F2: Daruvala on podium in Saudi Arabian GP sprint race

Jehan Daruvala returned to the podium, finishing third in the F2 Saudi Arabian GP sprint race after a tight battle with Ayumu Iwasa and Victor Martins. Kush Maini, meanwhile, finished fifth.

1. Iwasa wins, ahead of Martins and Daruvala
2. Kush Maini finished fifth

Daruvala third after tense battle for victory

Lining up fifth on the grid, Daruvala made it up to third place after the Safety Car was brought out on Lap 7 due to Theo Pourchaire’s collision with Oliver Bearman. Once action resumed, the Indian driver overtook Ralph Boschung for second place. The two swapped places a few times before Daruvala could pull clear.

The final few laps were tense, with just a second separating the top three. Daruvala then shifted focus to race leader Iwasa and even briefly took the lead on Lap 15. However, he ran wide, giving Alpine junior Martins the window of opportunity he was looking for.

With just three laps to go, Martin was able to snatch second place from Daruvala. Iwasa, meanwhile, held on to take his first win this season.

Daruvala may have had to settle for third, but he showed improved form since the opening round in Bahrain, and he’s optimistic for the upcoming feature race. “The car was amazing. So I’m confident we can fight for the win in the feature race,” he said.

Kush Maini fifth in sprint race

Kush Maini qualified eighth, which meant he started third for the reverse grid sprint race. Despite losing a few places, he maintained his consistent points-scoring run, having finished the race in fifth place.

The Formula 2 feature race starts at 6:45pm (IST). Fans in India will need to subscribe to F1 TV Pro to watch it live.

2023 F2 Saudi Arabia sprint race results

Also see:

F2: Daruvala scores double podium finish in Saudi Arabia

Jehan Daruvala: “My future lies in Formula E”