Lawson performs well as Leclerc dominates Virtual F2 event

Liam Lawson performed well to take a podium position in the Feature Race while enduring a tough Sprint Race.

Ferrari Academy Driver Arthur Leclerc meanwhile dominated the event to take the win in both the Feature Race and Sprint Race.

Feature Race

Leclerc leapt off the line into the lead. Chaos ensued at the start as multiple cars came to blows, including Lawson.

Oliver Rowland began to close the gap to Leclerc while Jack Aitken started to lose touch with the leaders.

Lawson meanwhile was regaining the ground he had lost at the start, passing Louis Deletraz, Felipe Drugovich, and Lirim Zendeli by lap four.

A mistake from Norman Nato saw Lawson pass the Frenchman for sixth place.

Leclerc, Rowland, and Aitken were the first drivers to complete their compulsory pitstops while Callum Ilott, Lawson, and Nato opted to circulate for another lap.

As they re-joined the race, Aitken and Ilott engaged in a battle which ultimately ended in tears for Ilott. Lawson took advantage of Ilott’s spin to take fourth place.

Lawson closed the gap to team-mate Aitken, passing the Brit on the approach to turn one at the beginning of lap 11 to take the final podium position.

Leclerc was extending his lead while Lawson gradually began to reel in the second-placed Rowland. However, the gap proved to be insurmountable.

Leclerc crossed the line the victor, with Rowland second and Lawson third.

Sprint Race

Drugovich started on the pole, owing to the reverse top-eight grid format.

Nato stormed into the lead while Lawson fell down the pack due to a poor start.

There was a frantic jostling of positions in the opening two laps as Nato began to extend his lead.

Leclerc and Deletraz were locked in a tight battle on the penultimate lap while Deletraz himself began to close the gap to the leader.

However, Nato was out of contention after receiving a three-second penalty for overuse of track limits.

Heading into turn one on the final lap, Deletraz overshot the approach and ran wide – leaving the door wide open for Leclerc.

Nato crossed the line first, but it was Leclerc who took victory with Deletraz in second, and Nato a corrected third. Lawson meanwhile finished the race in eighth.

The next Virtual F2 race will take place at Barcelona on May 11 at 3:00am NZT.

Feature Race results

Sprint Race results