F2: Massive Crash At Azerbaijan With Toppled Car Leaves Race Red-Flagged

Saajan Jogia | Sep 15, 2024

Pepe Marti #21 Campos Racing, during round 12 of the FIA Formula 2 Championship at Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan on September 13-15, 2024. /

A massive crash at the start of the Formula 2 race in Azerbaijan on Sunday, which caused a car to overturn, led to a red flag. Fortunately, the incident resulted in no injuries. The collision involved Invicta Racing's Kush Maini, Campos Racing’s Pepe Marti, and MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe.

The race began with a dramatic incident as Maini stalled from fifth place, triggering chaos among the drivers. Unaware of the stalled car, Goethe collided with Maini’s rear, leading to a severe impact when Marti crashed into the back of the immobilized car. The collision sent Marti's vehicle rolling into the pit wall before it eventually landed back on its wheels.

The track in Baku was littered with debris and damaged cars following the incident. Thankfully, all drivers emerged unharmed. Isack Hadjar, who managed to avoid the incident, said via team radio: "Oh my god, that was really bad."

Massive crash at the start of the F2 feature race. pic.twitter.com/n891OkOYez

— Racing News (@RacingNews__) September 15, 2024

The race, delayed by 34 minutes, was shortened and points were awarded based on the revised schedule. At the restart, Luke Browning of ART and Dennis Hauger of MP Motorsport engaged in a fierce battle, which resulted in Hauger receiving a penalty for making contact that damaged Browning's front wing.

Eventually, Richard Verschoor secured his fourth Formula 2 race win by leading the Azerbaijan feature race. The Dutch driver, who began from pole position, faced a tense wait of thirty minutes for the restart due to a significant crash.

Zane Maloney of Rodin, who is in the championship hunt, struggled to defend against Andrea Kimi Antonelli on cold tires at Turn 3. Maloney locked up and skidded into the runoff area, compromising his race. Antonelli, having made contact while trying to navigate the corner, managed to continue with a damaged car but still finished behind Richard Verschoor and Tiago Martins. Maloney finished 15th, unable to recover from his earlier issues.

With just two rounds remaining, the championship landscape has shifted significantly. Starting from the 20th after a qualifying mishap, Isack Hadjar of Campos Racing was unable to score points, marking his second consecutive points-less weekend. In contrast, Gabriel Bortoleto of Invicta Racing secured a quiet fourth-place finish, placing him at the top of the standings with a 4.5-point lead.

Bortoleto is speculated to be in contention with F1 driver Valtteri Bottas for the last available seat in Formula 1 at Sauber. Bottas failed to secure a contract extension with the Hinwil outfit, which undergoes significant transformation to become the Audi Works team by 2026. The team's new CEO and CTO, Mattia Binotto, is considering options for the 2025 seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.