# 2023 Sakhir Formula 2 round

The 2023 Sakhir FIA Formula 2 round was a motor racing event held between 3 and 5 March 2023 at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the first race of the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship and was held in support of the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix.

## Background
### Team changes

German Formula 4 team PHM Racing took over the entry and assets of Charouz Racing System at the end of the 2022 season, and runs in cooperation with the Czech squad under the PHM Racing by Charouz moniker.

### Driver changes

As the category's sporting regulations state, reigning Drivers' Champion Felipe Drugovich was unable to defend the title and therefore left the series. This year's championship also saw the return of American driver Juan Manuel Correa, who returned to the series after his heavy accident at the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 2 round in which Anthoine Hubert lost his life.

## Classification
### Qualifying

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Time/Gap | Grid SR | Grid FR |
| 1 | 5 | Théo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 1:40.903 | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | 6 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix | +0.751 | 8 | 2 |
| 3 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Van Amersfoort Racing | +0.900 | 7 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 | Dennis Hauger | MP Motorsport | +0.928 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | 7 | Frederik Vesti | Prema Racing | +0.994 | 9 | 5 |
| 6 | 24 | Kush Maini | Campos Racing | +1.024 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 11 | Ayumu Iwasa | DAMS | +1.031 | 4 | 7 |
| 8 | 12 | Arthur Leclerc | DAMS | +1.070 | 3 | 8 |
| 9 | 20 | Roman Staněk | Trident | +1.085 | 2 | 9 |
| 10 | 25 | Ralph Boschung | Campos Racing | +1.107 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | 2 | Jehan Daruvala | MP Motorsport | +1.114 | 11 | 11 |
| 12 | 8 | Oliver Bearman | Prema Racing | +1.123 | 12 | 12 |
| 13 | 4 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Rodin Carlin | +1.146 | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | 10 | Isack Hadjar | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +1.189 | 14 | 14 |
| 15 | 15 | Amaury Cordeel | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | +1.189 | 15 | 15 |
| 16 | 23 | Juan Manuel Correa | Van Amersfoort Racing | +1.206 | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | 14 | Jack Doohan | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | +1.209 | 17 | 17 |
| 18 | 3 | Zane Maloney | Rodin Carlin | +1.282 | 18 | 18 |
| 19 | 9 | Jak Crawford | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +1.331 | 19 | 19 |
| 20 | 17 | Brad Benavides | PHM Racing by Charouz | +1.590 | 20 | 20 |
| 21 | 16 | Roy Nissany | PHM Racing by Charouz | +1.599 | 21 | 21 |
| 22 | 21 | Clément Novalak | Trident | +1.667 | 22 | 22 |
| 107% time: 1:47.966 (+7.063) |||||||
| Source: |||||||
Notes
* ^1 – Frederik Vesti has been handed a three-place grid drop for impeding Arthur Leclerc during Qualifying, demoting him to ninth place for Saturday's Sprint race.

