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F2 Zandvoort: Drugovich closes in on title with feature race win

Felipe Drugovich took his fifth FIA Formula 2 win of the season in Zandvoort, putting one hand on the title with two rounds remaining.

Felipe Drugovich, MP Motorsport celebrates victory in parc ferme

Felipe Drugovich, MP Motorsport celebrates victory in parc ferme

Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The MP Motorsport driver cruised to victory at his team’s home race, enduring a red flag and two safety cars for a lights-to-flag win.

Drugovich could now secure the title at Monza next weekend, with main rival Theo Pourchaire scoring just one point this weekend after crashing in qualifying.

A chaotic feature race saw five drivers eliminated, including Jack Doohan, who was running in second before a crash on the second safety car restart, which will be investigated after the race.

Richard Verschoor inherited second place at his home race for Trident, with Ayumu Iwasa completing the podium for DAMS.

Drugovich dominated from the start, with Doohan running a close second.

Logan Sargeant, who lined up third, went off at Turn 1 through the gravel before rejoining, but his race ended several corners later after contact with Ralph Boschung sent him into the Turn 7 barrier.

The safety car was initially deployed, behind which David Beckmann and Roy Nissany made contact, before a red flag period ensued as barrier repairs were made after Sargeant’s collision.

The pack headed out behind the safety car for a rolling restart, with Drugovich leading the way ahead of Doohan and Prema’s Dennis Hauger.

Doohan was within 0.5s of Drugovich just two laps later, the Virtuosi driver hoping to repeat his feature race win at Spa last weekend.

The pitstops began on lap seven, with Hauger the first of the leading pack to stop and swap to the hard compound tyres along with Enzo Fittipaldi.

Doohan suffered a serious flat spot after locking up while trying a move for the lead at Turn 1, forcing him to pit on lap 12, with Iwasa also stopping.

Drugovich then the following lap, emerging ahead of his Australian rival and Tatiana Calderon, who Doohan then passed.

The Brazilian driver retained his net lead, running eighth on track, with Verschoor in a net third.

Racing was neutralised again on lap 17 after Marino Sato suffered a pitstop malfunction which saw him exit with his front left tyre not fitted properly and crashed into the wall at Turn 2.

Liam Lawson led the field on track into the restart, having yet to stop, ahead of Marcus Armstrong and Frederik Vesti.

But as the Carlin driver bunched up the pack and let the field go late, Verschoor rear-ended Doohan, ending his race.

MP Motorsport’s Clement Novalak and Calderon (Charouz) were also out with damage after the chaotic restart, with Verschoor continuing despite his damage, and the safety car was immediately redeployed.

Lawson went early on the third restart, with Armstrong, Roy Nissany and Ralph Boschung immediately diving into the pits.

Pourchaire, who was running behind the New Zealander, pitted next, emerging in 14th, before Lawson also pitted to hand Vesti the on-track lead.

Once he stopped, Drugovich took charge, with Verschoor and Iwasa behind him, while title rival Pourchaire continued his push on soft tyres, eventually making it up to 10th for the final points paying position.

Hauger finished fourth, having taken third in Saturday’s sprint race, with Fittipaldi in fifth having started 13th.

Amaury Cordeel finished sixth for Van Amersfoort Racing at their home race to take his first points of the season, with Vips in seventh, Beckmann in eighth and Olli Caldwell, returning from his ban at Spa, in ninth for Campos.

F2 Zandvoort - Feature race results:

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