Top class support races

The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022 featured a fantastic programme of world-class support races to keep the action alive at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) ahead of the main event.

ART Grand Prix were delighted with their performances in Sakhir, with two of the team’s drivers taking victories in the Formula 2 and Formula 3 Feature races.

Theo Pourchaire clinched the win in F2 while Victor Martins triumphed in F3.

Pourchaire clinched his F2 Feature Race victory following a tight battle with Kiwi Liam Lawson of Carlin.

Only 0.925 seconds separated the pair at the chequered flag, with Pourchaire winning in a total time of one hour one minute and 54.454 seconds after 31 laps.

Juri Vips of Hitech Grand Prix completed the podium placers in third, finishing 1.714 seconds back.

Meanwhile, ART’s Martins claimed an impressive win in F3. He was able to move up to second at the restart, and did well to maintain his place for much of the race.

On lap 15, he made his move on then-leader Franco Colapinto to go first, and charged to the chequered flag from there.

The Frenchman won with a narrow 1.543 seconds gap ahead of Prema Racing’s Monegasque driver Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of Ferrari F1 star Charles Leclerc. Martins had a winning time of 46:47.389 over 23 laps.

Swiss Gregoire Saucy for ART Grand Prix took the final podium place after finishing 6.812s behind Martins.

F2 and F3 both wrapped up their season-opening rounds in Bahrain, while the Porsche Sprint Challenge held its 2021/2022 championship-finale.

The F2 championship now heads to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia next week for the season’s second of 13 rounds. The F3 season will be back in action in Italy between April 22 and 24. This year’s championship campaign features nine rounds in all.

Both single-seater series were part of F1 weekend’s support race programme, which also included the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East, in which Fahad Algosaibi secured a fine double.

Algosaibi’s double caps an exciting final round in the 2021/2022 Porsche Challenge.

The Saudi driver took a pole-to-flag victory after 11 laps in a total race time of 22:48.223.

He was joined on the podium by the Dutch pair of Morris Schuring and Thierry Vermeulen.

Schuring was not far behind, completing the race just 1.496 seconds behind Algosaibi, while Vermeulen claimed third place 6.749s back.

The event wrapped up the 2021/2022 campaign for the BIC-based, one-make Porsche series, which featured top racers from across the region.