The 2023 Sakhir FIA Formula 2 round was a motor racing event held between 3 and 5 March 2023 at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the first race of the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship and was held in support of the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Background Team changes German Formula 4 team PHM Racing took over the entry and assets of Charouz Racing System at the end of the 2022 season, and runs in cooperation with the Czech squad under the PHM Racing by Charouz moniker.
Driver changes As the category's sporting regulations state, reigning Drivers' Champion Felipe Drugovich was unable to defend the title and therefore left the series. This year's championship also saw the return of American driver Juan Manuel Correa, who returned to the series after his heavy accident at the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 2 round in which Anthoine Hubert lost his life.
Classification Qualifying
Driver Entrant Time/Gap 15 Théo PourchaireART Grand Prix1:40.90310126 Victor MartinsART Grand Prix +0.75182322 Richard VerschoorVan Amersfoort Racing +0.9007341 Dennis HaugerMP Motorsport +0.9286457 Frederik VestiPrema Racing +0.99495624 Kush MainiCampos Racing +1.02456711 Ayumu IwasaDAMS +1.03147812 Arthur LeclercDAMS +1.07038920 Roman StaněkTrident +1.085291025 Ralph BoschungCampos Racing +1.107110112 Jehan DaruvalaMP Motorsport +1.1141111128 Oliver BearmanPrema Racing +1.1231212134 Enzo FittipaldiRodin Carlin +1.14613131410 Isack HadjarHitech Pulse-Eight +1.18914141515 Amaury CordeelInvicta Virtuosi Racing +1.18915151623 Juan Manuel CorreaVan Amersfoort Racing +1.20616161714 Jack Doohan Invicta Virtuosi Racing +1.2091717183 Zane MaloneyRodin Carlin +1.2821818199 Jak CrawfordHitech Pulse-Eight +1.33119192017 Brad BenavidesPHM Racing by Charouz +1.59020202116 Roy NissanyPHM Racing by Charouz +1.59921212221 Clément NovalakTrident +1.6672222107% time: 1:47.966 (+7.063)Source:
Notes – Frederik Vesti has been handed a three-place grid drop for impeding Arthur Leclerc during Qualifying, demoting him to ninth place for Saturday's Sprint race.
Sprint race
Driver Entrant Laps Time/Retired Points125 Ralph BoschungCampos Racing23 41:50.59711021 Dennis HaugerMP Motorsport23 +10.8486836 Victor MartinsART Grand Prix23 +16.16286411 Ayumu IwasaDAMS23 +24.4944555 Théo PourchaireART Grand Prix23 +29.709104 (1)62 Jehan DaruvalaMP Motorsport23 +30.901113724 Kush MainiCampos Racing23 +41.5415284 Enzo FittipaldiRodin Carlin23 +43.06513193 Zane MaloneyRodin Carlin23 +44.135181023 Juan Manuel CorreaVan Amersfoort Racing23 +48.540161114 Jack DoohanInvicta Virtuosi Racing23 +49.251171212 Arthur LeclercDAMS23 +50.16431320 Roman StaněkTrident23 +50.6252149 Jak CrawfordHitech Pulse-Eight23 +52.28319158 Oliver BearmanPrema Racing23 +53.752121621 Clément NovalakTrident23 +54.60722177 Frederik VestiPrema Racing23 +54.64591816 Roy NissanyPHM Racing by Charouz23 +1:04.486211917 Brad BenavidesPHM Racing by Charouz23 +1:08.768202010 Isack HadjarHitech Pulse-Eight23 +1:13.323142115 Amaury CordeelInvicta Virtuosi Racing23 +1:13.800152222 Richard VerschoorVan Amersfoort Racing21 Mechanical7Fastest lap set by Oliver Bearman: 1:46.953 (lap 16)Source:
Notes – Richard Verschoor retired, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
Feature Race
Driver Entrant Laps Time/Retired Points15 Théo PourchaireART Grand Prix32 1:01:10.926125 (2)225 Ralph BoschungCampos Racing32 +19.666101833 Zane MaloneyRodin Carlin32 +31.5871815424 Kush MainiCampos Racing32 +38.789612522 Richard VerschoorVan Amersfoort Racing32 +43.082310 (1)612 Arthur LeclercDAMS32 +44.34288710 Isack HadjarHitech Pulse-Eight32 +46.456146811 Ayumu IwasaDAMS32 +50.8157494 Enzo FittipaldiRodin Carlin32 +51.3961321023 Juan Manuel CorreaVan Amersfoort Racing32 +51.8371611116 Roy NissanyPHM Racing by Charouz32 +52.93921129 Jak CrawfordHitech Pulse-Eight32 +53.329191321 Clément NovalakTrident32 +53.95322148 Oliver BearmanPrema Racing32 +59.739121515 Amaury CordeelInvicta Virtuosi Racing32 +1:00.968PL1614 Jack DoohanInvicta Virtuosi Racing32 +1:05.20417172 Jehan DaruvalaMP Motorsport32 +1:06.463111817 Brad BenavidesPHM Racing by Charouz32 +1:33.23520DNF1 Dennis HaugerMP Motorsport16 Engine4DNF6 Victor MartinsART Grand Prix1 Collision damage2DNF7 Frederik VestiPrema Racing1 Collision damage5DNF20 Roman StaněkTrident0Collision9Fastest lap set by Richard Verschoor: 1:47.321 (lap 18)Source:
Standings after the event
Drivers' Championship standings Driver Points 1 Théo Pourchaire 32 2 Ralph Boschung 28 3 Zane Maloney 15 4 Kush Maini 14 5 Richard Verschoor 11
Teams' Championship standings Team Points 1 Campos Racing 42 2 ART Grand Prix 38 3 Rodin Carlin 18 4 DAMS 17 5 Van Amersfoort Racing 12
Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
See also 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 Sakhir Formula 3 round
References
External links
Official website