Another podium with Laurens Van Hoepen
The FIA Formula 2 Championship kicked off its ninth round of the season at the Hungaroring, which today saw the drivers of the junior category compete in the Sprint Race. Trident Motorsport secured a prestigious third-place finish with Laurens Van Hoepen. The 20-year-old Dutchman brought the Milan-based team, based in Ossona, back to the podium in the series. John Bennett also put in a strong performance, completing a comeback race in tenth place, just shy of the points.
Yesterday's qualifying session saw Van Hoepen finish sixth and Bennett fourteenth. Thanks to the reversal of the top ten qualifying times on the Sprint Race starting grid, the 20-year-old Dutchman started from fifth place, while Bennett kicked off from the seventh row of the grid.
When the lights went out, Van Hoepen held fifth place, staying in the leading group and intelligently managing the early stages of the race. Bennett, on the other hand, made an excellent start, allowing him to immediately gain two positions and begin a steady climb toward the top ten.
As the laps progressed, Van Hoepen maintained a competitive pace, staying close to the leaders and ready to take advantage of every opportunity. The decisive moment came at the end when a collision between two rivals, right in front of his car, triggered the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car.
At the restart, the Trident Motorsport driver found himself in third place. Van Hoepen then defended it with extreme authority until the checkered flag, taking his third podium of the season in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
John Bennett also capitalized on the favorable circumstances generated by the accident at the front, climbing up to tenth place. The Briton then crossed the finish line just out of the points, confirming a competitive race pace that bodes well for the Feature Race.
Attention now turns to tomorrow's longer race, which starts at 11:25 a.m. On a circuit where strategy, tire management, and precision will be crucial, Trident Motorsport will aim to confirm the competitiveness demonstrated during the Sprint Race.
Giacomo Ricci: “We are very satisfied with today's result in the Sprint Race. Laurens Van Hoepen drove a solid race, consistently among the top positions, demonstrating excellent pace and being ready at the decisive moment of the race. John Bennett also had a positive performance, making up several positions from the starting grid and displaying a competitive pace. We will analyze the data collected today with the aim of being even more competitive in tomorrow's Feature Race.”