DAMS Lucas Oil secured a podium finish in the opening event of the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship in Bahrain, with Jak Crawford taking second place in the Sprint Race.

Starting on reverse-grid pole, the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme member showed excellent pace across the 23-lap race, comfortably taking second. Meanwhile, teammate Juan Manuel Correa put in a solid performance, battling throughout to secure 12th.

Crawford made a strong start in the Feature Race, moving up three places on the first lap and continuing to climb up the order on the soft tyres. Pitting midway through the race from third position, the American encountered a technical issue, forcing him to retire. In a frustrating afternoon for the team, Correa’s race also ended early with a technical problem.

Jak Crawford: “We had good pace from the start, using our learnings from the test. Qualifying wasn’t perfect, I made a couple of mistakes and we didn’t quite put it together as a team. However, the second run was decent and we managed to secure P10 and reverse-grid pole. We then had a positive Sprint Race, the speed was strong and it was great to start the season on the podium. Today was frustrating with the issue during the pit stop, but we know we have good pace and can take that with us for the rest of the year.”

Qualifying: 10th |  Sprint Race: 2nd (+8 points)  |  Feature Race: DNF

Juan Manuel Correa: “It wasn’t the easiest weekend for me, we were aiming for the top-10 in qualifying and not quite able to make it. The gaps are so small here in Bahrain thanks to the recent Pre-Season Testing, but we didn’t get it right. Our goal in the races was to make up ground and continue to learn about the new car, which I think we did in the Sprint Race. The pace was ok, we know we have improvements to make and will look for better in Jeddah.”

Qualifying: 13th  |  Sprint Race: 12th  |  Feature Race: DNF

Charles Pic, Team Owner: “We saw from testing that we have potential, and while qualifying wasn’t what we hoped for, Jak was able to take P10, giving him reverse-grid pole position for the Sprint Race. He made a good start and had solid pace throughout. It wasn’t enough for the win but to begin the season with a podium was excellent. Juan Manuel had a lot of traffic in the middle of the pack, which was tough on his tyres but he still managed to pick up some positions. Today was really frustrating with the two DNFs. Jak made a fantastic start on the soft tyres and we were in the mix for another podium before the issue. We know the pace is there and that we’re capable of scoring strong results, so we’ll re-focus for Jeddah and look for more next weekend.”

Image: Dutch Photo Agency