On Saturday, Richard Verschoor clinched his first Formula 2 victory of the season in Hungary. With a stellar performance in the sprint race, the Dutchman proved too strong for competitors, including Mercedes’ promising talent, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Verschoor started in Budapest from pole position, driving for Trident on the harder of the two tyre compounds. In contrast, Antonelli started on the softer tyre. This gave the 17-year-old Italian an initial speed advantage over Verschoor. The Dutchman initially defended his leading position fiercely but eventually let Antonelli pass.
However, Verschoor didn’t let Antonelli get too far ahead. Even before the race was halfway through, the Dutchman had the young Prema driver back in his sights. Antonelli demanded too much from his tyres, was forced into a mistake by Verschoor, and thus the latter regained the lead.
A superbly driving Verschoor did not relinquish the top position thereafter. After 28 laps, a well-deserved victory was secured for the 23-year-old driver from Benschop.
