F2 // Strong Pace but Mixed Results in Bahrain

Qualifying

Just like in Australia, Victor fought hard for pole position and ultimately secured the second-fastest time.
Ritomo struggled to optimize his best lap and started both races from 19th on the grid.

Sprint Race

A great start from Victor, who launched from 9th and aimed for the top 6 by the first corner. Unfortunately, a rival pushed him onto a kerb in the braking zone, causing him to hit a polystyrene board that broke his front wing.
He had to change both the wing and the tires. A top 10 finish was still within reach, but a late safety car worked against him. He finished 14th.
Ritomo made a strong recovery, winning several battles and taking advantage of the safety car. He scored his first points with the team by finishing 9th.

Feature Race

Victor lost four positions at the start and was the first of the front-runners to make a pit stop.
He climbed up to 2nd place with 10 laps to go, but heavy tire degradation left him unable to defend in the final laps. He finished 5th.
Ritomo kept a cool head in a clean, incident-free race and finished 14th.

Sébastien Philippe:

“With extreme heat and major fluctuations in track temperature, the team performed well throughout the weekend. Victor couldn’t fight back at the end of the sprint as he had already changed tires before the safety car – otherwise, points were within reach. Ritomo had a flawless race, gaining 10 positions thanks to an exciting final phase.

In the feature race, Victor was the first to pit in an attempt to undercut a pack he was stuck behind. The strategy initially worked, but his tires didn’t hold up, and he lost a podium in the final laps. Ritomo had pace similar to the front-runners, but his starting position and a race without retirements made it hard to reach the points.”

Victor Martins:

“The very high temperatures were completely different from what we had during testing in March. We had to analyze carefully and adapt quickly. Still, the first day put us on the right path. I was confident I could have two strong races, but the first one was ruined just after the start.

Despite fighting back, I couldn’t do anything in the last five laps on worn tires, even though the top 8 was within reach. In the second race, once again, the start was key, and we couldn’t recover the ground we lost. Still, it’s reassuring to know that we have the potential to fight at the front every time.”