Ayumu Iwasa starts from 19th position on the grid after being penalised in Qualifying and finishes 19th in the Sprit Race
Circuit de MonacoRound 5 of the FIA Formula 2 Championship kicked off on the traditional Monaco street circuit with the Free Practice on Thursday 26 and the Qualifying on Friday 27, May.
Ayumu Iwasa, a Honda Formula Dream Project (HFDP) driver, participated in the Qualifying in Group A which comprised of odd-numbered drivers. He set the 2nd fastest time on the last lap but was penalised for a rule infringement relating to a yellow flag waved just before the finish. His best lap time was then withdrawn and he was also given a 10-place grid penalty.
In the Sprint Race on Saturday 28, Iwasa started from P19 on Row 10 of the grid.
In an ambient temperature of 26°C and a track temperature of 40°C, the formation lap finally got underway at 6：05pm, 25 minutes later than scheduled due to the time taken to deal with a F1 qualifying accident. The pole-sitter was unable to start the race due to an engine stalling off the line, but this did not lead to an accident, and the front runners cleared the first corner without any change in position. Starting from 19th, Iwasa made a good dash to climb positions and finished the first lap in 15th.
Iwasa was close behind the front car but unable to pass it. He then tried to overtake from the inside at La Rascasse corner on Lap 9, but the two cars collided and the car in front stopped on the track. The accident brought on the Safety Car. Iwasa moved up to 14th, but he damaged his front wing in the contact and was forced to return to the pit while the Safety Car was leading the race. While dropping to 17th after a pit stop, he was ruled responsible for the accident and was given a time penalty of 10 seconds.
When the race resumed on Lap 14, Iwasa closed in on the car in front, looking for a chance to overtake, but he was unable to move up the field from 17th before completing the 30-lap race. After finishing the race in 17th, Iwasa was demoted to 19th place due to the added 10-second penalty.
It was a race with a bad flow. My pace was not bad, and the balance of the car was good in the race. I was fast compared to others. It is difficult to overtake on this track, but I made an attempt at Turn 18, which is less risky, because the front car made a little mistake. However, I made contact with it and my front wing was damaged so I had to have it replaced. The contact caused the alignment to go wrong and damaged the tyres, but I was still able to keep up with the pace of those around me. I don't regret my attempt. I don't object to the penalty either because, as a result of my attempt, I unintentionally pushed another car out. I think it has been a good experience for me.Regardless of the result, I am positive about my race pace and the balance of the car. As I have identified some issues, I will prepare to make the most of them in the Feature Race.
