MP Motorsport driver Colapinto pulled off an on-the-edge last lap manoeuvre to snatch a first victory of the season from Paul Aron, who instead had to settle for a third second place result of the campaign.
Following an error from Aron at Rivazza on the penultimate lap, Colapinto drew level along the start/finish straight before banging wheels into Tamburello in a move that saw Aron touch the gravel.
Believing himself to have been forced off the track, Aron questioned the legality of the move over his team radio but the stewards deemed no further action was necessary.
While this provided some entertainment, the only other action of note came at Tamburello on lap one, when five cars were forced to retire with crash damage - with Colapinto under investigation as part of this incident.
The initial trigger for this was a dreadful start for Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who dropped like a stone from sixth to 12th.
But the real catalyst for mayhem came when Roman Stanek tagged Dennis Hauger into a spin, causing Joshua Durksen to brake in avoidance, an action which left Enzo Fittipaldi and Isack Hadjar with nowhere to go. Significant damage was sustained by all cars involved.
Paul Aron, Hitech Grand Prix
Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Colapinto was also deemed to have been involved in the incident by the stewards, who will look into the moment specifically involving the Argentinian, Hadjar and Stanek after the race.
With just 17 cars running, the action resumed on lap six of 25 with Aron, who had climbed from third to first in the initial run to Tamburello on the opening tour, leading Colapinto and Amaury Cordeel.
As the comparatively calm action resumed, penalties began to filter through from the stewards’ office as Pepe Marti was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty for a “starting procedure infringement”, a sanction he served at the end of lap 11.
Following his poor start, there was also further pain for Antonelli, as the Prema driver now faces a post-race investigation for a “safety car infringement”.
After a long period of follow-the-leader style racing, Maloney finally made his way onto the podium on lap 23, mimicking Aron’s earlier move on Cordeel by sweeping around the outside at Tamburello.
This was Colapinto’s first F2 two win and he becomes the sixth different winner from the opening seven races of 2024. By finishing ahead of Maloney, Aron cut the Barbadian’s championship lead to 13 points.
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Source: Autosport