Dramatic Crash Shakes Up Formula 2 Race in Baku

A chaotic start to the Formula 2 race in Azerbaijan on Sunday resulted in a massive crash that caused a car to overturn, leading to a red flag. Fortunately, the incident did not result in any injuries, but it significantly impacted the race and the championship standings.

Thrilling Race Marred by Dramatic Collision

Chaos at the Start

The race began with a dramatic incident as Kush Maini of Invicta Racing stalled from fifth place, triggering a chain reaction of collisions among the drivers. Unaware of the stalled car, Oliver Goethe of MP Motorsport collided with Maini's rear, leading to a severe impact when Pepe Marti of Campos Racing crashed into the back of the immobilized car. The collision sent Marti's vehicle rolling into the pit wall before it eventually landed back on its wheels.The track in Baku was left littered with debris and damaged cars following the incident. Isack Hadjar of Campos Racing, who managed to avoid the chaos, described the scene over team radio, saying, "Oh my god, that was really bad."

Race Delayed and Shortened

The race was delayed by 34 minutes as the track was cleared of the debris and damaged cars. When the race restarted, it was shortened, and points were awarded based on the revised schedule.At the restart, Luke Browning of ART and Dennis Hauger of MP Motorsport engaged in a fierce battle, which resulted in Hauger receiving a penalty for making contact that damaged Browning's front wing.

Verschoor Secures Victory

Despite the dramatic start, Richard Verschoor of Trident managed to secure his fourth Formula 2 race win by leading the Azerbaijan feature race. The Dutch driver, who began from pole position, faced a tense wait of thirty minutes for the restart due to the significant crash.Zane Maloney of Rodin, who is in the championship hunt, struggled to defend against Andrea Kimi Antonelli on cold tires at Turn 3. Maloney locked up and skidded into the runoff area, compromising his race. Antonelli, having made contact while trying to navigate the corner, managed to continue with a damaged car but still finished behind Richard Verschoor and Tiago Martins. Maloney finished 15th, unable to recover from his earlier issues.

Championship Landscape Shifts

With just two rounds remaining, the championship landscape has shifted significantly. Starting from the 20th position after a qualifying mishap, Isack Hadjar of Campos Racing was unable to score points, marking his second consecutive points-less weekend. In contrast, Gabriel Bortoleto of Invicta Racing secured a quiet fourth-place finish, placing him at the top of the standings with a 4.5-point lead.Bortoleto is speculated to be in contention with F1 driver Valtteri Bottas for the last available seat in Formula 1 at Sauber. Bottas failed to secure a contract extension with the Hinwil outfit, which undergoes significant transformation to become the Audi Works team by 2026. The team's new CEO and CTO, Mattia Binotto, is considering options for the 2025 seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.