Kimi Antonelli’s tactical acumen shone in Budapest as he secured a pivotal Formula 2 victory, outmaneuvering his rivals during crucial safety car periods.
In a remarkable display of strategic racing, Kimi Antonelli (Prema) clinched victory in the main Formula 2 race in Budapest, skilfully exploiting the safety car periods to deny Victor Martins (ART Grand Prix) the win.
The 17-year-old Italian rookie’s triumph is timely as the Formula 1 driver market approaches its crucial phase. Such performances undoubtedly strengthen Toto Wolff’s resolve to promote his protégé to the Mercedes seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton next year.
Antonelli took advantage of two race neutralisations to advance in the standings, particularly with well-timed tyre changes, and finished ahead of Martins—who secured his second podium of the weekend—and Richard Verschoor (Trident), who was victorious but disqualified the previous day.
Gabriel Bortoleto (Invicta) crossed the finish line in fourth place, garnering valuable points by placing ahead of Enzo Fittipaldi (VAR), Dennis Hauger (MP Motorsport), Kush Maini (Invicta), and Ritomo Miyata.
F2 Championship Stands Unchanged
Misfortune struck championship leader Isack Hadjar (Campos), who was compelled to start from the pitlane and then made a futile attempt to recover, but his two closest title rivals, Paul Aron (Hitech GP) and Zane Maloney (Rodin), collided. This left the Frenchman leading the provisional standings with a comfortable 20-point lead.
Race results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Prema | 1h02m |
| 2 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix | +12.528s |
| 3 | Richard Verschoor | Trident | +13.355s |
| 4 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Virtuosi Racing | +14.819s |
| 5 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Van Amersfoort Racing | +18.516s |
| 6 | Dennis Hauger | MP Motorsport | +19.179s |
| 7 | Kush Maini | Virtuosi Racing | +20.270s |
| 8 | Ritomo Miyata | Rodin Motorsport | +20.498s |
| 9 | Taylor Barnard | AIX Racing | +21.193s |
| 10 | Rafael Villagomez | Van Amersfoort Racing | +23.310s |
| 11 | Roman Stanek | Trident | +24.882s |
| 12 | Pepe Marti | Campos Racing | +26.705s |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | MP Motorsport | +28.408s |
| 14 | Zak O’Sullivan | ART Grand Prix | +31.105s |
| 15 | Ollie Bearman | Prema | +31.507s |
| 16 | Juan Manuel Correa | DAMS | +31.883s |
| 17 | Jak Crawford | DAMS | +32.868s |
| 18 | Isack Hadjar | Campos Racing | +33.754s |
| 19 | Joshua Duerksen | AIX Racing | +44.655s |
| Ret | Amaury Cordeel | Hitech GP | |
| Ret | Zane Maloney | Rodin Motorsport | |
| Ret | Paul Aron | Hitech GP |
the championship standings
| Position | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hadjar | 140 |
| 2 | Aron | 122 |
| 3 | Bortoleto | 110 |
| 4 | Maloney | 101 |
| 5 | Colapinto | 96 |
| 6 | Antonelli | 85 |
| 7 | Crawford | 84 |
| 8 | Hauger | 79 |
| 9 | Maini | 74 |
| 10 | Fittipaldi | 58 |
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Antonelli Clinches F2 Victory with Strategic Mastery Antonelli Clinches F2 Victory with Strategic Mastery
