DAMS Lucas Oil scored a points finish with Juan Manuel Correa in the Sprint Race on Saturday, showing strong race pace throughout the weekend at the Hungaroring.
Having qualified 19th, Correa fitted the hard tyres, which paid off in the latter stages of the event, as he moved up 11 places to secure the final points paying position, while Jak Crawford opted for the soft rubber, moving up 13 spots to finish just behind in 9th.
On Sunday, Correa and Crawford started on the soft tyre with both making six overtakes on the opening tour of the circuit, before pitting on Lap 7 as the Safety Car came out. However, a slow double-stacked pit stop and another intervention from the Safety Car late on allowed alternative strategy runners to close in, meaning the duo finished 16th and 17th respectively.
“I was pleased to pick up the final point in the Sprint Race, gaining 11 places certainly made for an entertaining afternoon. We started the Feature Race well but then during the first pit stop which frustratingly cost us several positions. We have a great race car, but we need to do better on a Friday to make sure we can score the big points throughout the event.”
Results
Qualifying: 19th
Sprint Race: 8th (+1 point)
Feature Race: 16th
“The weekend started great with P2 in Free Practice, but in qualifying we missed the window for the soft tyres, meaning we failed to maximise our performance. It was a strong Sprint Race for both of us on different strategies, showing that our race pace is good as I only narrowly missed out on the points. We’ve got one round to go until the summer break, so we’ll try and finish on a high.”
Results
Qualifying: 22nd
Sprint Race: 9th
Feature Race: 17th
“It was another event when we had an impressive race car, as shown by both drivers, especially in Saturday’s event, but we missed out on the big points due to qualifying. We’re pleased with the recovery in the Sprint Race, for both drivers to make up so many places, with JM securing the final point. In the Feature Race, the Safety Car forced us to double stack the two cars, but JM stalled and Jak had to wait behind. It had been a positive start with both cars gaining multiple positions, but it was a very tricky race after that. We will aim to bounce back in Spa before the summer break next weekend.”
Drivers’ Championship
1. Isack Hadjar 140
2. Paul Aron 122
3. Gabriel Bortoleto 110
-7. Jak Crawford 84
-16. Juan Manuel Correa 31
Teams’ Championship
- Invicta Racing 184
- Campos Racing 178
- MP Motorsport 175
- Hitech Pulse-Eight 147
-7. DAMS Lucas Oil 115
About DAMS
DAMS is a professional racing team founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot, currently competing in FIA Formula 2, F1’s main feeder series. Ahead of the 2022 season, ex-F1 driver Charles Pic took control of the team. So far, 33 DAMS drivers have reached F1, with many more going on to become professional racing drivers. In its history, DAMS has won 15 drivers’ titles, 16 teams’ championships and has scored over 170 race victories.
