Invicta Racing picked up points in the first Sprint Race of the FIA Formula 2 season at the Bahrain International Circuit, with Gabriel Bortoleto and Kush Maini putting in measured drives to move up the order.
As the sun began to set around the desert venue, the 23-lap race began with Gabriel in 10th and Kush at the back of the grid.
There was a mix of drivers racing on Soft tyres, Hard tyres and some opting to make an unconventional pitstop during the race. Invicta Racing’s pair opted for the harder of the two Pirelli compounds for this race.
Gabriel made up a position early in the race, but Kush had a fantastic start and made up five spots. After a short Virtual Safety Car, the cars started to settle into a rhythm as tyre preservation became key.
Both drivers made up places as the race approached its midway point, before coming on very strong in the final laps.
ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins had formed a train behind him over fifth, which Gabriel was in. The reigning FIA Formula 3 champion, on his FIA F2 debut, carved his way through the opposition in the final laps with decisiveness.
Similarly, Kush worked up the order into 13th with some strong lap times to complete a solid recovery drive. Gabriel finished sixth and was just a tenth behind Hitech’s Paul Aron at the chequered flag.
The curtain-raiser sets the scene for Saturday’s Feature Race, scheduled for 13:30 Arabian Standard Time (UTC +3).
SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
- Kush Maini: P13
- Gabriel Bortoleto: P06, three points
Kush Maini
I was happy with my start today. I had to play it safe as I wanted to finish the race and gather data for tomorrow. The potential is there in the car. The team and I know exactly what to do tomorrow, as we look towards a stronger Feature Race. Today was all about learning and tomorrow we will aim to put it all together.
Gabriel Bortoleto
It was a very fun FIA Formula 2 debut; we had some enjoyable moments. We managed the tyres during the race and then made some nice moves towards the middle and end of the race. When I realised we had the chance to move up the order, as we were on the Hard tyre with many of our competitors on Softs, I fully sent it. It was good for us to understand where we are for tomorrow, particularly about tyre preservation and how to manage the race.
