Race 2: Artem Markelov returns to victory
Artem Markelov confirmed his excellent form from the weekend by winning the Sakhir Sprint race. He was followed by rookie Maximilian Günther and Sergio Sette Camara.
Last year, Charles Leclerc had tried a very bold strategy by stopping in the middle of race 2 while he was in the lead. Thanks to a superb comeback, he managed to win on the last lap after starting 16th.
This year, Nyck de Vries, who has also joined Prema, tried the same strategy but with less success: the Dutchman also stopped to switch to soft tires but could not do better than 5th at the checkered flag. However, he limited the damage to the championship by scoring the two points intended for the author of the fastest lap in the race.
This unconventional strategy therefore benefited Artem Markelov, who chose to stay on the track until the end. The Russian was well helped by Sean Gelael’s stall on the grid at the start of the warm-up lap. The Indonesian was not the only one to fall victim to a reluctant clutch as Nicholas Latifi also remained stuck on the grid. At the actual start, three other drivers failed to get off the line, including the two ART Grand Prix drivers, Jack Aitken and George Russell, as well as Haas protege Santino Ferrucci. The two Britons therefore suffered significant losses in the title fight that ensued.
Far from these concerns, Artem Markelov simply had to overtake Maximilan Günther, who was on reverse pole, before taking the lead when Nyck de Vries moved aside to change tires. The Arden German had long been worried about the longevity of his own tires, especially as he was constantly under threat from the two Carlin drivers, Sergio Sette Camara and Lando Norris.
He was the victim of a slight issue at the beginning of the race with his gearbox, which shifted into neutral as he accelerated down the start straight. This caused him to lose contact with his teammate. Although he later managed to catch up with him, he was never able to launch an attack and find an opening. In the end, he had to settle for fifth place. But McLaren’s protege still managed a good performance in this first weekend as he now leads the championship standings.
We can also witness a beautiful battle between Luca Ghiotto (Campos), Ralph Boschung (MP Motorsport), and Nirei Fukuzumi (Arden) until the last lap to score the final points of the day.
