Sprint Race: Ticktum holds off Lundgaard to take home victory

It was victory this morning at Silverstone for DAMS and for Dan Ticktum, taking his first F2 win at his home circuit. Christian Lundgaard finished in second despite a late-race push on fresh tyres as Louis Deletraz took the final podium position in third.

Polesitter Ticktum led off the line, as  Lundgaard had a great start, moving up to second position. Guanyu Zhou managed to pass Mick Schumacher for seventh at Copse.

Yuki Tsunoda spun at Village on the opening lap after contact with Calum Ilott, leaving the Carlin standed on track and Tsunoda into retirement, bringing out a brief virtual safety car.

Ticktum pulled away from Lundgaard as racing resumed, as Ilott closed in on fourth-placed Felipe Drugovich. However, Ilott was handed a five-second time penalty for his contact with Tsunoda on the opening lap.

Ilott took fourth from Drugovich, while Zhou pulled a fantastic double overtake down the Hangar straight to get past both Drugovich and Nikita Mazepin coming into Stowe and move up to fifth, as Roy Nissany spun at Brooklands but was able to keep going.

Jehan Daruvala and Mazepin took the chequered flag in fourth and fifth, while sixth and seventh went to Drugovich and Nobuharu Matsushita.

Championship leader Robert Shwartzman moved up to tenth as he looked to get into the point-scoring positions, with Campos' Jack Aitken came under pressure from Daruvala.

Ticktum managed a two-second lead from Lundgaard, as Ilott moved past Louis Deletraz for third. Ilott continued his quick form despite his penalty as he quickly caught and passed Lundgaard for second.

Ilott was on a charge as drivers struggled with high tyre degradation throughout the race. However, it would end badly for Ilott after a spin coming through Club put him out of the race, bringing out the safety car.

Second-placed Lundgaard was one of a handful of drivers deciding to pit under the safety car as Sean Galael suffered an issue during his stop, as his team hit problems with the front right wheel, stopping Galael at the pit lane exit.

Shwartzman also hit issues with his stop as the team were delayed with putting on his new set of tyres, holding the Russian driver in the pits and pushing him down to thirteenth. 

Racing resumed with three laps to go, as Lundgaard looked to move up from fourth on new tyres. Luca Ghiotto was the next retirement, stopping with an issue on the penultimate lap.

Zhou spun on the final lap to drop down to ninth, as Ticktum just held on from Lundgaard to take his first victory at his home race at Silverstone.

Aitken took the final point in eighth, while Zhou and Marcus Armstrong rounded out the top ten.