Armstrong stays the distance in Formula 2 at Sochi

 


 


Kiwi racer Marcus Armstrong has once more shown his true speed in the opening race of the FIA Formula 2 round at Sochi in Russia.

Racing at the former winter Olympic venue, Armstrong fought through from a mid-field grid position to finish in the top ten on Saturday, taking his second points finish in two rounds.

He fought his way up from a start of 14th to be tenth after the opening lap and would battle on as his tyres degraded to finish ninth, with British driver and longtime rival Dan Ticktum tenth. Armstrong’s team-mate Christian Lundgaard was among four drivers taken out by crashes, mechanical issues or penalties.

The second (final) race at Sochi on Sunday was red flagged after an enormous accident involving Luca Ghiotto and Jack Aitken at Turn 3 on the eighth lap. Ghiotto’s car was almost completely destroyed in the impact and caught fire after the Italian had climbed out. Pole starter Guanyu Zhou was declared winner, with half points awarded because the race had not completed the minimum distance.

Sochi is the penultimate venue - though not the penultimate round - of the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship. After this weekend the championship lines up for two rounds at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.

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