Doohan Grabs First Pole of F2 Season in Sakhir

Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan has taken the two points of the season after setting the fastest time in the first round of FIA Formula 2 Qualifying in Sakhir.

After a thirty minute session under the floodlights of the Bahrain International Circuit, the Australian will start Sunday’s Feature Race at the front of the grid alongside ART Grand Prix’s Théo Pourchaire who could only put himself within a tenth of his rival.

Hitech Grand Prix’s Jüri Vips will start behind them after setting the third fastest time with the American racing driver, Logan Sargeant in a strong fourth place in the first F2 qualifying session of his career.

The windy conditions at the circuit made it difficult for the drivers, with Ayumu Iwasa bringing out a Red Flag in under a minute after spinning and stalling at turn two due to cold tyres.

Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Jake Hughes set the pace early on with a 1:41.469, a whole second faster than last year’s pole position time of 1:42.848 set by Guanyu Zhou, but had to settle for eighth place by the time the checkered flag fell. His time was half a tenth faster than Richard Verschoor in ninth place for Trident.

MP Motorsport’s Felipe Drugovich traded fastest laps with Hughes early on and set the fastest lap of the only Free Practice sessions of the weekend earlier in the day. His lap ended up being the tenth fastest on the grid, meaning the Brazilian lines up in reverse grid pole for the Sprint Race on Saturday.

Last season’s Team Champions, PREMA Racing found their duo of Jehan Daruvala and Dennis Hauger in seventh and fourteenth, respectively. The 2021 FIA Formula 3 champion Hauger nearly ended his and Vips’ sessions early as they almost tripped over each other down the pit straight.