Marcus Armstrong Secures Third Formula 2 Sprint Race Victory of 2022 at Zandvoort

Marcus Armstrong got the jump on pole sitter Clément Novalak at the start of the Sprint race at Circuit Zandvoort and survived a late race restart to take his third victory of the 2022 FIA Formula 2 season on Saturday.

The New Zealander took advantage of Novalak’s excessive wheelspin and subsequent slow getaway to take the lead heading into turn one, and from there, the Hitech Grand Prix driver looked in complete control.

A late race safety car, caused by a spin into the gravel by Tatiana Calderón, meant there was a one-lap shootout to the chequered flag at the end, but Armstrong judged the restart to perfection and stole a march on his closest challenger, and ran away to take the victory.

Novalak took his maiden Formula 2 podium in second, giving MP Motorsport a good result in their home race, while Dennis Hauger returned to the podium for Prema Racing in third for the first time since his victory in the Feature race in Azerbaijan.

Hauger was another to make gains on the opening lap, with the Norwegian getting the jump on Jüri Vips, while the Estonian also found himself shuffled behind Carlin’s Liam Lawson at the chicane.

Ayuma Iwasa was the only driver to gain a position on the final lap after the restart, with the Japanese racer from DAMS edging out Trident’s Richard Verschoor around the outside of turn one.  Prior to the safety car, he had been behind the Dutchman as part of a DRS train, and with a head wind heading into turn one, it made passes into the turn difficult to pull off.

The final point went the way of Carlin’s Logan Sargeant in eighth, with the American finishing just ahead of Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan and championship leader Felipe Drugovich of MP Motorsport.

An early trip through the gravel trap at turn one saw Théo Pourchaire’s race unfold, with the ART Grand Prix driver dropping to the rear of the field as a result.  The Frenchman remains second in the championship heading into the Feature race on Sunday, but from sixteenth on the grid and with his main rival Drugovich on pole position, it is difficult to see how he will be able to take points away from the Brazilian at Zandvoort.

It was also a difficult day for Prema Racing’s Jehan Daruvala, who ran through the gravel trap at the exit of turn one early on before suffering a late race spin at the back of the circuit left him only sixteenth.

Aside from Calderón, Campos Racing’s Olli Caldwell was also a retirement from the race, with the Briton spinning into the gravel trap at turn one.  He was able to return to the track and into the pits, but an overheating engine forced him back into the pit lane a few laps later where he called it a day.

Drugovich will start Sunday’s Feature race from pole position ahead of Doohan and Sargeant, and should he take victory, he will have one hand on the 2022 championship with only rounds at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and Yas Marina Circuit to come.

Circuit Zandvoort Sprint Race Result