Sauber Academy pilot Theo Pourchaire won a frenetic first feature race of the season in Sakhir, beating Red Bull Junior Team Pilots Liam Lawson – who started from sixth – and Juri Vips, who retired after a slow pit stop of 12 .
From third, the Vips had initially stormed in front of Pourchaire and Polesitter Jack Doohan as the lights went out as those around him struggled to turn on the hard Pirelli tires.
Estn’s slow stop brought P1 back to Doohan briefly, but Alpine Junior got caught up in a quarrel with Pourchaire on his way out of the pit and had to return for a new front wing.
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Pourchaire avoided damage and was the first to be claimed by the Australian, with Lawson on rope. Return 12. Vips had the bites between his teeth and did light work of scything through the field on P3, the last podium spot ahead of Ralph Boschung.
After the start of the 13th, Marcus Armstrong worked out the alternative strategy to break into the top five, ahead of Felipe Drugovich and Williams junior Logan Sargeant.
Roy Nissany and Jake Hughes declined to take the eighth and ninth, respectively. Doohan recovered from his previous disappointment to take the last points position, returning to the 10th of last place.
Pourchaire’s third F2 victory puts him at the top of the drivers’ championship at 25 points, with Lawson at second at 24 and Vips at third at 18. The F2 campaign will continue in less than a week as the grid on Jeddah for the second round of the season.
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