Ralph Boschung secured his first FIA Formula 2 Championship podium in Jeddah, during the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, finishing third in Sunday’s Feature Race.
After fighting at the front in several races this season, Boschung was once again involved in the battle for pole position at the new Jeddah Corniche Circuit before encountering traffic on his final flying lap, leaving him seventh.
In the reverse-grid Sprint Race 1, Boschung moved from fourth to third at the start, but a car issue hampered his pace and caused the Swiss driver to drop out of the points. A strong recovery in Sprint Race 2 resulted in a ninth-place finish.
Ralph made a great start to Sunday’s Feature Race, going from seventh to third at the first corner. In an eventful race, the Campos Racing man held his nerve despite multiple interruptions. He pitted under Safety Car conditions and was on course to take second place before a second stoppage resulted in a premature chequered flag.
The final round of the 2021 F2 season takes place at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on 10-12 December.
Ralph Boschung: “The Feature Race was bizarre, but I’m nevertheless delighted to finally stand on the Formula 2 podium. It’s been a long time coming and we’ve had the potential to achieve it all season, so it’s an amazing feeling for both me and the team to get our hands on a trophy.
“We immediately had good pace and I knew we would be in the fight for pole. I got a great launch off the line in the Feature Race and managed to avoid Théo Pourchaire, who stalled just ahead of me. He had a very scary collision with Enzo Fittipaldi so we almost immediately had a red flag. At the restart I was feeling quick and pressured Robert Shwartzman for second place. At the same time, Guanyu Zhou attacked me from behind, but I defended well to hold position.
“We still have some improvements to make, especially with race pace, but we are feeling good right now and I’m excited for the finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend. I’d also like to wish both Théo and Enzo speedy recoveries after their crash and hope to see them back on the grid soon.”