Richard Verschoor has won the opening Formula 2 race of the season, taking out the Sprint race in Bahrain.

A strong start saw the Swiss driver take control of the encounter, holding the initiative until the flag to take Trident’s first F2 win since 2016.

Jack Doohan finished 10th, dropping out of the points in the final laps, while Calan Williams came home 16th.

Verschoor headed the field through the opening corner as the pole sitter, Felipe Drugovich, fell to sixth on the opening lap after a poor getaway.

Doohan gained two spots in the opening exchanges, while going the other way was Calan Williams who slipped to 20th from 12th.

Williams’ cause was the decision to head out on the harder compound tyre, one of just two drivers to make that call.

An aggressive start saw Theo Pourchaire climb up the order rapidly, rising four places by the end of Lap 2 of 23.

Contact between Jake Hughes and Marcus Armstrong saw the latter spin and stall the engine at Turn 8, forcing the Safety Car out on track as the Kiwi retired.

The race resumed at the start of Lap 6, Verschoor heading Ralph Boschung and Jehan Daruvala.

Under the Safety Car, Drugovich reported that Pourchaire’s car was spitting out, the Frenchman promptly falling down the order once the field was released.

It saw Doohan inherit sixth place, fending off the advances of Juri Vips at Turn 4 on Lap 7.

The race then settled down into a more predictable affair, with Verschoor building a small but decisive lead.

Drugovich’s pursuit of Liam Lawson for fourth was the focal point, the pair inching clear of Doohan.

As they started Lap 13, Vips sent it up the inside on Doohan into Turn 1 to move up to sixth, the Australian opting not to defend to place.

A Virtual Safety Car with seven laps remaining neutralised the field after Clement Novalak dislodged his front wing, leaving debris on the track at Turn 4.

In the final laps, Boschong slipped off the podium, losing out to Daruvala and Lawson as his tyres screamed enough.

On the penultimate lap, Doohan dropped out of the points as Ayumu Iwasa stole eighth, the Japanese driver having charged from the back of the grid.

Dennis Hauger also found a way through to take ninth, Doohan completing the 23 lap affair in 10th.

The race was won by Vershoor who controlled the race effectively from the start, followed home by Daruvala and Lawson.