All images ©: Dutch Photo Agency
Gabriel Bortoleto stormed to a maiden Formula 2 victory in the Red Bull Ring Feature Race, having carved a path through the alternate strategy runners with a resolute and composed drive.
A 40-lap race may sound like a gruelling ordeal, but at the Red Bull Ring, it’s over in the blink of an eye. Grabbing an opportunity with both hands is even more crucial, then, and Gabriel Bortoleto did just that.
Starting from third on the grid, the Brazilian was in the pound seat ahead of the race start. But before the field of 22 Formula 2 drivers could get going, several cars stalled on the grid, Kush Maini among them, meaning a pitlane start for the Indian driver.
READ MORE: Austria Qualifying report
Lights out at the Red Bull Ring
Dennis Hauger – who occupied pole position – was another driver to stall, leaving Gabriel with a clear run to Turn 1. He used it to good effect and slotted in behind Joshua Dürksen who launched from the front row. Gabriel bided his time and on the fourth tour, he seized the lead of the race, extending the gap to over a second in short order.
A brief Virtual Safety Car period allowed a faster pitstop for Pepe Martí who would come into play later on, but also for Franco Colapinto to close within DRS range of Gabriel. Having retained the lead, he pitted on Lap 8 for a fresh set of Soft tyres. Re-joining in 13th, the aforementioned Martí was the only driver ahead to have already pitted. Gabriel quickly set about closing the gap.
The hunt is on
By quarter race distance, Kush had made his way inside the top ten. Meanwhile, Gabriel was setting the fastest lap of the race in his pursuit of Martí, bringing a five-second gap down to under a second within a handful of laps. In the space of another three laps, the #10 driver had scythed past his team-mate, Martí and then Roman Stanek to secure fifth on the road and a net race lead.
With Martí and team-mate Isack Hadjar squabbling behind, Gabriel was free to hunt down Jack Crawford and Zak O’Sullivan ahead. Having dispatched them both, only Colapinto and Amaury Cordeel were yet to pit, but on Lap 33 Gabriel was finally released into the lead with a 2.5-second gap to Hadjar.
Further back, Kush was setting the fastest lap of the race; a blistering pace on fresh tyres but still not enough to overcome his woes at the start of the race. At the front, Gabriel would not be denied a maiden F2 win, increasing the buffer back to the battling quartet of Hadjar, Martí, a resurgent Colapinto and Paul Aron.
A first Formula 2 win for Bortoleto
Eventually, Gabriel crossed the line with a four-second gap to Colpainto to take a euphoric first victory, after a decisive and mature drive through the field. A result that thrust him into championship contention and third in the overall standings; a statement of intent for the rest of the field. Kush crossed the line 17th after a challenging day in Austria.
READ MORE: Austria Sprint Race report
Austria F2 FEATURE RACE RESULTS:
- Gabriel Bortoleto: P1, 25 points
- Kush Maini: P17
Invicta Racing team Quotes
GABRIEL BORTOLETO:
This is an incredible feeling. We've had some opportunities this year to take our first win, but I've made some mistakes. Finally, we put everything together today. We had amazing pace and an amazing car. I’m so happy. The speed has always been there, especially in qualifying, but it’s great to finally bring it all together in the race. From now on, I expect nothing less than this. It’s even more special to achieve this result wearing my Senna tribute helmet and with the support of his family behind me. I also have McLaren to thank. I am where I am today because of the support of Andrea [Stella] and the whole team. And then, of course, there is Invicta Racing. The team have been working so hard to get on top of this car and getting the win with them today is really special. I couldn't have done it without them.
KUSH MAINI:
That was a tough race for me. Without a Safety Car, there wasn’t an opportunity to come back from a pit lane start so we were stuck in no man’s land. I want to say a big congratulations to Gabriel and the whole team for a great win today. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come, and we can achieve more results like that in the second half of the season.
ANDY ROCHE, TEAM PRINCIPAL:
What an amazing drive from Gabriel. It was a calm, collected and mature race that he had to earn. It wasn’t just handed to him. He withstood pressure from Colapinto, Hadjar and Martí, as well as fighting through all the traffic. It’s put him right in the fight for the championship so let’s see what we can achieve in the coming races. It was a real shame for Kush today. There was no way for him to regain the ground he lost at the start, but I know he’ll come back stronger at Silverstone.
