Double delight for Felipe Drugovich in MRF Challenge season opener

SAKHIR(BAHRAIN): Brazilian racer Felipe Drugovich was in red-hot form ash ego this MR F Challenge 2017 campaign off to a perfect start by winning both race sin the season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

The 17- year-old pulled off a last lap man oeuvre on Manuel Maldonado, cousin of former F 1 racer Pastor Maldonado, to win the second race on Friday. Presley Marto no also passed Maldonado in a thrilling run to to beat the Venezuelan by one-hundredths of a second to take second. In the first race, Drugovich benefited from race leader Rinus van Kalmthout’s retirement to win ahead of Martono and Dylan Young.

Earlier in the day, van Kalmthou twas dominant in qualifying to put his car on pole by almost half-a-second, clocking two minutes and 0.754 seconds. Drugovich qualified second with Alex Karkosik in third.

Van Kalmthout had the perfect start from pole to lead into the first corner. Drugovich followed him with Young jumping from seventh to third. Dru go vi ch managed to stay with van K al mth out for the first few laps before the Dutchman started pulling away. Meanwhile, Martono passed Young to third and started gaining on Drugovich.

It was heartbreak for van K al mt ho uta she retired from the lead with two laps to go due to a mechanical issue. Martono closed upright behind Dru go vi ch and the two were side-by-side as they headed down the main straight. Mart ono tried to get past but Dru go vi ch held onto win the first race with Young third.

In the reverse grid-based Race 2, Maldonado jumped Julian F alchero to lead into the first corner. Drugovich had a strong start from sixth to get into third. On the last lap, Drugovich outbraked Maldonado to take the lead with Martono close behind. Coming out of the last corner and heading into the pit straight, Martono managed toge this nose ahead to beat Maldonado by 0.010 seconds.