Sunday action in Barcelona is in full throttle. After Formula 3 built up the excitement, the Formula 2 Feature Race was next on the schedule. Starting from the front row was Arvid Lindblad, who claimed his first Aramco Pole Position Award, with Sebastian Montoya lining up alongside the Briton in P2. With championship leader Alexander Dunne starting from P8, the race promised a potential shake-up at the top of the standings.
Soft tyres were the choice for most drivers, especially those at the front of the grid. However, some opted for the hard compound, aiming for an alternative strategy with a longer first stint.
Arvid Lindblad got a great launch and took the lead right away, while his teammate Pepe Martí made an impressive move from P11 to P6, with the crowd cheering on their home favourite. Richard Verschoor also had a strong start, jumping two places into P3.
Leonardo Fornaroli, on the other hand, dropped down the order and received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for a starting procedure infringement. The Italian served his penalty at the start of the race, falling to the back of the grid.
Joshua Dürksen was the first to pit on lap 7, triggering a domino effect that brought more drivers into the pits. The front-runners began stopping around lap 10, with Arvid Lindblad taking his time and pitting on lap 12. This temporarily handed the lead to Martí before he served his mandatory pit stop. The Spaniard was later noted for a pit lane infringement.
Dürksen and Luke Browning battled corner by corner through a significant portion of the race. However, some of their exchanges were not as smooth as they’d have liked, with Dürksen receiving a 5-second penalty on lap 17 for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on Browning.
As the race progressed and the drivers who had started on soft tyres completed their pit stops, those on the alternative strategy were left hoping for a safety car. Jack Crawford was the first to switch from hard to soft compound on lap 23. Shortly after, Browning pitted for a new front wing and fresh tyres after he picked up damage from contact with Ritomo Miyata. Browning was later handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision.
A yellow flag was waved at Turns 1 and 2 on lap 26 as Rafael Villagómez pulled off to the side of the track. With assistance from the marshals, his car was cleared quickly, allowing the race to continue without the need for a safety car.
By lap 32, Crawford was showing strong pace as he chased a podium finish. Joining Verschoor and Montoya, the fight for P2 intensified. On the same lap, Oliver Goethe received a 5-second penalty for exceeding track limits.
On lap 35, Fornaroli’s race came to an end as the Invicta driver stopped in the gravel trap, prompting the deployment of the safety car. The timing was unfortunate for Crawford, who had been pushing for a podium finish, but with no laps remaining for green-flag racing, the race ended under the safety car.
Arvid Lindblad delivered a commanding performance, securing Campos racing’s first home win and his own first Feature Race victory. Montoya and Verschoor completed the podium in P2 and P3. Dunne retained his lead in the championship standings, but Verschoor closed the gap to just one point, while Lindblad’s 25-point haul moved him up to P3.