F2: Bearman makes it two in two with Azerbaijan Feature Race win

Oliver Bearman claimed a memorable double in Baku, adding Feature Race victory to his Sprint Race triumph yesterday in a statement weekend for the Briton. The Ferrari Academy and PREMA Racing driver won in style, controlling the race from the front on an impressive weekend for the Formula 2 rookie.

Red Bull Junior Team Driver Enzo Fittipaldi secured his first podium of the year in P2, ahead of ART Grand Prix and Sauber Academy driver, Theo Pourchaire, who claimed the lead of the drivers’ standings with P3.

Bearman held the lead from pole at lights out as Pourchaire made quick work of Fittipaldi for P2 behind the Briton. With DRS enabled and entering Lap 3, the ART Grand Prix driver cleared Bearman into Turn 1 to take the lead of the race. A lap later and Bearman paid the favour back, retaking the lead at the first corner.

Frederik Vesti kicked off the pit stop phase on Lap 7 while Bearman left it until Lap 9 to pit from the lead, retaining the effective lead. Only Hadjar and Iwasa remained ahead, running the alternate strategy and yet to pit.

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Bearman maintained the effective race lead in third, managing the gap to Pourchaire behind. The pair swapped fastest sectors with the gap hovering around a second for a number of laps in the middle-phase of the race, but the ART driver couldn’t quite break into DRS range of the Briton.

Enzo Fittipaldi pulled off a sweep around the outside of Pourchaire at Turn 3 to take second from the Frenchman entering the closing stages on Lap 24.

With a comfortable gap over the other podium contenders, Bearman brought it home to claim his second race win of the season.

For an in-depth recap of the race, read the full race report on the Formula 2 website here.