Austrian GP: Daruvala completes debut F2 race in 12th place

• An opening lap spin had dropped Daruvala to final place
• But the Indian driver recovered to complete 12^th
• Callum Ilott ended up successful the season opener on the Red Bull Ring

A 12^th place end on the 2020 Formula 2 season opener in Austria might not have been the dream debut that Jehan Daruvala hoped for. But the Indian F1 hopeful nonetheless managed to tug off a spirited restoration drive following a gap lap incident that dropped him to the again of the pack.

Opening lap mishap

Starting from 6^th on the grid, Daruvala loved an honest getaway. But he ended up spinning simply moments later at Turn Three after being tagged from behind by his Carlin group mate Yuki Tsunoda. The incident dropped Daruvala to the very again of the sphere, whereas Tsunoda ended up with entrance wing harm and a 5 second time penalty for inflicting a collision.

Thereafter, Daruvala steadily began making his manner by the sphere. He’d climbed as much as 9^th place when the security automobile was introduced out, triggered by Artem Markelov stopping on the aspect of the monitor. Daruvala didn’t take pleasure in one of the best of re-starts, and ended up dropping a place to Roy Nissany when the race bought underway as soon as once more. Ultimately, he was solely in a position to salvage a 12^th place end.

The Austrian GP marked Daruvala’s first race since becoming a member of Red Bull’s younger driver programme earlier this yr. The transfer as much as F2 places Daruvala only one rung under Formula 1 on the only seater ladder. He’ll have the ability to have one other go at securing a robust end result in Austria with Sunday’s reverse-grid dash race.

Ilott wins Race 1

Callum Ilott received the action-packed season opener on the Red Bull Ring after each Guanyu Zhou and Mick Schumacher bumped into hassle. Polesitter Zhou was main the race when his automobile slowed down with an electronics concern.

Meanwhile, Schumacher’s possibilities of difficult for victory had been swept away when he went off the monitor on the re-start, after dropping the rear of his automobile. The error dropped Schumacher all the way down to 13^th place, leaving Ilott comparatively unchallenged for the remainder of the race.

Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman rounded up the rostrum in 2^nd and three^rd place respectively.

F2 Austrian GP – Race 1 outcomes

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