Spa F3: Doohan wins under safety car after Raidillon crash
Jack Doohan took his second FIA Formula 3 win in the second sprint race at Spa, which was marred by safety cars amid more wet conditions.
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
The Trident driver took 15 points after starting on pole, where he will also start for tomorrow’s feature race. He sits second in the drivers standings behind Prema Racing's Dennis Hauger, who finished in ninth.
He finished ahead of teammate David Schumacher and Charouz Racing System’s Logan Sargeant, who had started in fifth.
The race finished behind the second safety car of the race after a collision at Eau Rouge-Raidillon – the third of the weekend after a huge multi-car collision in W Series qualifying and Lando Norris’ shunt in Formula 1 qualifying.
MP Motorsport’s Caio Collet finished fourth, with the third Trident of Clement Novalak in fifth and Frederik Vesti (ART Grand Prix) in sixth.
The race started in the dry after the earlier rainfall, albeit still with significant spray.
Alexander Smolyar was forced wide on the first lap, while Logan Sargeant moved up from fifth to third and Vesti made up three places to move up to sixth.
By lap four, Doohan had settled into a comfortable three second lead ahead of his teammate Schumacher.
Johnathan Hoggard was sent spinning by Arthur Leclerc while defending from ninth, and was closely followed by championship leader Dennis Hauger, while Hoggard was sent to the back of the pack.
The two went on to tussle but Leclerc maintained his lead.
At the halfway point, Doohan had built a 3.4s lead from Schumacher, while the darkening clouds suggested an imminent downpour.
Amaury Cordeel was handed two five second penalties for repeatedly exceeding track limits at turn nine, while several other drivers were cautioned for the same move.
A virtual safety car was prompted after Matteo Nannini spun into the final chicane on lap ten, braking off the racing line before losing the rear, almost making contact with Hunter Yeany.
The rain eventually fell on lap 11, with a full safety car emerging to control the pack until the end of lap 13.
As the green flag was waved, Doohan maintained his lead, while Hauger passed Leclerc at La Source to take another point in his championship campaign.
But the safety car was deployed again just moments later, with another crash at the top of Raidillon involving Calan Williams (Jenzer Motorsport) and Amaury Cordeel of Campos Racing, with both drivers emerging from their cars unaided.
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