Jak Crawford won a mixed condition chaotic F2 feature race ahead of Rodin’s Alex Dunne and home hero, Luke Browning at the British GP.
The start for the F2 Feature Race was delayed after the F3 race ended under red flag conditions due to the severe rain around Silverstone. However, blue skies were looming over the circuit, and it looked like the F2 race would be going ahead.
With the track wet for the start of the race the grid was starting on the wet tyres, with the question of when to swap to slicks as the crux of the race. Martins was starting on pole, desperate to take a win after a difficult season so far.
However alongside him was Alex Dunne, one of the main title contenders, needing a good results to get closer to Richard Verschoor who holds the championship lead.
Lights out
The final cars pulled onto the grid and the green flag waved and the five lights above the track went out.
Victor Martins suffered a bad start, losing places to both Dunne, and Jak Crawford’s who phenomenal start finding better traction on the damp track put him in the lead.
Dunne held onto second place, but Martins was fighting to keep third with the yellow Invicta of Roman Stanek looking for the final podium place.
There was a fight between Brits further down the order with Red Bull junior, Arvid Lindblad, making a move around the outside of Luke Browning. Lindblad moved into eighth, but Browning tried to regain the place by making a lunge on the Campos. Browning just wasn’t able to make it stick.
Despite the treacherous condition the drivers weren’t pulling back with fights going on around the grid. Browning and Lindblad almost touched as the duo went side by side from Copse Corner to the Hamilton Straight, with Browning finally getting ahead.
Lindblad looked to be struggling as Dino Beganovic also passed the Red Bull junior.
At the front of the field, Jak Crawford put in the fastest last putting his lead to 1.8 seconds ahead of Dunne.
Meanwhile, Browning moved to the outside of Richard Verschoor, the Dutchman covering the Brit off but opening the door for Browning to switchback and lunge down the inside, making the move stick and moving into seventh.
Beganovic once again followed his Hitech teammate passed Verschoor, with Browning breezing past Montoya in sixth, moving up again.
Browning making moves
On lap 9, Dürksen and Stanek were fighting for fourth place with Dürksen nudging the Invicta to the edge of the track, as the duo fighting left the inside line free, Luke Browning took advantage of the space making his way past Stanek and slipping behind Dürksen.
Browning was looking for an opening to move past Dürksen, but was unable to find it at that stage. The second Hitech of Dino Beganovic once again repeating his teammate’s actions getting ahead of Stanek into sixth place.
Browning finally made it ahead of Dürksen, desperate for a podium in his home race. As the race hit the halfway point drivers were still yet to pit. The track still too wet for slick tyres to be effective.
However, the track was dry enough for DRS to be opened. Allowing Luke Browning to close in on Victor Martins and putting pressure on Stanek further down the grid.
On lap 16, Luke Browning found himself on the gearbox of Victor Martins coming onto Hanger Straight and the DRS zone. The Brit managed to get level with the ART driver but was unable to get past.
Browning was still hanging off the back of his fellow Williams junior. He lunged down the inside of Martins but was, once again, too far back to make it stick.
But it wasn’t over, on Lap 18 the Brit sailed around the outside of the Frenchman and made the move stick. Browning on the podium for his home race.
Jak Crawford still led the race, with a gap of 1.6 seconds that Alex Dunne was slowly eating into. Browning was nearly six seconds away from the lead, but each lap was a personal best. Dunne hovering around the one-second mark close to getting DRS.
Final pit stops
On lap 20 of 29, Alex Dunne moved into Jak Crawford’s DRS for the first time since the start of the race. As Dunne closed the gap to just 0.4 seconds to Crawford. Arvid Lindblad dove into the pits with Kush Maini following.
In the final stages of the race Browning and the majority of the grid moved into the pits. With Gabriele Minì struggling for traction and clattering into the side of Oliver Goethe.
Minì was in the gravel and a virtual safety car was called.
Just as the decision was made Crawford moved into the pits with it unclear on whether Crawford made the move to the pits before or after the VSC call. If the DAMS driver made the pit stop after the VSC was called he will be given a penalty.
Stanek spun, and his Invicta stalled. Leaving his car on the start finish straight. On lap 25, a Safety Car was called with the pit lane open.
Alex Dunne came out of the pits just ahead of Luke Browning maintaining his second place. On lap 26, the entire grid had completed their pit stops and were under the safety car.
Green flag
On lap 27, the safety car was ending as the rain began to fall on the track once again. Crawford led the field, but it was a strong start holding onto his lead. Browning was right on the back of Dunne as Martins struggled with the damage on his front wing.
Dürksen who was sat in fourth spun on the straight, dropping through the order and a safety car was called again. Effectively ending the race with just one lap left.
Crawford took the win in the F2 Feature Race at the British GP. Subsequently, he took second in the driver’s championship. Alex Dunne took second on the road and third in the standings with Richard Verschoor just holding on to his championship lead.
Crawford was under investigation for going into the pits under the VSC.
Full Results:
- J. Crawford
- A. Dunne
- L. Browning
- D. Beganovic
- S. Montoya
- L. Fornaroli
- R. Verschoor
- A. Lindblad
- J. Martí
- R. Villagomez
- O. Goethe
- J. Bennett
- M. Esterson
- C. Shields
- R. Miyata
- K. Maini
- A. Cordeel
- S. Meguetounif
- V. Martins [DNF]
- J. Dürksen [DNF]
- R. Stanek [DNF]
- G. Minì [DNF]
