KUSH MAINI:
”The car was amazing today, so thank you to the team for providing me with it. We were a little unlucky today, and we felt that the front row was on the cards, but it was a positive start to the weekend and we will push together to get some good points in the two races here”
A slow getaway from the front row gave Hadjar the momentum to take the lead, but as the
Frenchman moved to pass pole-sitter Stanek, he tapped teammate Josep María Martí who
collided with P2-starter Gabriel Bortoleto. The latter duo were out after just a few metres and
the Safety Car was called upon in the on the opening lap.
Victor Martins was the big winner of Lap 1, climbing eight places from P21 to 13th in the space of
half a lap.
After five tours behind the Safety Car, racing got underway entering Lap 7, but Zane Maloney
had a tough restart, dropping from fifth position to 10th after running into the gravel out of Turn
6.
His Rodin Motorsport teammate Ritomo Miyata relegated him to 11th entering Lap 9, passing the
Bajan driver into Turn 1.
The fight for second was a five-car battle headed by Stanek, with the chasing pack bunched up
behind closely. Going into Turn 12 on Lap 10, a spin for Andrea Kimi Antonelli sent Richard
Verschoor spinning also, while Paul Aron sustained front wing damage in the process. The
PREMA and Trident drivers were out on the spot and the Safety Car was called upon once again.
Martins’ progress continued at the expense of all three, with the ART Grand Prix driver up to
eighth following the incident.
Back to racing on Lap 15, Hadjar got the jump on Stanek once again to establish a comfortable
lead. A fastest lap with seven to go gave him a lead of three seconds over the Trident driver, who
was defending hard from Maini behind, while MP teammates Hauger and Franco Colapinto
closed on the duo.
Martins was on the move again further back, seizing seventh from teammate Zak O’Sullivan with
a late dive into Turn 11 on Lap 19.
Onto the penultimate lap and Hauger finally got the move done on Maini to take third, sweeping
around the outside of the Invicta driver at Turn 9 to take the place.