Ritomo Miyata secured his maiden Formula 2 victory by winning the F2 Sprint at the Spanish GP in Madrid. The Hitech driver took the lead at the start and controlled the race despite several incidents and Safety Car restarts throughout the 23 laps. Emerson Fittipaldi Jr finished second, while Laurens van Hoepen completed the podium.
A hectic start in Madrid
Miyata took the lead in the opening metres, overtaking Emerson Fittipaldi Jr off the line. The Japanese driver immediately settled into the lead, while several incidents unfolded further back in the field. Fittipaldi remained in second place, with Van Hoepen following behind as the drivers began to settle into their positions after the opening exchanges.
Rafael Câmara lost the right endplate of his front wing after contact with Martinius Stenshorne at Turn 1. Further back, Sebastian Montoya was involved in an incident with John Bennett, while Nico Varrone ended up in the barriers after contact with Kush Maini. Varrone and Maini both retired from the race, while Bennett later returned to the pits with damage caused by his incident with Montoya.
The incidents at the beginning of the Sprint quickly brought the Safety Car into play and interrupted the early rhythm of the race. Despite the disruption, Miyata remained in control when racing resumed and was able to protect his position at the front.
At the first restart, Miyata held onto the lead without giving Fittipaldi an opportunity to challenge for first place. Behind them, the fight continued to develop, with several groups of drivers running closely together and looking for opportunities to gain positions.
Rafael Câmara came under pressure from Alexander Dunne and eventually ran off track. When returning to the circuit, the Brazilian did not follow the route through the designated run-off area and was placed under investigation by the stewards.
The battle for the final podium position became more intense on Lap 11. Noel León began putting pressure on Laurens van Hoepen, while Nikola Tsolov, Stenshorne, Câmara and Dunne formed a close group behind them. With several drivers running within a small gap of one another, the fight for the positions behind the leaders remained one of the main features of the race.
León began to lose pace over the following laps and was also investigated for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. His drop in pace brought him into a direct fight with Tsolov.
On Lap 13, Tsolov attempted to pass León around the outside. The two came close to making contact, forcing the Campos Racing driver to give the position back shortly afterwards. The battle highlighted how closely matched the drivers were in the middle of the field, with Tsolov continuing to look for another opportunity to move ahead.
Two laps later, the situation changed again. Tsolov made contact with the wall with his rear wheel, spun and dropped to the back of the field. The incident brought out another Safety Car.
Miyata seals maiden F2 victory
With the race neutralised, Joshua Dürksen and Cian Shields made a strategic gamble and pitted for new, softer tyres for the final laps. The move gave both drivers a different tyre advantage for the closing stages of the F2 Sprint and added another element to the final part of the race.
At the restart, Miyata once again controlled the field and kept the lead. The positions at the front remained unchanged, with Fittipaldi holding second and Van Hoepen running in third. Miyata was able to manage the restart without leaving an opening for Fittipaldi, maintaining control as the race entered its final phase.
Further back, Shields also came under investigation on the following lap. Like Câmara earlier in the race, the driver failed to follow the mandatory route through the run-off area after leaving the track.
With the race approaching its conclusion, Miyata continued to manage the gap at the front. Fittipaldi remained in second, but there was no opportunity to challenge the Hitech driver for the victory. The Brazilian stayed close enough to remain in contention, but Miyata’s pace and positioning meant that the leader was able to protect first place through the closing laps.
The drivers who had changed tyres were left with only a limited number of laps to make use of their strategy. Meanwhile, the leading group continued without major changes, keeping the focus on whether Fittipaldi or Van Hoepen could make a late move.
There were no further changes among the leading drivers, and Miyata crossed the line on Lap 23 to secure his first Formula 2 victory. Fittipaldi Jr finished second, while Van Hoepen completed the podium.
Noel León took fourth place, followed by Martinius Stenshorne in fifth. The result also keeps the championship battle open, with Nikola Tsolov and Rafael Câmara separated by just eight points in the standings.
For Miyata, the result marks an important milestone in his Formula 2 campaign. After controlling the race from the opening lap, the Hitech driver converted his strong start into his maiden victory in the category. Despite multiple incidents, Safety Car periods and battles throughout the field, Miyata remained at the front when it mattered most.
Fittipaldi’s second-place finish secured his place on the podium after starting the race from the front row, while Van Hoepen completed the top three. Behind them, the various incidents and investigations shaped the order throughout the Sprint, particularly in the battles for positions further down the field.
The result in Madrid therefore provides Miyata with his first Formula 2 victory while also adding another important chapter to a closely contested championship. With the points battle still open and only eight points separating Tsolov and Câmara, the Sprint also leaves plenty at stake for the remainder of the weekend.
