Ralph Boschung returned to FIA Formula 2 in style at Spa-Francorchamps, showing great pace to claim a podium finish in Saturday’s Sprint Race.
Making his comeback after a lengthy absence following his diagnosis with facet syndrome, the Campos Racing driver started his weekend strongly by topping the times in slippery conditions during Friday morning’s Free Practice. In the afternoon’s qualifying session, Ralph took 10th, handing him pole position on the semi-reverse grid for Saturday.
With a fast launch off the line in the Sprint Race, Ralph remained a constant challenger at the front throughout the 18-lap event. He finished third to add to his podium tally in the series, despite his recent injury limiting his training and fitness. The Swiss racer continued to fight hard on Sunday, battling neck pain to finish 14th.
FIA Formula 2 takes on Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands for the first time for Round 12 on 2-4 September. A decision on Ralph’s fitness to race will be made in the coming days.
Ralph Boschung: “I’m delighted to return to racing again at Spa, after a long time away from the track. We started strongly on Friday by going fastest in Free Practice despite the tricky conditions, and I was happy to claim 10th and the Sprint Race pole in qualifying.
“We had good speed on Saturday, and I had battle hard both on track and with my injury to stay in contention for the podium. Sunday was also a tough day, we had the pace for points but we got caught by the drivers on the alternate strategy. Overall, it was great to get back on track, and it’s an amazing feeling to stand on the podium at Spa. It was a difficult weekend physically, I was unable to train as I had to rest to help my neck recover. I’m not as fit as I was at the start of the season, but the focus now is returning to full health as soon as possible and I hope to be racing again next weekend. It's been a challenging period, but I want to thank my partners and sponsors for all their support over the last few weeks.”