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F2: Zhou takes maiden Feature Race victory in Bahrain thriller

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 28: Race winner Guanyu Zhou of China and UNI-Virtuosi Racing celebrates onBAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 28: Race winner Guanyu Zhou of China and UNI-Virtuosi Racing celebrates on the podium during the Feature Race of Round 1:Sakhir of the Formula 2 Championship at Bahrain International Circuit on March 28, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)

UNI-Virtuosi’s Guanyu Zhou continued the Alpine Academy’s strong start to the 2021 Formula 2 season, beating Williams junior Dan Ticktum and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson for his first Feature Race win, with an inspired performance in Bahrain.

Lining up on pole, it was far from a simple lights-to-flag affair for Zhou. Opting to start on the hard compound, he struggled to compete with those around him on the soft and tumbled out of the top 10.

WATCH: Piastri snatches Sprint Race 2 victory with final lap pass on Zhou

The Alpine junior was gifted a second chance when a Safety Car shook up the order and put him back into contention. Marcus Armstrong, Oscar Piastri and Richard Verschoor also all benefitted, but Zhou was imperious and dispatched of all three to win at a canter.

Armstrong and Verschoor both fell off the podium as Ticktum and Lawson followed the Virtuosi through, while Piastri got caught up in a scuffle with Ticktum, spinning off track and out of the race.

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Zhou departs the opening round with the Championship lead, ahead of Red Bull junior duo Jehan Daruvala and Lawson.

For more on F2, visit the official series website.

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