F2 Bahrain: Verschoor triumphs in season-opening sprint race

The Dutchman, a late addition to the Trident lineup after switching from MP Motorsport for his second season in the series, took advantage of polesitter Felipe Drugovich’s poor start to score his second series win, having broken his duck at Silverstone last year.

The result marks Trident’s first F2 win since Luca Ghiotto took the top step of the podium in Sepang in 2016.

MP Motorsport’s Drugovich tumbled out the top three after struggling off the line, with Ralph Boschung (Campos) and Jehan Daruvala (Prema) also taking advantage as the Brazilian dropped to an eventual fifth-place finish.

After a laps-long battle between Boschung and Daruvala, the Indian Red Bull junior emerged in front to finish second, with Liam Lawson snatching the final podium position from Boschung with just two laps to go.

Behind Boschung and Drugovich, Lawson's Carlin team-mate Logan Sargeant took sixth after passing a struggling Juri Vips (Hitech Grand Prix) in the closing laps.

As Drugovich struggled off the line and dropped to fourth, Verschoor took the lead from Boschung and Daruvala. The polesitter then lost a further place to ART Grand Prix driver Theo Pourchaire on lap two, although his race was ended by an oil leak on lap six.

Following a safety car to recover Marcus Armstrong’s Hitech machine, the Kiwi retiring after contact from Jake Hughes - who was handed a 10-second penalty for the incident - Drugovich attacked Lawson, but had to stay in fifth.

Vips claimed sixth from feature race pole-sitter Jack Doohan on lap 13 on the inside of Turn 1, the Virtuosi driver slipping back to tenth at the finish.

Boschung enjoyed a spirited scrap with Daruvala but lost out at the end to the Indian and to Lawson

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images