The 2023 F2 season is back with a bang

The premier race of the season got underway at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend. Ollie’s first F2 race weekend was something of a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

The young driver qualified in P12 after a red flag in qualifying brought the session to an early conclusion. Despite this setback, Ollie finished Saturday’s sprint race in P14, ahead of his Prema teammate Vesti. The high tyre degradation the track is famed for soon took its toll, forcing Ollie to pit for new tyres. Equipped with new rubbers and raring to go, Ollie set the fastest lap of the race.

The Sunday feature race was filled with drama from the very start, with Ollie profiting from a collision in Turn 4 that left three drivers out of the running. Ollie quickly moved up to fourth position, gaining a stunning eight places - having started in P12.

After making a mandatory pitstop and changing to the soft compound tyre, the Prema car wasn’t set up to manage the tyres and Ollie agonisingly fell down the order. Eventually, Ollie nursed it home in 14th place.

Despite the disappointment in Bahrain, there were plenty of positives to take away from the weekend. Ollie demonstrated his potential by setting the fastest lap in the sprint race and gaining eight places in the feature race. Overall, it was an exciting and eventful weekend for Ollie, with moments of brilliance that truly showcase his talent and potential in the F2 championship.

The next round is the street circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the weekend of 17-19 March. Prema has two weeks to learn from the Sakhir weekend and adjust the setup of the car to better manage the tyres. With a determination to learn from the experience and improve, fans can expect great things from Ollie in the upcoming races.