The Formula 2 weekend in Austria brought lots of action and a standout performance from Ollie. With highs and lows throughout the weekend, Ollie’s performance in the Sprint proved his potential and resilience in the face of adversity.
Qualifying
The qualifying session on Friday afternoon was not without its drama for Ollie. An unsafe release from the pit lane was investigated after the race but no penalty was given. This was crucial, as qualifying plays a pivotal role in setting the stage for both the Sprint and Feature races.
Bearman’s ninth-place qualification meant he was in a prime position to start the Sprint, thanks to the reverse grid system - where the top ten drivers in qualifying are flipped around. His ninth-place qualification meant he would start P2 on the grid for the Sprint and Ollie was ready to seize the opportunity to put some points on the board.
Sprint Race
Ollie’s moment of glory came in the Sprint race, where he delivered a flawless performance to claim his first victory of the season. Starting from the front row, Bearman wasted no time in asserting his dominance. He surged past pole-sitter Kush Maini of Invicta Racing right at the start, taking the lead into Turn 1.
By the end of Lap 3, Ollie had built a commanding lead of over two seconds ahead of Josep Maria Marti in P2. However, by the start of Lap 6, gaps were closing and for much of the remaining race, Marti was on Ollie’s tail, often within one second of the Prema Racing driver.
Despite pressure from Marti throughout the race, Ollie remained composed and confidently kept his rivals at bay. By the final lap, Ollie had extended his lead to almost two seconds, crossing the finish line to secure a stunning victory.
Happy to be back on the podium, Ollie admitted after the race that this season has been tough so far but the result injects optimism into the team for the remaining season. He said,
“I’m happy to finally get a result that the team deserves. We have been working really hard and are getting towards where we want to be.”
The victory earned Ollie 10 valuable championship points in the Formula 2 Championship, moving him to 14th in the driver standings.
Feature Race
Starting ninth on the grid, Ollie made an impressive start, capitalising on four drivers stalling on the formation lap, including the pole-sitter, meaning they had to start the race from the pit lane. Within the first lap, Ollie climbed to P7 and was within a second of the P6 driver.
As the pit stops commenced around Lap 9, Ollie advanced to P3. By Lap 20, he was running in P2 with a seemingly fantastic race pace. However, disaster struck at the halfway point when his Prema Racing car suffered an electrical failure.
Bearman declared over the team radio, “That’s our race over,” as he was forced to retire the car, bringing a premature end to what had promised to be another strong performance.
Looking Ahead
With his first win of the season under his belt, Austria has set the stage for more exciting action as the Formula 2 season heads to Ollie’s home race at Silverstone from 5-7 July, where he will be looking to build on his recent success in front of a home crowd.
