2018 Red Bull Ring Sprint Race

The 2018 Red Bull Ring Sprint Race, otherwise known as the 2018 Red Bull Ring Race 2, was the twelfth race of the 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship, staged at the Red Bull Ring on the 1 July 2018. The race, which was the second of the season to start behind the safety car, would see Artem Markelov claim a dominant victory as Lando Norris finally lost his Championship lead.

It was the aforementioned Markelov whom would start the race form pole, with the Russian racer duly sprinting clear of teammate Tadasuke Makino as the safety car pulled off the circuit. Makino was left to fend off a hard charging Sérgio Sette Câmara, while Feature Race winner George Russell moved past Norris for seventh.

Russell was the man to watch during the early stages, with the Brit moving up into third with a series of identical lunges into turn one. Markelov, meanwhile, was keeping a safe margin over teammate Makino after an early push, although had to push on again once Russell vaulted past the Honda Junior driver on lap four.

With Markelov sprinting clear and Russell seeming to settle for second the race became about the fight for third, for Makino's pace faded enough to allow Fuoco and Câmara to harass him. Ultimately it was Câmara who managed to blast through to third, moments before tyre degradation began to take hold and dictate the rest of the race.

One major victim of poor tyre degradation would be Norris, whom faded badly enough in the closing stages to drop out of the points. Fuoco's pace would also falter, leaving him to fend off a late charge from Albon, while Santino Ferrucci managed his tyres well to fight with Nicholas Latifi and Nirei Fukuzumi for the final points paying positions.

Out front, meanwhile, Markelov put together an imperious display to claim a third victory of the season, taking the chequered flag almost six seconds clear of Russell. That result put Russell at the top of the Championship, although Câmara's third place meant that Carlin held their lead in the Teams' Championship.

Background
As ever there would be no changes to the circuit overnight, meaning it was business as usual for Formula Two on Sunday, with the Sprint Race scheduled in the morning ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. In terms of the grid there would be some minor revisions, with Maximilian Günther set to start from fifteenth after a penalty in the Feature Race, although otherwise the order was set. That meant that Artem Markelov would lead the field away from pole, with all twenty drivers expected to use the soft Pirelli compound for the race.

In terms of the Championship, Lando Norris had seen his lead cut apart during the Feature Race, for George Russell had claimed pole and victory to move within two points of the McLaren man's lead. Indeed, with more than half the season still to run it seemed as if it would be an all English duel for the title, for Alexander Albon was almost 40 points behind in third, just ahead of a tight group led by Markelov. Behind the Russian racer sat Sérgio Sette Câmara, Nyck de Vries and Antonio Fuoco, with just three points covering the quartet.

Elsewhere, Carlin had continued to lead the way in the Teams' Championship, although ART Grand Prix had carved a slight chunk out of their advantage after the Feature Race. Indeed, Carlin had ended Saturday just two points shy of the 200 point mark, while ART had moved to 169, leaving them some 29 points back. Those two looked set to fight out amongst themselves, for Charouz Racing System headed the chasing pack on 118, some 51 points off ART's tally.

Entry List
The full entry list for the is displayed below:

Grid
The grid for the twelfth race of the 2018 campaign was formed from the finishing positions of the Feature Race, with the top eight reversed as per-FIA Formula Two rules.

Race
It was a bright, clear, morning that greeted the Formula Two field for the second race around the Red Bull Ring in 2018, with no sign of rain at all near the circuit. Yet, temperatures remained on the cool side for the Sprint around the Styrian mountains, with the entire field set to complete the race on soft compound Pirelli tyres. Likewise, there was no variation in terms of the grid after the Feature Race, with Artem Markelov leading the field from pole.

Report
Markelov duly shot away from teammate Tadasuke Makino at the start of the race, timing his launch from behind the safety car perfectly to establish a healthy lead. Behind it was largely status quo, until George Russell lunged past Lando Norris into turn one to snatch seventh. Norris tried to retaliate into turn three but Russell resisted, with the rest of the field sorting themselves out behind.

An otherwise tame opening tour would see Markelov extend his advantage over Makino at an alarming rate, the Russian racer leading the field by over a second at the end of the lap. Makino himself was a secure second ahead of Sérgio Sette Câmara, while Alexander Albon was fighting a rear-guard against Antonio Fuoco. Roberto Merhi was next ahead of the charging Russell, with Norris tucked right under his compatriot's wing across the line.

