BENNETT TAKES FIRST F2 SPRINT WIN, CAMARA PENALIZED
The Formula 2 Sprint Race began in dramatic fashion almost immediately after the lights went out. John Bennett made a strong start and quickly took control of the race, leading into Turn 1 ahead of Sebastian Montoya and Rafael Villagómez.
A major crash at Turn 3 triggered an early Safety Car, with multiple cars involved in a chain reaction. Inthraphuvasak and Goethe were spun in the incident, and several others were caught up in the chaos, including Nikola Tsolov, Stenshorne, Emmo Fittipaldi Jr., and Durksen. Rafael Câmara made contact with Inthraphuvasak, which set off part of the accident, while Goethe also spun as a result. Goethe, Inthraphuvasak, and Fittipaldi Jr. all forced to retire. Beganovic also sustained damage and had to pit early.
After a long interruption, the race restarted and immediately returned to action. Bennett maintained the lead, while battles formed throughout the field. Rafael Câmara showed early pace, climbing into the top positions and briefly setting the fastest lap as he fought inside the leading group.
Sebastian Montoya then made a key move, diving down the inside at Turn 4 to take the lead from Bennett and briefly controlling the race. From there, the leading group remained tightly packed, with constant pressure building as the laps ticked down. At the same time, several drivers recovered from early setbacks, including Colton Herta, who climbed from the back of the grid into the top 10 before later retiring due to technical issues.
Dunne and Câmara fought hard in the top five, as he began to struggle with pace and gradually lost positions. Minì and others capitalised on his drop in speed, pushing him further down the order.
With just a few laps remaining, Montoya began to struggle with tyre degradation and made several visible mistakes under pressure. Bennett stayed close and waited for his opportunity. In the closing laps, Montoya’s car became unstable, and a critical error opened the door for Bennett to retake the lead.
On the final lap, John Bennett completed the move and held firm to take his first ever Formula 2 victory in a tense and unpredictable sprint race. Montoya finished second after a strong but costly defensive effort, while Villagómez completed the podium after a consistent drive.
After the chequered flag, further drama followed when Rafael Câmara received a post-race five-second penalty for his involvement in the Turn 3 incident. The penalty dropped him from sixth to ninth, pushing him out of the points and promoting Nikola Tsolov into eighth place.
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