jack Crawford winning one of the most unpredictable Feature Races of the season.
READ MORE: Formula 2 Round 5: Streets of Monaco Await an Epic Thriller
Saturday: Maini Writes History for India
Kush Maini was coming to Monaco after having the worst start to his Formula 2 season. In the seven races leading up to Monaco, Kush had a best finish of 10th and had scored just one point. There was something that was just not clicking for him this year. There was no doubt about the pace Maini possesses, this is the same driver who surprised everyone two years ago in his debut season, constantly challenging for top spots in qualifying in a team that was not very competitive that year. But for some reason, by luck or by chance, it just wasn’t working out for him.
Just last weekend in Imola, when Kush was finally getting into rhythm to show what he is capable of, finishing P3 in practice and then challenging for the top 5 in qualifying, he made a mistake and crashed out on his flying lap. That brought out the red flag, and as per regulations, his fastest lap was deleted, dropping him to 13th. That weekend, from then on, was another one to forget. Coming into Monaco, Kush was again looking for that one moment that would give him that confidence boost.
Due to the nature of Monaco, F2 does its qualifying in groups. Drivers are divided into Group A and B based on their competition number, and whoever is the fastest in either group gets pole. But here’s the interesting bit: pole in Monaco is on the left side. So, for example, if a driver from Group A gets pole, then everyone in Group A will start on the left side—i.e., in positions 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on. This means that even if you’re in Group A and your time is good enough to put you P2, you’d still start P3 if the fastest driver from Group B gets to start on the other side of the grid.
Kush was in Group A. His time put him fifth fastest in the group, which meant he would either start P9 or P10 based on the results of Group B. Alex Dunne, in Group B, put in a banker lap to set the fastest time of qualifying, faster by three-thousandths of a second than Victor Martins, who was fastest in Group A. This meant everyone in Group B would start on the left side, i.e., odd-numbered positions and everyone in Group A would start on the right, the even-numbered positions. Kush was supposed to start the Feature Race from P10, but the most important bit: he would start the reverse grid Sprint Race from pole.
Come the Sprint Race, and Kush made the perfect getaway, keeping his lead going into Turn 1 at lights out. From then on, it was all about keeping control of the race. Alongside him on the front row, Luke Browning had a terrible start, getting swallowed by three cars, allowing Gabriel Minì to overtake him and slot into second, along with Jack Crawford and Arvid Lindblad, who were third and fourth.
From here on out, all Maini had to do was keep his calm and not make a mistake, which, when you’re driving around Monaco, is not the easiest thing to do. But the Indian driver drove brilliantly to take the chequered flag and claim his first-ever win in Monaco, also the first-ever win for India on the streets of the principality.
Some of Kush’s earlier bad results could be chalked up to bad luck or circumstance, but it was that very same twist of fate that handed him the reverse grid pole and ultimately the victory in Monaco. His lap time was good enough for P7, which under normal conditions would have placed him fourth on the reverse grid. And from there, it’s anyone’s guess how the race might have unfolded.
“P1, first Indian to win in Monaco too. It’s a great honour and a dream come true. I want to say thank you to DAMS and everyone who has supported me. We keep believing!” – Kush Maini after his win in Monaco.
Sunday: Jack Crawford Wins Carnage-Packed Feature Race
Jack Crawford secured his second win of the season in a race full of chaos on the streets of Monaco. A perfectly timed stop before the Safety car helped the American take the win on the streets of Monaco.
Starting on Pole, Alex Dunne had Victor Martins to accompany him on the front row. At the start, Martins got a better launch to be ahead of Dunne into the first corner, but Dunne was not ready to let go of the inside line, and the two made contact, leading to a chain reaction of crashes which saw 5 more drivers get involved and ultimately retire from the race.
After a lengthy Red Flag, Leonardo Fornarolli would lead a rolling restart of the race, with the cars lining up based on the qualifying positions minus the retirements. After the race restarted, Fornarolli led the pack with Lindblad leading Montoya and Lindblad with Crawford in fourth.
Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Dino Beganovic went into the barriers at Casino Square, which would then be upgraded to a full safety car. The timing of the safety car was such that the top 3 had passed the pit entry, but Crawford was at the perfect position to make his stop. The top 3 came around and made their stop,s but Crawford had done enough to take the race lead.
Once the safety car was not withdrawn and the race was red-flagged as the barrier needed repairs. Crawford crossed the line to take the win with Fornaroli in second. Lindblad crossed the line in third but was handed a 5-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to fifth and promoting Montoya to third.
