Zak O’Sullivan Takes Dramatic Maiden Formula 2 Victory In Monte Carlo

Zak O’Sullivan secured his first-ever Formula 2 win in a thrilling Monte Carlo Feature Race, taking advantage of a late Virtual Safety Car to clinch victory. Starting from P15, the ART Grand Prix driver managed to capitalize on a perfectly timed pit stop to emerge as the leader and hold off fierce competition.

Race Recap

Early Challenges:

• Richard Verschoor made a quick start from pole position in his Trident car, while Victor Martins, starting from the front row, fell down the order. This allowed Isack Hadjar and Paul Aron to move up to second and third, respectively.
• Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto used his Supersoft tyres effectively, moving up to eighth after overtaking Dennis Hauger at Turn 6.

Incidents and Pit Strategies:

• On Lap 4, Jak Crawford (DAMS Lucas Oil) stopped on track after a collision with Kush Maini (Invicta Racing), bringing out a Safety Car.
• By Lap 10, Bortoleto was pushing to catch up with Oliver Bearman, who had climbed from 12th to P7.
• Verschoor faced issues with his car, reducing his three-second lead over Hadjar.

Mid-Race Developments:

• At the halfway point, Hitech and PREMA Racing gambled with pit stops for Supersoft tyres for Aron and Antonelli.
• Hadjar overtook Verschoor down the main straight as Verschoor’s car issues worsened. Verschoor eventually retired after receiving a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off track.

Late-Race Drama:

• On Lap 36, Hadjar reported hitting the wall but managed to continue, fending off Aron.
• A collision between Joshua Duerksen and Zane Maloney on Lap 40 brought out the Virtual Safety Car, providing a crucial opportunity for O’Sullivan.

Final Stages:

• O’Sullivan, the last runner on the alternative strategy, pitted under the VSC, rejoining the race ahead of Hadjar on the penultimate lap.
• In a tense final lap, O’Sullivan held off Hadjar to take his maiden Formula 2 victory.

Key Quotes

“Just won the Feature Race in Monaco, bit of a crazy race starting from 15th, didn’t really expect it but pace was strong and again luck was on my side with the VSC at the end. But super happy for the team, it’s been a tricky start to the year but it’s finally good to get a big result and a big boost for the rest of the season,” said Zak O’Sullivan.

Championship Standings

For the first time this season, Paul Aron leads the Drivers’ Championship with 80 points, thanks to his fifth podium finish of the year. Isack Hadjar is close behind with 78 points, followed by Zane Maloney in third with 69 points. Dennis Hauger is fourth with 56 points, and Gabriel Bortoleto rounds out the top five with 50 points.

In the Teams’ Standings, Campos Racing maintains the lead with 104 points, while Hitech Pulse-Eight moves up to second with 95 points. MP Motorsport is third with 94 points, followed by Rodin Motorsport with 85 points and Invicta Racing with 84 points.

Provisional Classification from Feature Race

Up Next

There is a brief break before the next race weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from June 21-23, where the Formula 2 drivers will continue to battle for championship points.