Invicta Racing brings home points after challenging F2 Barcelona Feature Race.
A 37-lap race around the high-speed Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is no mean feat in any category, but in one as competitive as FIA Formula 2, the stakes are even higher. Being on the right tyre at the right time was crucial, and alternate strategies for the Invicta Racing duo meant their races looked very different, but were separated by just one second as they crossed the line.
The tension was palpable as the drivers took their grid slots, with lower temperatures and the threat of rain providing wildly different conditions to the rest of the weekend thus far. Gabriel Bortoleto lined up in fourth position on the Soft tyre while Kush Maini started tenth on the Hards.
It was a quick launch from Gabriel but he ran out of space and was unable to capitalise into Turn 1. A Safety Car deployment before the end of the first lap stopped play, so he remained in fourth place while Kush had dropped to 13th in the first corner melee. Gabriel fended off a charging Isack Hadjar on the restart to hold position.
On Lap 10, Gabriel pitted and rejoined in 14th. Jack Crawford, who had already got temperature into his new Hard tyres, surged past the Brazilian who, in turn, used that same advantage to get past Franco Colapinto and into a net third place. Kush, meanwhile, was the third of the drivers yet to make a stop.
After two brief Virtual Safety Car periods, Gabriel had risen to what would become second place, and Kush was second after Joshua Dürksen’s retirement. The McLaren junior driver masterfully defended from a resurgent Colapinto on the second restart, but eventually conceded the place on Lap 23.
With his tyres now at the end of their life, Gabriel was unable to repel the advances of Paul Aron, Juan Manuel Correa and Hadjar in the final ten laps. On Lap 28, Kush pitted for the Soft tyres and immediately began making progress, dispatching Richard Verschoor, Ritomo Miyata, Oliver Bearman and Zak O’Sullivan in the space of three laps.
Having risen eight positions in as many laps, Kush closed in on his team-mate at the end of the penultimate lap. The pair went side by side into Turn 1 and, with both drivers on the limit of grip, they made contact. With minimal damage to both cars, the team maintained position, but a post-race penalty for Gabriel dropped him to 10th with Kush finishing sixth.
Results
Gabriel Bortoleto: P10, 1 point
Kush Maini: P6, 8 points
Quotes
GABRIEL BORTOLETO: “That was a tough race. This track is so hard on tyres, so I was struggling for grip early in the second stint. I defended as much as I could from the guys behind, but I had no grip towards the end. What happened with Kush was not ideal, but we’re both racers and we’re always going to fight until the end. We’ll learn from this and move on.”
KUSH MAINI: “The Soft tyres in the final stint worked really well for me and I had a lot of pace, so I could make up ground in the final 10 laps. When I reached Gabriel on the final lap, we were both pushing hard and on the limit of the grip we had. Sometimes these things happen. All we can do now is move forward as a team. All eyes are on the next two races.”
ANDY ROCHE, TEAM PRINCIPAL: “That was a tough race for the team with a lot of different layers to it. Both of our drivers were strong at different points in the race and once again, we had encouraging pace. What happened on the final lap wasn’t the way we wanted to finish the weekend, but we have two talented, motivated drivers who are hungry for results. It’s not the first time this has happened between team-mates in motorsport, and it won’t be the last. What’s important is they are both professional and will put this behind them.”