Up Next in Formula 2
Formula 2 now heads to Barcelona, to make its final stop of the intense triple header from 30th May to 1st June.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
Formula 2
Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona
After 2 back to back racing weekends in Imola and Monaco, Formula 2 now heads to Barcelona for the final stop of the triple header.
The Formula 2 paddock makes its final stop of the triple header at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for another weekend of intense racing action. The last 2 weekends at Imola and Monaco have given us unpredictable races, let’s see what Barcelona has to offer this weekend.
Championship Battle Tight as Ever
The championship battle is tight as ever in Formula 2, the top 3 are separated by only 6 points. Luke Browning leads the championship after a good haul of points in Monaco saw him replace Alex Dunne at the top. The Williams Academy driver is yet to win a race, but he has been consistently stacking up points to emerge as a championship contender.
Alex Dunne was leading the championship coming into Monaco and even got the pole position for the Feature Race. A win in the feature race would have meant that he would have extended the lead in the championship. But, an impatient move into Turn 1 to keep his lead resulted in him going into the side of Victor Martins, eventually leading to a pile-up which saw a total of 7 cars retire. He is still second in the championship, 3 points behind Browning.
Kush Riding On a Wave of Confidence
After making history in Monaco, becoming the first indian to win on the streets of the principality, Kush Maini is full of confidence heading into Barcelona, a circuit where he had good success last time around. Last year, Kush got a Sprint race podium and a solid P6 in the feature race at Barcelona. Full of confidence and heading to a circuit he likes, Kush will be looking to get some solid results before the short break.
We’ve had a very rocky start, with a lot of things going wrong. Some things were in our control, some things not, but our season starts today and there’s still a long way to go for us, so this is a positive note to take forwards. – Kush Maini after his win in Monaco.
Hitech TGR vs Campos
The top 2 teams in the standings are separated by just 7 points. Both Hitech and Campos this year have been very consistent in their performances. Hitech, courtesy of Luke Browning, who has been on the podium every single race weekend this season, leads Campos narrowly. But these teams have been in Formula 2 long enough to understand the season is still very long and it all can change in just a couple of weekends.
Where to watch Formula 2 in India
You can watch all the sessions of Formula 2 live in India on Fancode and F1TV. The schedule for the weekend in IST is given below:
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
Formula 2
Formula 2 Round 5: Streets of Monaco Await an Epic Thriller
After wrapping their weekend in Imola, Formula 2 now heads to the streets of Monaco for another weekend of intense racing action.
No off days for the Formula 2 paddock as they move to Monaco fresh from their weekend at Imola for their second stop of the triple header. Qualifying is key in winning at Monaco, but Zak O Sullivan proved the theory wrong after winning the Feature Race, having started all the way back at 15th on the grid. Monaco is a race every driver wants to win, with Formula 2 giving you 2 chances of ticking that box, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Alex Dunne Heading the Pack into Monaco
Alex Dunne won the Feature Race from 5th on the grid after a brilliant drive in Imola last weekend. This also helped the Irishman jump to the top of the championship standings with 64 points. Dunne has won 2 Feature Races till now, interestingly if you remove those races then he only has 14 points, showing how just a couple of races can change your fortunes in this championship. Dunne would be aware of that fact, and would not let his guard down heading into Monaco as the top 3 are all within 10 points of each other.
Not your traditional Qualifying
Formula 2, unlike Formual 1, has a single 30 minute long qualifying session. This means all 22 drivers are out at the same time, fighting for pole position, unlike Formula 1 where the grid keeps reducing in size unless you only have 10 drivers in the hunt for pole. The tight nature of the Monaco circuit can make it difficult for drivers to get a clean lap in among all the traffic on the streets. It is for this reason that the championship divides it’s group into two qualifying groups.
Battle Heats up in Teams’ Championship
The battle for the Team’s Championship is heating up as the top 2 teams are seperated by only 1 point. Hitech TGR leads Campos Racing in the Teams’ Championship thanks to a double podium in Imola. The pair has made some distance between them and the other teams with a 20 point gap, but this gap can be overcome in just one race if your drivers do well, and it is very likely that we could see a third team apart from them leading the Teams’ Championship when we leave Monaco.
Kush Maini Looking to Turn Things Around
Kush Maini is having his worst start to a Formula 2 season. In the previous years we have seen him be competetive at the start of the year, fight for the top spots and show brilliant one lap pace. This year, it seemed to have vanished. We did see some flashes of pace from the Indian driver after he finished P3 in Pracice at Imola and was looking for a strong top 10 finish in Qualifying before crashing out and bringing out the red flag. Monaco has historically not been a good track for Kush, but history is nothing to go by in this championship where you can change your fortunes in just one race. A good weekend in Monaco will boost Maini’s confidence and help him in Barcelona just next weekend.
