A barnstorming drive from Richard Verschoor saw the Dutch driver claim an unlikely win in a thrilling Formula 2 Feature race in Austria.
The emergence of the Safety Car in the latter third of the race turned the encounter on its head, playing in favour of those who’d started on the soft compound tyres.
Verschoor timed his stop perfectly and held a strong pace advantage in the final 10 laps to carve his way through the pack before running down Frederik Vesti for the race lead on the penultimate lap.
He then fended off Ayumu Iwasa on the final lap, who also had a late tyre advantage, while Frederik Vesti slipped to third after leading =much of the race.
A poor start from Victor Martins saw Vesti shoot into a clear lead while Theo Pourchaire also moved by the pole sitter when the field reached the first corner.
Jack Doohan held position at the start, his early attacks on Kush Maini being refuted, the Indian driver turning defence into attack as he put a move on Martins at Turn 3 on Lap 2.
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The move also opened the door for Doohan, the Australian using DRS to ease by the part to climb to third.
After seven laps, the shape of the race began to change as those who’d started on the super soft tyres began to struggle for pace.
Amaury Cordeel and Zane Maloney were the first to pit while Enzo Fittipaldi, who started on the soft rubber, began to march forward.
The Brazilian had started ninth, moving to fifth by the start of Lap 8.
Doohan stopped on Lap 9, a lap after Pourchaire had taken to the lane, while Vesti opted to extend his opening stint an extra lap.
The Danish driver emerged still in the effective lead over Pourchaire and Doohan, the first on the road to have stopped in 11th overall.
After a sedate period in the race, a brief battle developed for second place.
Doohan had reeled in Pourchaire, scything by the Frenchman into Turn 3 on Lap 25.
Yet to stop, Fittipaldi continued to lead, the Brazilian 16.7s ahead of the effective race leader, Vesti as they started Lap 26.
With solid speed despite the age of his tyres, it suggested the Red Bull-backed driver would be somewhere in touching distance once he emerged from the lane.
However, with a new set of super softs to be fitted, he would be rapid in the closing stages.
The window for that stop opened when Arthur Leclerc pulled off the road exiting Turn 4 sans rear wheel which had not been fitted correctly to the rear right.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed in the first instance before the full Safety Car was sent out.
However, Fittipaldi did not take to the lane, a decision that would see him plummet down the order once he did box given the field had compressed.
It was positive news for Doohan, who had a more than four-second deficit to Vesti.
Fittipaldi took to the lane at the end of Lap 29 once the field had queued up behind the Safety Car and a lap later than many of his rivals.
He rejoined in ninth place on the road but could have been much higher up the order had he pitted even a lap earlier.
The field was released at the start of Lap 33, Vesti heading Doohan, Pourchaire, and Martins.
Richard Verschoor had a new set of super soft tyres in fifth, and immediately mugged Martins into Turn 1. Half a lap later, Pourchaire fell victim too.
The Virtual Safety Car was thrown when Maini was forced to pull off the road with a puncture, stopping near a gap in the wall on the run to Turn 2.
It was good news for Vesti and Doohan as it halted Verschoor’s charge and stole precious time away from the Dutchman.
The Virtual Safety Car was withdrawn as Vesti rounded Turn 4 with five laps remaining.
A leading quartet developed, with Iwasa having also scythed forward courtesy of the alternate strategy, joining Verschoor, Doohan and Vesti.
Doohan was relegated to third at Turn 4 on Lap 38, Iwasa following him through to drop the Australian off the podium.
Vesti lost out exiting Turn 3 on the next lap, giving Verschoor the inside line into Turn 4 and with it the race lead.
Iwasa then monstered the rear of the Prema driver, pulling off an audacious move around the outside of Turn 6.
Iwasa began attacking Verschoor on the final lap while Vesti had the attentions of Doohan behind them.
The leaders ran wheel to wheel through Turn 4, the pair well clear of the pack courtesy of their tyre advantage.
Versschoor hung on for an unlikely win from Iwasa, Vesti maintaining third ahead of Doohan, Oliver Bearman, Fittipaldi, Pourchaire, Jak Crawford, and Martins.
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