MRF Challenge: Newey wins as Schumacher crashes out
Harrison Newey won the final race of the MRF Challenge F2000 round 3 at the Buddh International Circuit under the safety car after Mick Schumacher
By Rahul Kapoor
In first race on Sunday, Schumacher took a dominant victory ahead of Joey Mawson and Harrison Newey. Schumacher had the perfect start while Newey lost a place going into Turn 1 to Mawson. While Schumacher kept his lead to the chequered flag, Newey and Mawson battled hard fighting for the second position. But it was the Australian who came on top and Newey had to settle for third.
Newey would have his moment in the finale after a brilliant launch which quickly put him in the lead. Ralf Aron, Schumacher and Mawson battled it out in the frantic second race for spots on the podium. Aron led the championship leader, Mawson, who had Schumacher breathing down his neck after the first safety car period. Aron held on well to his position but a small mistake by Mawson allowed Schumacher to close the gap further, but the two drivers collided at Turn 3, which pushed Mawson off the track and forcing him onto the gravel which dropped Mawson down to eight place.
Aron and Schumacher then were fighting for second place, with the Brazillian driver, Drugovich gaining on them. Drugovich made most of Schumacher’s and Aron’s battle to move up to second place.
The following lap, at the end of the back straight, Schumacher dived up the inside of Aron to move up to third, but collided with Drugovich, who turned into the corner as the German was coming straight through. The collision ended the race for both drivers, leaving Schumacher to lose the ground he made up in in the championship during the first race earlier in the day. The incident brought out the safety car under which the rest of the race was concluded.
Newey who was in the lead, kept his lead with Aron in second. Behind all the mayhem, Mawson climbed up the order after his trip to the gravel and finished third to seal some more valuable championship points to extend his lead.
The final round of the MRF Challenge will take place from February 17-19 at the Madras Motor Race Track, in Chennai where the champion will be crowned.
