Josep María Martí converted pole into victory in the Formula 2 Sprint Race at Budapest, fending off a final-lap attack from Alexander Dunne to take his third win of the season.
The Campos Racing driver came under heavy pressure in the final corners but held firm to cross the line just ahead of Dunne. Jak Crawford completed the podium after passing Arvid Lindblad on the last lap.
Clean Launch for Martí, Trouble Behind
Martí led cleanly off the line from pole, while Dunne struggled from second. That allowed Lindblad to move into P2, forming an early Campos 1–2.
Further down the order, Gabriele Minì collided with the rear of Roman Stanek at Turn 9 during a midfield battle. The Invicta driver spun, and Minì was later handed a 10-second time penalty.
Stanek rejoined at the back, while teammate Leonardo Fornaroli dropped sixth place to Luke Browning on Lap 3. Up front, Martí led Lindblad by half a second, with Dunne following closely. The top three pulled a 1.7s gap to Victor Martins in fourth, who was under pressure from Crawford.
Campos Teammates Battle at the Front
On Lap 8, Lindblad went for the lead into Turn 1 but Martí responded with a switchback at Turn 2. Their duel pulled Dunne and Martins into the fight, with the top five now covered by DRS.
By Lap 14, Lindblad lost DRS to Martí. That brought Dunne into range, but he couldn’t make his way past despite attempts at Turns 1 and 2.
Tyre management soon took over, and by Lap 16 the top 14 cars from Martí to Sebastián Montoya, were covered by just one second.
Dunne Moves Forward, Crawford Closes In
Dunne finally cleared Lindblad with a strong move into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 19. Martins tried to capitalise at Turn 3 but had to lift, which opened the door for Crawford to grab fourth.
Despite multiple attempts, Crawford couldn’t pass Lindblad over the next few laps. With the front two now 4.7 seconds ahead, the battle for third intensified.
Safety Car Sets Up Late Drama
Montoya came to a stop on the main straight on Lap 22, triggering a Safety Car. The restart came on Lap 26, and Browning immediately overtook Martins for fifth.
Crawford and Lindblad resumed their scrap at Turn 2, but Lindblad just held on again. That wouldn’t last long.
Final-Lap Showdown
With DRS re-enabled, Crawford finally made the move into Turn 1 on the final lap to take third place.
Up ahead, Martí made a slight mistake at Turn 5, bringing Dunne into play. The pair ran side-by-side through the final corners, but Martí held his nerve and claimed victory by a narrow margin.
Crawford sealed third ahead of Lindblad, with Browning in fifth. Martins, Fornaroli, and Verschoor completed the points.
What Martí Said
“A victory here in Budapest. Very happy with the race. It was much tighter than I would have liked on the last lap — tyres started to go off quite quickly after the restart. But very happy, just managed quite well through the whole race. I knew what I was doing, apart from when Arvid sent it, but it was a good race. Happy with it.”
Championship Standings
Leonardo Fornaroli stays on top with 127 points, just ahead of Richard Verschoor on 123. Crawford and Dunne are now tied on 122, while Browning sits fifth with 117.
Campos Racing take the lead in the Teams’ Championship with 185 points, one ahead of Invicta Racing. Hitech TGR remain third on 167, followed by DAMS Lucas Oil on 148 and MP Motorsport on 140.
What’s Next?
Formula 2 returns Sunday at 10:00 for the Feature Race. It’s the final run before the summer break, and the title fight is wide open heading into the second half of the season.