### Sprint race

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 25 | Ralph Boschung | Campos Racing | 23 | 41:50.597 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 1 | Dennis Hauger | MP Motorsport | 23 | +10.848 | 6 | 8 |
| 3 | 6 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix | 23 | +16.162 | 8 | 6 |
| 4 | 11 | Ayumu Iwasa | DAMS | 23 | +24.494 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | 5 | Théo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 23 | +29.709 | 10 | 4 (1) |
| 6 | 2 | Jehan Daruvala | MP Motorsport | 23 | +30.901 | 11 | 3 |
| 7 | 24 | Kush Maini | Campos Racing | 23 | +41.541 | 5 | 2 |
| 8 | 4 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Rodin Carlin | 23 | +43.065 | 13 | 1 |
| 9 | 3 | Zane Maloney | Rodin Carlin | 23 | +44.135 | 18 | |
| 10 | 23 | Juan Manuel Correa | Van Amersfoort Racing | 23 | +48.540 | 16 | |
| 11 | 14 | Jack Doohan | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | 23 | +49.251 | 17 | |
| 12 | 12 | Arthur Leclerc | DAMS | 23 | +50.164 | 3 | |
| 13 | 20 | Roman Staněk | Trident | 23 | +50.625 | 2 | |
| 14 | 9 | Jak Crawford | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 23 | +52.283 | 19 | |
| 15 | 8 | Oliver Bearman | Prema Racing | 23 | +53.752 | 12 | |
| 16 | 21 | Clément Novalak | Trident | 23 | +54.607 | 22 | |
| 17 | 7 | Frederik Vesti | Prema Racing | 23 | +54.645 | 9 | |
| 18 | 16 | Roy Nissany | PHM Racing by Charouz | 23 | +1:04.486 | 21 | |
| 19 | 17 | Brad Benavides | PHM Racing by Charouz | 23 | +1:08.768 | 20 | |
| 20 | 10 | Isack Hadjar | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 23 | +1:13.323 | 14 | |
| 21 | 15 | Amaury Cordeel | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | 23 | +1:13.800 | 15 | |
| 22 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Van Amersfoort Racing | 21 | Mechanical | 7 | |
| Fastest lap set by Oliver Bearman: 1:46.953 (lap 16) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||
Notes
* ^1 – Richard Verschoor retired, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

### Feature Race

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 5 | Théo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 32 | 1:01:10.926 | 1 | 25 (2) |
| 2 | 25 | Ralph Boschung | Campos Racing | 32 | +19.666 | 10 | 18 |
| 3 | 3 | Zane Maloney | Rodin Carlin | 32 | +31.587 | 18 | 15 |
| 4 | 24 | Kush Maini | Campos Racing | 32 | +38.789 | 6 | 12 |
| 5 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Van Amersfoort Racing | 32 | +43.082 | 3 | 10 (1) |
| 6 | 12 | Arthur Leclerc | DAMS | 32 | +44.342 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 10 | Isack Hadjar | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 32 | +46.456 | 14 | 6 |
| 8 | 11 | Ayumu Iwasa | DAMS | 32 | +50.815 | 7 | 4 |
| 9 | 4 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Rodin Carlin | 32 | +51.396 | 13 | 2 |
| 10 | 23 | Juan Manuel Correa | Van Amersfoort Racing | 32 | +51.837 | 16 | 1 |
| 11 | 16 | Roy Nissany | PHM Racing by Charouz | 32 | +52.939 | 21 | |
| 12 | 9 | Jak Crawford | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 32 | +53.329 | 19 | |
| 13 | 21 | Clément Novalak | Trident | 32 | +53.953 | 22 | |
| 14 | 8 | Oliver Bearman | Prema Racing | 32 | +59.739 | 12 | |
| 15 | 15 | Amaury Cordeel | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | 32 | +1:00.968 | PL | |
| 16 | 14 | Jack Doohan | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | 32 | +1:05.204 | 17 | |
| 17 | 2 | Jehan Daruvala | MP Motorsport | 32 | +1:06.463 | 11 | |
| 18 | 17 | Brad Benavides | PHM Racing by Charouz | 32 | +1:33.235 | 20 | |
| DNF | 1 | Dennis Hauger | MP Motorsport | 16 | Engine | 4 | |
| DNF | 6 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix | 1 | Collision damage | 2 | |
| DNF | 7 | Frederik Vesti | Prema Racing | 1 | Collision damage | 5 | |
| DNF | 20 | Roman Staněk | Trident | 0 | Collision | 9 | |
| Fastest lap set by Richard Verschoor: 1:47.321 (lap 18) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

## Standings after the event

| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Théo Pourchaire | 32 |
| 2 | Ralph Boschung | 28 |
| 3 | Zane Maloney | 15 |
| 4 | Kush Maini | 14 |
| 5 | Richard Verschoor | 11 |
| Pos. | Team | Points |
| 1 | Campos Racing | 42 |
| 2 | ART Grand Prix | 38 |
| 3 | Rodin Carlin | 18 |
| 4 | DAMS | 17 |
| 5 | Van Amersfoort Racing | 12 |
* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.