Ramon Pineiro scored his second consecutive victory in the FIA Formula Two Championship with a lights-to-flag win at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
The Spaniard kept hold of the lead from pole position at the start, and pulled away from championship leader Mirko Bortolotti over the course of the race. He took the checkered flag with a margin of 5.4 seconds over the Austro-Italian.
“I knew that the start was very important so I made sure I got to the first corner first and after that my pace was the fastest out there,” said Pineiro afterwards. “I just tried to build up the gap smoothly and make no mistakes and bring the car home to take the win.
“The temperature was quite high outside and to keep your concentration in the high temperatures is very tough especially when you’re on your own. You must keep your focus and I think I managed it.”
The race began with a dramatic incident as Jack Clarke and Johannes Theobald touched wheels under breaking for Turn 1, pitching the latter into a roll – his second such accident in three meetings after a similar take-off at the Nurburgring. Again he was able to walk away unscathed.
Christopher Zanella had started third but fell to fifth after running wide on the opening lap. This allowed Mihai Marinescu to score his maiden podium finish after keeping Alex Brundle at bay. Zanella meanwhile lost fifth to Clarke, who recovered from his Turn 1 incident, before receiving a drive-through penalty for exceeding track limits which dropped him to 12th at the finish.
Clarke had benefited from an incident at the start of the second lap, where Mikkel Mac outbraked GP3 convert Luciano Bacheta into Turn 1 only to run too deep and take out Miki Monras. Bacheta made it home in seventh, behind Julian Theobald. Benjamin Lariche took eighth, with James Cole and Plamen Kralev completing the top ten.
With Zanella and Monras both failing to score, Bortolotti's second place was enough to extend his points lead from 36 to 54 points.
Race 1 results – 26 laps:
1. Ramon Pineiro, 26 laps
2. Mirko Bortolotti, +5.401s
3. Mihai Marinescu, +14.153s
4. Alex Brundle, +14.574s
5. Jack Clarke, +26.893s
6. Julian Theobald, +31.358s
7. Luciano Bacheta, +34.381s
8. Benjamin Lariche, +35.115s
9. James Cole, +41.405s
10.Plamen Kralev, +47.603s
