Armstrong scores points in Sochi F2 opener

Marcus Armstrong has finished ninth in the Formula 2 feature race at Sochi, overtaking an ailing Robert Shwartzman in the late stages to clinch two championship points.

Victory went to Mick Schumacher who extends his championship lead with a cunning tyre strategy to see him sweep past Yuki Tsunoda in the second half of the race.

A disappointing qualifying for Armstrong left the Kiwi starting 14th, but he quickly made amends with an electric launch to sit tenth after the opening tour.

A brief safety car was deployed to recover the stricken cars of Yuri Vipps and Christian Lundgaard who came to blows at Turn 1.

Most of the field ran the softer of the two tyre compounds for the first stint and pole-sitter and erstwhile race leader Tusnoda triggered a flurry of pitstops with a change of rubber in the first handful of laps.

Schumacher pitted the same time as Tsunoda and re-joined just behind the Carlin driver, with Callum Illott closing in down in third.

The trio quickly scythed their way through the gaggle of alternative strategy runners, one of which was Armstrong who had extended his harder tyres to Lap 18 before making his sole pitstop.

Despite his blistering qualifying and opening race pace, Tsunoda struggled on the harder tyres and relinquished positions to both Schumacher and Ilott on the same lap.

The ex-Toyota Racing Series driver did manage to stay in touching distance with Ilott, reclaiming second on the final lap. But the margin to Schumacher was over six seconds, and the Prema eased to a comfortable race win.

Ilott then went wheel-to-wheel with Luca Ghiotto in the final sector, the Brit edging his nose in front by less than a tenth at the chequered flag.

Another TRS alumni, Jehan Daruvala, held on to fifth ahead of Jack Aitken who was the first of the alternative runners home.

Armstrong had re-emerged back in tenth after his pitstop, picking off Shwartzman in the closing stages of the race to take ninth. Dan Ticktum would finish behind in tenth.

Shwartzman finished outside the points in 11th, one place ahead of F2 debutant Jake Hughes in the HWA Racelab machine.