Miami, racing incidents prevent another good performance
The Feature Race, which concluded the second round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship season, held on the Miami Garden street circuit, saw Trident Motorsport miss out on the points despite the Italian team's drivers showing very strong potential. The wet track and numerous neutralizations prevented the drivers from materializing their potential on the Florida track. Laurens Van Hoepen finished eleventh, ahead of teammate John Bennett, who finished fourteenth.
After two laps behind the safety car, race officials started the Feature Race with a standing start. The damp asphalt misled many drivers, with Van Hoepen running wide at the first braking pointto avoid contact in the middle of the pack. The 20-year-old Dutchman, starting from eighth on the grid, therefore found himself thirteenth.
The race, punctuated by numerous neutralizations, did not favor Van Hoepen's recovery. Despite everything, he managed to get into the points before pitting. Upon returning to the track after two laps, the Dutchman was unwillingly blocked by contact between two rivals ahead of him.Although he managed to restart, the Trident Motorsport driver found himself in fourteenth place. Once again, Van Hoepen showed his determination in trying to climb back up the order, narrowly missing out on the points in the Feature Race. Eleventh at the finish, the Dutchman is now fourth in the overall standings for FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers, just nine points behind the leader.
Forced to start from fifteenth on the grid, Bennett struggled to find a gap on the Miami circuit. The twenty-two-year-old Englishman then climbed the standings by not pitting during the second safety car intervention. Bennett then attempted to fit dry tires, but given the still-damp track, the decision proved unsuccessful. Returning to the pits to switch back to rain tires, the Englishman rejoined the track at the back of the pack. The Trident Motorsport driver crossed the finish line in fourteenth place.
The FIA Formula 2 Championship will now take a three-week break. The engines of the second series will restart from May 22nd to 24th on the semi-permanent track in Montreal, Canada.
Giacomo Ricci: “It's not the result we expected after yesterday's podium, but both our drivers showed good competitiveness. Rain and neutralizations impacted the Feature Race in Miami. The incidents during the race didn't work in our drivers' favor. Laurens Van Hoepen was slowed by contacts between drivers ahead of him and lost several positions. It's a shame because his race pace was good. Bennett showed good pace, but the strategies didn't favor him. Now we're already looking ahead to the next round in Canada with the goal of continuing this competitive start to the season.”