Great victory day with John Bennett
The FIA Formula 2 Championship kicked off its sixth round of the season at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, where the drivers of the junior formula competed in the Sprint Race today. On the crowded and scorching hills of Styria, Trident Motorsport once again tasted victory.
John Bennett brought home a win to the Milan-based team with headquarters in Ossona. The twenty-two-year-old Englishman also scored both his first podium and his first career win in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
From the qualifying session onwards, the Trident Motorsport driver demonstrated a good feeling for the Austrian track, posting the ninth fastest time.
At the start of the Sprint Race, which sees the top ten qualifying times reversed, the Englishman enjoyed the advantage of starting from the front row. As soon as the lights went out, John Bennett immediately surprised the poleman, seizing the lead.
A restart on lap four following a safety car intervention didn't pose too many problems for the English driver, who maintained first place. Subsequently, the Briton was overtaken by a rival and dropped to second place. At this point, the Englishman adopted a strategy that proved successful: he followed his rival closely, studied him, and determined the right moment to attack.
On the final lap, with his rival on the ropes, John Bennett made the decisive overtake that put Trident Motorsport back on the top step of the class podium.
Laurens Van Hoepen had a less stellar day. Starting from sixteenth on the grid, the twenty-year-old Dutchman attempted to move up the order. However, driving in traffic didn't work in his favor. Due to degradation issues, the Dutch driver finished the Sprint Race in fifteenth place.
For Trident Motorsport, this is certainly an excellent start to the Austrian weekend. Now, they'll need to focus on the Feature Race, which takes place tomorrow at 10:10 a.m.
Giacomo Ricci: "We're extremely satisfied with Bennett's success, which is the result of the determination and commitment we've shown with our driver. John Bennett delivered a perfect race today, from both racing and strategy perspective. He always maintained control of the situation and attacked at the decisive moment of the race. This result makes us proud and rewards the entire team for their work. Now we must continue in this direction, starting with tomorrow's race, which will be flawless. Laurens Van Hoepen's performance was less impressive, as he suffered from tire degradation issues."