#lundgaard

ZHOU ZOOMS TO POLE IN CHAOTIC F2 QUALIFYING

Guanyu Zhou survived a crazy F2 qualifying session to take the first pole of the 2020 F2 season.

The cars queued at the end of the pit lane prior to the first green light of the session, keen to get on track having not taken these cars out on track since pre-season testing in Bahrain back in February.

The session started with a battle of the F1 juniors, with Marcus Armstrong, a Ferrari Junior Driver, seizing the initiative to hit the top of the time sheets first. He was then usurped by Red Bull junior Yuki Tsunoda who snatched provisional pole as Guiliano Alesi  (also a Ferrari junior) made a mess of turn one and brushed the barrier with his front wing as he ventured through the gravel. But it was Zhou who topped the time sheet at the end of the first set of running as the cars headed back to the pit lane for fresh rubber.

Further chaos then ensued with Sean Gelael having his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits, before Jehan Daruvala had to take avoiding action to miss the PREMA of Mick Schumacher who was pulling into the pit lane, ruining his lap. Marino Sato then ran wide at turn four, spinning off into the gravel and beaching his Trident car and bringing out the red flags.

The session promptly restarted with Mick Schumacher leading a queue of cars back onto the track, but he couldn’t make the most of the clean air and could only manage fifth.

But it was Zhou who stayed calm throughout the chaos around him to see of the stiff challenge from his team mate Callum Ilott and fellow Renault junior driver Christian Lundgaard to take the first pole of the year, and the Championship lead.

THE GRID:

i couldn't resist not editing my bby

LUNDGAARD DOMINATES PROCESSIONAL SPRINT RACE

Renault academy driver Christian Lundgaard took his first ever F2 win at just the fourth attempt in a relatively straightforward Styrian Grand Prix Sprint Race.

It was Dan Ticktum in the DAMS who started on pole in the DAMS, who got away well, as Lundgaard jumped his ART team mate Marcus Armstrong around the outside of turn one. Yesterday’s winner Robert Shwartzman didn’t get any further than the first corner, spinning off on the exit of the corner and stalling his car, ending his race almost as soon as it started.

The Virtual Safety Car was temporarily deployed to help retrieve the stricken PREMA car, but as soon as the green flag waved, Marino Sato limped back to the pits and broke down on the entry to the pit lane, ending his disastrous couple of weekends at the Red Bull Ring.

Two laps later, Lundgaard took the lead from Ticktum with a brilliant divebomb move at turn three, catching the Brit off guard, and able to carry enough momentum to keep him ahead on the run down to turn four.

A lap later and Lundgaard was out of DRS reach for Ticktum as he started to disappear into the distance as the Trident of Roy Nissany got busy behind. At turn four he made contact with Giuliano Alesi as they argued over track position, forcing the HWA off the road. Then at turn nine he was involved in more action. This time with the Charouz of Louis Deletraz, almost taking them both out of the race, with Nissany being forced to pit with damage.

Yuki Tsunoda’s bad luck continued, his race ended on lap 10, his Carlin started to slow with smoke appearing out of the back, he had to pull up on the side of the road, leaving him to wonder what could have been this weekend. Three laps later he was joined by Mick Schumacher, having just passed Marcus Armstrong for P3, his fire extinguisher suddenly deployed all over him inside the cockpit, another unlucky driver keen to see the back of Austria this year.

The final laps were relatively tame, the only action of note being Callum Ilott trying to close in on his team mate Guanyu Zhou. Despite setting personal best sector times he was unable to close up, due to Zhou’s slightly lucky DRS activation, having been on the edge of the detection zone. One more lap and the Brit surely would’ve finished P4.

RACE RESULT:

LUNDGAARD TICKTUM ARMSTRONG

ZHOU ILOTT AITKEN GELAEL MAZEPIN

DARUVALA GHIOTTO MATSUSHITA DELETRAZ DRUGOVICH PIQUET ALESI MARKELOV SAMAIA NISSANY