Antonelli: “We need to understand why I didn't have any rhythm with the Options” | FP

Antonelli brings home the first point

18th position at the start e tenth at the finish line. A comeback with applause-worthy overtaking (especially to the detriment of his teammate Oliver Bearman) which rewarded Andrea Kimi Antonelli with the first point scored in Formula 2 on his debut in this series. A weekend, that of Sakhirmemorable only in part for the Bolognese driver, as well as for the whole of Prema.

A team which, contrary to expectations on the eve, had to face technical difficulties from free practice to the aforementioned Feature Race, the only one to have given a modicum of satisfaction thanks to Antonelli's performance and the strategy adopted by the team taking advantage of the entry into Safety Car track:

“My first Feature Race went well – commented the Mercedes driver – I was quite unlucky at the start, because I was hit from behind while trying to avoid an accident. I went off track and lost some positions. With tires First, the pace was quite high. We managed to get back into the top 10 and maintain a good pace. Then we did some boxing, but with the Options we struggled more than expected. We need to do a thorough examination because compared to the Primes, where we were quite competitive, the pace wasn't as strong. Overall they are enough satisfied with my performance, especially with how I managed the race. Now we have a few days of rest before going to Jeddah. It will be a big challenge, my first street circuit, but I think it will be fun! I want to thank everyone on the team for the great support this weekend!”

Frustration for Minì

Contained smiles also for Gabriele Mini, who, unlike Antonelli, had arrived in Bahrain with a greater chance of victory. Just think of Arvin Lindblad's success in the Sprint Race, or even earlier Dino Beganovic's pole position. Yet, a mistake by the latter at the start of the Feature forced the Palermo driver to slow down on the straight, as well as a less than perfect sprint by the latter. A sum of episodes that pushed the Alpine Academy pilot to the 6th place finishahead of Leonardo Fornaroli from Piacenza: “It wasn't an ideal start, with a lot of wheel spin that cost me three positions from the start. Then we didn't have the pace to overtake, but with the dirty air and the DRS train it was impossible to follow and overtake. We're a bit frustrated, but we still got some points. It's not ideal, but better than nothing.”