Australian Grand Prix F2 – Sprint Race: Roman Stanek benefits from Isack Hadjar’s penalty
Isack Hadjar won his first Formula 2 victory with Campos Racing, controlling the Melbourne sprint race from start to finish and leading every lap of the afternoon. With a start that led to the appearance of the safety car, Hadjar is, however, under investigation by the stewards. His victory is not guaranteed.
Isack Hadjar made history for Campos Racing and French motorsport by claiming his very first victory in Formula 2 at the sprint race in Melbourne. However, he is still under investigation.
Due to an accident at the start. It was indeed from the start that the French driver took the lead and never lost his position as the leader, despite two interruptions caused by the safety car. He thus finishes in first place, ahead of Roman Stanek (Trident) and Dennis Hauger (MP Motorsport).
The race started with an incident even before the first corner, when the lights went out. Hadjar, third at the start, made a better start than the front row. While trying to overtake Stanek, he touched his teammate Josep María Martí, who had also made a very good start, causing him to lose control of his car and also taking out Gabriel Bortoleto’s Invicta. This melee led to the appearance of the safety car in the early moments of the race. The stewards have not yet made a decision regarding a potential penalty for any of the three drivers, considering it was difficult for Hadjar to see the car on his right rear. The French driver was able to keep his cool and master each safety car restart to take the victory.
The race was marked by several other tense moments, including a battle for second place and various incidents that led to the safety car being deployed once again. Another French driver, Victor Martins, made an impressive comeback to 7th place after starting 21st. Dennis Hauger pulled off a decisive move in the final laps to secure a spot on the podium. Stanek’s sometimes questionable defense on the last lap helped him secure his best F2 finish since joining this season.
The track commissioners were able to listen to Pepe Marti and Gabriele Bortoleto, but they will have to listen to Hadjar before rendering their verdict.
Update at 12:00 PM:
The race stewards ruled Isack Hadjar responsible for the start accident and imposed a 10-second penalty on him. As a result, he loses his first F2 victory.
Le classement final de la course sprint de #F2 après la pénalité de notre français Isack Hadjar (très sévère)… pic.twitter.com/uSOHO7Agdk
— Motors Inside F1 (@MotorsInside) March 23, 2024
