Oscar Piastri took his second consecutive Feature Urge get and extended his lead within the Drivers’ standings with a commanding drive at the Sochi Autodrom. The Australian headed Théo Pourchaire at some level of the road, with Jehan Daruvala occupying the closing build on the podium.
Starting up from pole region, Piastri retained his region at the top of the discipline first and fundamental of the walk, whereas Pourchaire moved sooner than Daruvala for second residing at Flip 2. A snappily-starting Ralph Boschung stepped forward into the cease three, whereas championship-contending Guanyu Zhou slipped from fourth to eighth.
Piastri and Pourchaire slowly pulled away from the leisure of the pack at some stage within the 28 laps, with Pourchaire in rapid transferring sooner than Piastri when he pitted one lap later than the PREMA driver. On the opposite hand, with his scorching tyres, Piastri regained the gain lead, which he didn’t concede for the the leisure of the event.
Leisurely drama for Boschung saw him retire, after being in contention for the podium for so much of the walk. With Daruvala third, local favourite Robert Shwartzman was as soon as fourth, sooner than Saturday’s Speed Urge victor Dan Ticktum.
READ MORE: ‘It’s a estimable feeling’ – Hughes achieves HWA’s supreme-ever result in Sochi
AS IT HAPPENED
21 vehicles lined up on the starting grid, with Felipe Drugovich dominated unfit to participate following his fracture before the graduation of Saturday’s walk. At the front, Zhou persevered an advanced commence and dropped four positions, whereas Daruvala slipped from second to fourth having been overtaken by Pourchaire and Daruvala.
Additional aid, Bent Viscaal was as soon as forced to retire for the second walk in a row following contact with Roy Nissany – Nissany would later procure a 5-second time penalty for the incident.
A rapid Virtual Security Car was as soon as deployed, with Lirim Zendeli peeling into the pits to interchange his front soar, which had been stripped from his car on the opening lap.
When the circulation resumed, Marcus Armstrong and Liam Lawson battled for 12th, with the latter attempting the alternate method by starting on the medium tyres compared to those on the Gigantic Softs around him.
Pourchaire sat accurate over one second at the aid of Piastri within the fight for the lead, however was as soon as unable to accumulate a push into DRS vary. Jüri Vips grew to alter into the second driver to retire as his car slowed on Lap 6 – he returned to the pits, however was as soon as forced to park up his car due to a scenario.
Boschung grew to alter into the first of the front-runners to pit for medium tyres, whereas Jake Hughes, who starred for HWA RACELAB on Saturday, began to fight. He dropped at the aid of Christian Lundgaard and Ticktum and would at closing enact at the aid of the pack following a dash later within the walk.
Earlier than his one and only pit cease of the walk, Ticktum displayed solid tempo on his former Gigantic Softs, overtaking Lundgaard and Zhou in consecutive laps sooner than pitting.
HIGHLIGHTS: Ticktum takes lights-to-flag get in Sochi Speed Urge 1
Motivate up at the front, Piastri opted to come aid in for a tyre alternate on Lap 9, whereas Pourchaire stayed out for an additional lap. The ART Astronomical Prix driver was as soon as called in on the following lap and emerged aid onto the observe sooner than Piastri – it seemed as although the group’s overcut strive had been a hit.
On the opposite hand, with tyres that had been already up to temperature, Piastri drew alongside Pourchaire and got aid ahead into Flip 5, taking the gain lead. There had been a handful of vehicles sooner than the duo, on the opposite hand they had been all running the different method and yet to pit.
Over the following seven laps, Piastri and Pourchaire navigated their system via these that had yet to accumulate a switch into their pit boxes, with Piastri managing to cease out in front the entire system to the chequered flag. Leisurely them, a fight was as soon as underway for the closing region on the podium.
Boschung held third however was as soon as pressured out from Daruvala. In the Flip 13 braking zone on lap 22, Boschung had a sizeable lock-up and ran deep into the nook, permitting Daruvala to brush via to bewitch his fourth podium of the 2021 season.
Shwartzman also passed Boschung with relative ease after the Campos Racing driver’s error, as Ticktum, Zhou and Lawson closed in from at the aid of. Boschung’s walk was as soon as rapidly scoot, as his lock-up proved to be too well-known for the front left tyre. He suffered a puncture on the scoot into Flip 2 and was as soon as left and not utilizing a different however to park his car trackside and retire.
Shwartzman couldn’t close in on Daruvala in time to scenario for a podium region and settled for fourth, sooner than Ticktum and Zhou.
Lawson was as soon as the very top placed driver on the alternate method in seventh with the fastest lap, whereas MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor completed in eighth residing for the second time this weekend.
Lundgaard was as soon as ninth for ART, whereas David Beckmann benefited from Boschung’s slack retirement to switch up into 10th and stable the closing level on offer.
READ MORE: Zendeli hoping for Sunday rain following solid Speed Urge surge
KEY QUOTE – OSCAR PIASTRI (PREMA Racing)
“One other Feature Urge get – two in a row! I’m very cheerful with that, it was as soon as a extraordinarily well-known walk and not utilizing a Security Vehicles. Théo (Pourchaire) was as soon as pushing me your entire system.
“I’m cheerful I would possibly perchance well well well lend a hand on, I would possibly perchance well well well lend a hand the gap at one and a half, two seconds. I was as soon as pushing your entire system. I’m very cheerful I would possibly perchance well well well pull that one off after honest a shrimp of a disappointing day the outdated day.”
THE CHAMPIONSHIP VIEW
Piastri extends his championship lead and sits on 178 factors, sooner than Zhou who has 142 to his title. Shwartzman is third on 135, with Ticktum and Pourchaire in fourth and fifth with 129 and 120 factors respectively.
In the Teams’ fight, PREMA sits out in front on 313 factors, leading Carlin with 225. Third within the remark with 201 factors is UNI-Virtuosi, whereas Hitech Astronomical Prix is fourth on 182 with ART Astronomical Prix fifth with 163 factors.
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