Colton Herta Endures Tough Formula 2 Sprint Debut as Joshua Duerksen Claims Victory

Colton Herta endured a difficult start to his Formula 2 campaign as his debut sprint race with Hitech Grand Prix failed to deliver the result he was hoping for.

The 26-year-old, who moved into the series after several successful seasons in NTT IndyCar Series, qualified 14th but slipped further back during the race, ultimately finishing 16th without scoring points or making significant progress through the field.

While Herta struggled toward the rear, the battle at the front was far more dramatic. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak initially held the lead, but Oliver Goethe quickly passed Joshua Duerksen in the opening stages. Goethe’s charge was short-lived, however, as he spun on the second lap and dropped down the order.

Duerksen soon made his move on Inthraphuvasak to take control of the race. Further back, a tense battle unfolded around the edge of the top ten, with Nikola Tsolov spinning after pressuring Richard Verschoor, allowing several drivers to gain positions.

Martinius Stenshorne was later handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track while running in fifth place, adding another twist to the strategy calculations mid-race. As the sprint progressed, the field was neutralized when Mari Boya crashed into the barriers on lap 15, bringing out the safety car.

When racing resumed, Duerksen executed the restart perfectly and quickly pulled clear of the pack. The Paraguayan controlled the closing laps and secured the sprint race victory in commanding fashion.

Elsewhere in the midfield, several late moves reshuffled the order as drivers fought for the final points-paying positions, with the last few laps producing a flurry of overtakes before the checkered flag.

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