Redemption comes for Hadjar with F2 Feature Race win

The Formula 2 Feature race was riddled with non-stop action, with multiple incidents and flat-out racing rewarding Isack Hadjar with the perfect recovery race win. 

It was a surprisingly clean run down to the first corner, with incidents unfolding just two turns later.

Yesterday’s Sprint winner was sent spinning at Turn 3 after Zak O’Sullivan tagged him, seeing Roman Stank ending the opening lap in last place.

O’Sullivan was given a 10-second penalty for causing the collision. 

In search of the championship lead, pole-man Dennis Hauger defended valiantly from Kimi Antonelli behind.

The pairing tussled across the 5.2km lap, with the F3 rookie getting the jump at the same corner he found himself facing the wrong way yesterday.

By the second lap, however, roles were reversed, and the MP Motorsport car was back in the lead.

Victor Martins had a flying first lap after launching down the outside off the line.

The ART Grand Prix racer picked off nine cars to sit in P12, moving up to eleventh by Lap 4.

On Lap 6, drivers avoid two near-race-ending incidents, with Martins dipping a wheel into the dirt at Turn 7 and Zane Maloney doing similar at Turn 10.

Antonelli had an answer for Hauger’s attempted breakaway, remaining within the Norwegian’s DRS range.

The Mercedes Junior had company behind, however, with Kush Maini just over five-tenths behind.

After spinning out at the penultimate corner, Joshua Durksen’s stranded PHM prompted the first interruption of the race.

A Virtual Safety Car was declared on Lap 7, with racing resuming on Lap 9.

During the VSC, both Bortoleto and O’Sullivan retired, joining the wounded PHM in the pitlane. 

Maini was the real winner of the VSC, pitting and rejoining in P2.

Kush Maini racing in The Australian Grand Prix. Image: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images.

He instantly passed Hauger, prompting the rest of the grid to follow suit on the next lap.

As the second-placed #11 exited the pits, Maini had an advantage of almost 9 seconds with Antonelli sitting in P9.

That number drastically became irrelevant, however, when Hauger crashed out of the race at Turn 7.

Hauger’s car seemingly malfunctioned mid-corner, sending him hurdling across the gravel and into the wall. 

What was originally a VSC soon upgraded to a full safety car, with gravel sprayed across the circuit and the Norwegian’s car laying in the middle of the high-speed micro-sector.

The medical car was also deployed, with Hauger reportedly ok.

Conditions went green on Lap 16, with Maini’s advantage neutralised. 

Despite this, Maini dashed away early, losing Correa down the main straight. 

Two drivers yet to stop, Enzo Fittipaldi and Jak Crawford, raced side-by-side through the opening sector, with the American getting the jump.

Isack Hadjar, yesterday’s demoted race winner, began passing those yet to stop.

The Frenchman passed Barnard before moving onto Fittipaldi into Turn 10.

Antonelli was instructed to start doing the same, losing touch with Hadjar as he got held up behind the used tyre runners.

At the back of the field, Pepe Marti’s late braking backfired, with the Campos Racing driver rear-ending Oliver Bearman.

Despite the added time, the drivers were ok to continue on, racing down to Turn 12.

At Turn 12, however, Rafael Villagomez had an incident of his own, running into the gravel in a dusty display of racing. 

The Van Amersfoort racer continued on, losing places as he rejoined.

Paul Aron darted into Antonelli as he passed him on the run to Turn 11, a move that demoted the Italian into P8. 

Paul Aron racing in Albert Park. Image: Mark Sutton / Sutton Images.

Hadjar secured the the fastest lap on Lap 20, maintaining the net-lead as he ran officially in P4. 

With ten laps to go, the pressure intensified.

Elbows were out as Stanek locked up into the first corner, defending from Fittipaldi behind.

Fittipaldi’s efforts were lost when he ran into the gravel at Turn 3, losing places to Aron, Antonelli, and Maloney.

The trio hunting down a second-place finish traded portions into Turn 10, with the young Italian coming out on top.

That was short-lived, however, when Antonelli was demoted by both Aron and Maloney.

The Rodin driver avoided contact with the wall, spraying dust over the circuit as he rounded Turn 7, his position not impacted. 

Aron began closing the gap to Hadjar, sitting 4.6 seconds behind the Campos driver as they started Lap 29.

Bearman’s race was summed up in a lonesome spin at Turn 1, with the Prema losing the rear on entry. 

He stayed in P15, almost five seconds behind Martins. 

The front runners who were yet to stop finally relinquished their medium tyres on Lap 31.

Correa was the first to stop, with Crawford and Maini fighting for the lead before dipping into the pits.

With the order now representative on Lap 32, it was Hadjar in the lead, with Aron and Maloney a safe distance behind. 

On the final lap, the Campos Racing driver cruised home to take the top step, taking the victory by 4.7 seconds.

Paul Aron crossed the line in second place, taking the fastest lap of 1:30.977s in the process.

Zane Maloney completed the podium positions, with Antonelli forced to settle for P4.

Formula 2 travels to Imola next for their fourth round of the championship, taking place from May 17th to 19th.

Feature Race Results:

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