The early laps were all about the charge from Russell, with the Brit scything past Merhi, Albon and Fuoco before the end of lap three. Norris, meanwhile, would have to fight his way through the group and, having been gifted a position by Merhi falling off the road, found himself stuck behind Albon and Fuoco as Russell sprinted after Câmara for third. Indeed, the Championship leader tried to take advantage of a lunge by Fuoco on the Thai racer into turn three, only to get forced out wide as they came through the corner.

Moments later and Russell was diving past Câmara to claim third, with Makino having sprinted clear to try and escape from the Brit's sights. Norris, meanwhile, was trying everything he could to take sixth from Albon, but found the Thai racer a stubborn opponent. Albon's resistance ultimately proved so effective that Russell managed to scythe past Makino into turn three on lap seven before Norris had made a move stick on Albon.

Ultimately, however, Norris' pace would stall behind the DAMS machine, with the Brit simply unable to pass. Russell, meanwhile, found his charge for the lead halted by Markelov, for the Russian racer was the only man capable of matching the Brit's pace. Indeed, instead of Russell catching the Russian the truth was that Markelov was pulling clear of the Brit, with a four second gap opening between them as the race charged past half-distance.

Norris finally made a move stick on Albon just after the halfway point, lunging past the Thai racer up the inside of turn three with ten laps to go. A lap later and Câmara was on the move, easing past Makino as the Japanese ace found his tyres lacking grip as the laps wore on. Indeed, Câmara's move allowed Fuoco to challenge the Japanese racer around the outside of turn four, but ultimately had to wait until the following lap to make his move stick.

Back with Norris and his pace was failing badly in the closing stages, with the Brit falling down behind Albon, Nirei Fukuzumi, Santino Ferrucci and Nicholas Latifi in short order. As he tumbled, Sean Gelael and Louis Delétraz tripped over each other at turn four, the Indonesian racer having run the Swiss driver out wide and into the gravel. Unfortunately for him, Delétraz had enough momentum to keep going, with the Charouz duly spearing into the side of the Prema, shredding his left rear tyre badly enough that Gelael had to stop at the side of the circuit. Delétraz himself was left with a puncture and front wing damage, causing him to retire at the end of the lap.

Into the final laps and Ferrucci darted past Fukuzumi for seventh, as Norris tried hard to keep Latifi at bay, the duo squabbling throughout the second sector before the Brit relented. Arjun Maini would duly pounce on the Brit before the chequered flag while, up ahead, Albon was reeling in Fuoco having charged past Makino. Latifi, meanwhile, would disappear from Norris to take the final point away from Fukuzumi as, out ahead, Markelov continue to pull a tenth or so a lap out of Russell.

With that the race was run, with Markelov charging home with fastest lap to claim his third win of the season. Russell was a contented second ahead of Câmara, while Fuoco kept Albon at bay to claim fourth ahead of the Thai racer. Makino was next ahead of Ferrucci and Latifi, while Maini's late move on Norris saw the Championship leader end the afternoon in eleventh.

Results
The final classification of the is displayed below:
 * Italics indicate that a driver set fastest lap.
 * * Gelael handed a three place grid penalty for the following race after causing an avoidable accident.

Milestones

 * Eighth career victory for Artem Markelov in Formula Two.
 * Markelov also claimed his ninth triumph at GP2/F2 level.
 * The Russian racer also claimed his tenth fastest lap award.
 * Russian Time earned their ninth victory as an entrant in F2.
 * Also their nineteenth triumph in either GP2 or F2.
 * First time in 2018 that anyone other than Lando Norris had led the Championship.

Standings
Yet another strong performance from George Russell had seen the Brit finally oust Lando Norris from top spot in the Championship, the Brit leaving Austria with a ten point advantage over his compatriot. Behind, and still twenty-eight points away, would be race winner Artem Markelov, with Alexander Albon having to make way for the Russian racer as Markelov moved into the top three. Next up were Sérgio Sette Câmara and Antonio Fuoco, while Nyck de Vries lost ground in seventh.

Carlin had managed to retain their lead in the Teams Championship during the double header in Austria, although ART Grand Prix had managed to chip away at their advantage. Indeed, the pair were split by 27 points heading to the former's home round in Silverstone, with those two set to duel for the title for the rest of the season. Behind sat Charouz Racing System, falling adrift in third, with DAMS, Russian Time and Pertamina Prema all within striking distance of the Czech squad.

Only point scoring drivers and teams are shown.