Schedule and Where to Watch Formula 2 in India
You can watch all the Formula 2 sessions live on Fancode or F1TV in India. Complete schedule for the weekend is given below in IST.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
Formula 2
Formula 2 Round 4: Crawford and Dunne Shine Around Imola
Formula 2 delivered an action-packed weekend at Imola, with Alex Dunne and Jack Crawford taking victories as the title battle begins to intensify.
Formula 2 stopped at the historic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola for the first leg of a gruelling triple-header. With Jack Crawford and Alex Dunne taking the victories, the championship battle is beginning to heat up as momentum swings and rivalries take shape.
READ MORE: Formula 2 Heads to Imola for the First Leg of a Crucial Triple Header
Sprint Race: Crawford in Control from the Start
After qualifying P9, Jack Crawford lined up on the front row for Saturday’s reverse-grid Sprint Race. At lights out, the Williams Academy driver made a perfect start, overtaking pole-sitter Ritomo Miyata into Turn 1 and never looked back.
Once Crawford pulled out of DRS range, Miyata quickly came under pressure from Arvid Lindblad, who had climbed up to third after starting fifth. On Lap 12, the Red Bull Junior made a decisive move to take second place, helping him get his second Sprint podium in a row.
“It was quite an easy race I’d say out front. I had a great start and was able to take the lead. From then on it was just about managing the gap, making sure nobody got in my DRS and that’s kind of what I did and just managed the tyres. It was a great race, great points to take away and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” – Jack Crawford.
Behind them, Luke Browning secured third after a tight battle with Victor Martins and Alex Dunne, while Miyata, who had started on pole, eventually dropped to sixth.
Feature Race: Alex Dunne Takes the Win and the Championship Lead
Not many would have predicted Alex Dunne to take the Feature Race win at Imola, especially with the Irishman starting from P5 on the grid. But the Rodin Motorsport driver executed a well-timed and clinical race to take his second Feature Race victory of the season, and with it, the championship lead.
Running the traditional strategy, Dunne made a decisive impact after the first round of pit stops. He quickly split the Hitech TGR pair ahead of him and soon launched a successful move on Luke Browning into Turn 2 to grab the effective race lead.
From there, Dunne made clean work of the cars ahead who had yet to stop, tactically putting traffic between himself and Browning to prevent any retaliation. His pace remained consistent throughout the closing laps, and he crossed the line six seconds clear of Browning.
“Very, very happy. Of course, to do two out of three this year is a pretty good start. It’s important to try and do more and more throughout the year. Both times I’ve won, Luke has been right there next to me. So he seems quite close to me at the minute, so it’s about continuing to perform and being consistent. But I’m really, really happy.” – Alexander Dunne
The Hitech TGR duo of Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic rounded out the podium, bringing home a solid haul of points for the team. This helped Hitech TGR go to the top of the Teams’ Championship, a point clear of Campos Racing in Second.
Flashes of Pace, but Overall a Disappointing Weekend for Kush Maini
It was another frustrating weekend for Kush Maini in Formula 2, one that showed flashes of pace but ultimately ended in disappointment.
The Indian driver looked quick right from the start, setting the third-fastest time in practice, just a tenth off the leader. His qualifying pace, too, was strong, easily good enough for a top-five result, or at worst a spot inside the top 10. However, a late mistake in the final moments of qualifying saw him crash and bring out a red flag.
At the time of the red flag, Maini was sitting P9, enough to give him a front row start for the Sprint Race due to the reverse grid. But under Formula 2 regulations, any driver who causes a red flag in qualifying has their fastest lap deleted. His second-best time was only good enough for 13th on the grid.
In the Sprint Race, Maini made early progress, climbing positions, but faded in the closing stages and ultimately finished back in 13th. For the Feature Race, he opted for the alternate strategy and showed decent race pace early on. However, an untimely safety car disrupted his plan, forcing him to pit far earlier than scheduled. On worn soft tyres, he had to make a second stop, and eventually crossed the line in 21st, capping off another difficult weekend.
Up Next: Formula 2 Heads to Monaco
The Formula 2 Paddock moves to the streets of Monaco from 22nd to 25th May. With the Championship Battle intensified and no room for error on the streets of the Principality, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. You can watch all the action live in India on Fancode or on F1TV.
Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.
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Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona
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