Gabriele Minì won the Formula 2 Sprint at the Hungaroring. The MP Motorsport driver passed Sebastián Montoya on lap 17 and controlled the remaining distance.
Dino Beganovic finished second for DAMS. Laurens van Hoepen completed the podium after Montoya and championship leader Nikola Tsolov retired in a late collision.
Montoya keeps the lead at the start
Montoya began the reverse-grid race from pole, with Minì beside him. Minì made a strong launch but could not complete the overtake into the first corner.
He remained close enough to attack again when Montoya’s tyres began losing grip. Tsolov started fourth and immediately challenged Minì on the opening lap.
The Italian protected second place while Montoya led through the first sector. Beganovic held fourth, with van Hoepen close behind in fifth place.
Alex Dunne ran wide during an early attempt and lost two positions. Montoya ended the opening lap ahead of Minì and Tsolov.
The three leading cars stayed close during the first half of the Sprint. Minì remained patient because passing space was limited around the Hungaroring. Montoya defended the main straight and kept the inside line at Turn 1.
Minì waits for the right moment to overtake
The leader could not create a safe gap during the middle laps. Minì stayed close enough to use DRS on the main straight.
Tsolov followed the pair and kept pressure on both drivers. Beganovic remained ready to gain places if the front battle changed.
Van Hoepen also stayed inside the leading group for Trident. Montoya began to struggle for grip as the race entered its final third.
His front tyres locked under braking at the first corner on lap 17. Minì used the mistake and moved ahead without contact.
He placed the MP Motorsport car on the normal racing line after the pass. Montoya stayed second, but Tsolov was now directly behind him.
The fight for second ends in contact
Tsolov closed on Montoya after Minì took the lead. The Campos driver attempted a pass on the inside at Turn 1.
His car hit the side of Montoya’s Prema during the braking phase. Both cars stopped and neither driver reached the chequered flag.
Race control used a virtual safety car while marshals cleared the incident. Minì kept first place when the field reduced its speed.
Beganovic moved into second without taking part in the collision. Van Hoepen advanced to third and gained his first podium since Miami.
| Winner | Gabriele Minì |
|---|---|
| Team | MP Motorsport |
| Second | Dino Beganovic |
| Third | Laurens van Hoepen |
The stewards examined the contact after the race. The published classification kept Minì, Beganovic and van Hoepen on the podium.
Beganovic and van Hoepen secure the podium
Minì handled the restart and kept Beganovic outside attacking range. He protected the lead through the final corners and crossed the line first.
Beganovic took second place after avoiding the collision ahead. Van Hoepen followed in third and returned Trident to the podium.
Rafael Câmara recovered from the middle of the grid to finish fourth. Kush Maini gained several positions and completed the leading five.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak followed in the second ART Grand Prix car. Joshua Dürksen and Martinius Stenshorne took the remaining points.
Noel León lost ground after receiving a time penalty. John Bennett finished directly behind him after a close final lap.
Oliver Goethe brought the second MP Motorsport car home in the midfield. Alex Dunne never recovered the places lost during his opening mistake.
The late collision changed the podium without affecting Minì at the front. Beganovic and van Hoepen accepted the places created by that incident.
Their clean finishes mattered when two leading cars retired together. Minì completed every restart cleanly and avoided another fight for position.
The Sprint changes the championship picture
Minì earned his second victory of the season in Budapest. Tsolov scored nothing after the collision with Montoya.
That contrast reduced Tsolov’s advantage before the longer race. Câmara remained third in the championship after his recovery drive.
Beganovic returned to the podium after several difficult weekends. Van Hoepen also gave Trident a useful result in Hungary.
Maini starts the Feature Race from pole after leading Friday qualifying. Câmara shares the front row after setting the next fastest lap.
Minì and Tsolov begin further back on the normal qualifying grid. The Feature Race does not use Saturday’s reverse order.
Maini therefore keeps the position earned during qualifying. Montoya also returns to the place set by his Friday lap.
The Sprint changed the points gap without changing the championship order. Minì gained the maximum return after making the decisive pass on track.
His victory came from patience, one braking mistake and a clean finish. The result gives Sunday’s race a closer fight between the leading drivers. The longer race also offers more points than the Saturday Sprint.
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