“I love you all!” Oliver Bearman wins the first Formula 2 race at Monza. The English driver for Prema, who earlier this year made his debut with Ferrari at the Jeddah circuit in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replacing Carlos Sainz, and who will be driving for Haas in the 2025 Formula 1 championship, climbs to the top step of the podium for the second time in a season marked by struggles for the historic and successful team from Vicenza. On the other hand, his teammate and newly promoted Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished eighteenth after being involved in an incident at the start.
The Formula 2 sprint race at Monza, Bearman takes control after a Safety Car, Bortoleto MVP
The sprint race of the feeder category started a few minutes after 2 p.m. but was immediately interrupted by the Safety Car, called in after an incident at the first chicane that forced Oliver Goethe (a new grid entry replacing Franco Colapinto) and Zak O’Sullivan to retire.
At the restart, Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman took control of the race after an exciting battle with rival Victor Martins, while his Italian teammate, who had rejoined after a quick pit stop, struggled to keep up with the back of the pack. However, Gabriel Bortoleto was the MVP of the day: starting from the back of the grid after an accident in qualifying, the Brazilian, who last year won the Formula 3 World Championship at Monza, not only fought his way back into the points but secured eighth place in a photo-finish.
Formula 2 sprint race at Monza, the race podium
On the podium at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, alongside Oliver Bearman and Victor Martins, was Paraguayan driver Joshua Dürksen, while ACI President Angelo Sticchi Damiani congratulated Kimi Antonelli on his move to Formula 1, as the young Italian driver will replace Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes next year, with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion heading to Ferrari: “I have known Andrea for many years, even though he is only 18, and I am convinced that Italy can rely on him, a very talented driver who allows us to end the three-season drought of Italian drivers in the F1 World Championship. We are happy for him; he is also a young man of great human quality, as well as technical and sporting talent. A big good luck to him,” said the president. “I would also like to thank Mercedes and especially its team principal Toto Wolff for believing in this young man and giving him this fantastic opportunity.”
KEY QUOTE – Oliver Bearman, Ferrari junior
“We just won the Sprint Race in Monza, very happy to finally get another victory. It’s testament to the hard work everyone has been doing back at the factory. It’s a home race for PREMA, so I’m really happy. Thank you to everyone for the support. I love you all!”
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