Prema Racing’s Ollie Bearman secured an exciting win in the Qatar Sprint Race, overtaking Isack Hadjar with just three laps remaining, before the race concluded behind the safety car. This victory marked Bearman’s third of the season, ahead of DAMS driver Jak Crawford and MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor. However, a late spin for Hadjar cost him not only second place but also a chance to reclaim the championship lead. This was Ferrari junior driver's Qatar debut helping him get his seventh win overall.
Early Race Drama and Strategy Choices
Hadjar, starting from the inside of the front row, was one of five drivers to choose the medium compound tyre, a decision that paid off early as he surged ahead. Meanwhile, Bearman, using the harder compound tyres, started from pole and immediately took the lead. But Hadjar, with the extra grip from his softer tyres, quickly closed the gap and passed Bearman into Turn 10 on Lap 2.
Over the next two laps, Hadjar built a 3.5-second lead, but could not increase it further. The Red Bull junior driver began to complain about issues with his front-left tyre after just eight laps, which put him on the back foot. By the race’s halfway point, Bearman had reduced the gap to 1.6 seconds, eventually moving into DRS range with eight laps remaining.
Bearman Takes Control, Hadjar Spins
On Lap 21, Bearman made his move. He dove inside Hadjar at Turn 1 to take the lead, and although Hadjar tried to stay close, he spun at Turn 4, slipping to fourth place. With the top positions now shifting, Jak Crawford, who had been struggling for pace early on, managed to climb into second place after Hadjar’s mistake.
Meanwhile, ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins, also on medium tyres, had a strong start, jumping from seventh to third at the beginning of the race. However, Martins began to struggle with his tyres mid-race and faced mounting pressure from Crawford. Martins managed to hold off Crawford for several laps, frustrating his pursuer, but eventually fell to 10th after losing pace and being passed by several cars.
Race Neutralized by Safety Car
The race’s dramatic conclusion came as a result of an incident involving Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli attempted to dive inside Kush Maini at Turn 1 but was caught out by Martins, who was struggling for grip. Antonelli collided with Maini, and both cars spun off the track, bringing out the safety car. This neutralized the race, allowing Bearman to take the victory under caution.
Verschoor Makes a Podium Comeback
Richard Verschoor, making his return to MP Motorsport after switching from Trident, showed impressive resilience. He fought off early pressure from Hitech GP’s Paul Aron, then capitalized on Martins’ tyre struggles and Hadjar’s spin to finish in third place. Aron, despite falling back from Verschoor, managed to maintain his title hopes by finishing fifth.
Bortoleto Maintains Championship Lead
Gabriel Bortoleto, despite a difficult race, finished in sixth and retained his lead in the championship standings. The Brazilian driver had a few off-track moments while battling Aron but managed to take the checkered flag in a solid position. Behind him, Rodin Motorsport’s Ritomo Miyata and Zane Maloney rounded out the points finishers in seventh and eighth.
Race Results
1. Ollie Bearman (Prema) – 40m51.281s
2. Jak Crawford (DAMS) – +0.295s
3. Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport) – +0.580s
4. Isack Hadjar (Campos Racing) – +0.910s
5. Paul Aron (Hitech GP) – +1.059s
6. Gabriel Bortoleto (Invicta Racing) – +1.227s
7. Ritomo Miyata (Rodin Motorsport) – +1.544s
8. Zane Maloney (Rodin Motorsport) – +1.751s
9. Joshua Duerksen (AIX Racing) – +1.905s
10. Victor Martins (ART Grand Prix) – +2.868s
11. Dino Beganovic (DAMS) – +3.223s
12. Luke Browning (ART Grand Prix) – +3.532s
13. John Bennett (Van Amersfoort Racing) – +4.151s
14. Max Esterson (Trident) – +4.760s
15. Christian Mansell (Trident) – +5.340s
16. Amaury Cordeel (Hitech GP) – +6.053s
17. Rafael Villagomez (Van Amersfoort Racing) – +6.517s
18. Cian Shields (AIX Racing) – +6.966s
Ret: Kush Maini (Invicta Racing)
Ret: Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Prema)
Ret: Oliver Goethe (MP Motorsport)
Ret: Pepe Marti (Campos Racing)
Championship Standings
1. Gabriel Bortoleto – 173.5
2. Isack Hadjar – 170
3. Paul Aron – 137
4. Zane Maloney – 136
5. Jak Crawford – 124
6. Andrea Kimi Antonelli – 113
7. Franco Colapinto – 96
8. Victor Martins – 93
9. Richard Verschoor – 86
10. Dennis Hauger – 85.5
Bearman’s victory has added another exciting chapter to what is proving to be a thrilling F2 season. With Bortoleto still leading the championship, the battle for the title is set to intensify as the season nears its conclusion.