Hitech GP’s Jüri Vips sealed a double Formula 2 win on the streets of Baku at the weekend, ensuring his title challenge is well and truly underway.  Team mate Liam Lawson claimed his first ever Formula 2 pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race, in the fastest lap ever recorded at Baku Circuit in Azerbaijan.

Vips’ maiden win came in a chaotic Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon in Formula 2’s 100th race. The Red Bull-backed racer put on a controlled performance in a dramatic session which saw multiple stoppages and retirements. 

Vips commented on his first ever Formula 2 win:  

“A very good day for us! I don’t think I had the best first race, but we learned a lot from it and in the second race, our pace was really good. 

“It wasn’t a straightforward race at all, I had to really fight for it, but in the end, I got into the lead and I never looked back. It is a good day and I have another chance to win from second tomorrow, so I am looking forward to that.” 

Vips’ winning streak was far from over. The Estonian won for a second time in a row in the Baku feature race on Sunday, which moved him up to 4th in the drivers’ championship. Team mate Lawson secured pole in qualifying, sealing a Hitech front row lock out for Sunday’s feature race, only to be hit with a 10 second penalty which demoted him down to sixth at the chequered flag.

He added:

“Another victory for us today. It has been a very, very good weekend and a good step forward for us. It is quite crazy to think that I am P4 in the Championship after scoring zero in Bahrain, as well as having a compromised weekend in Monaco.

“We are really on an upward trend now with the team and things are starting to come together, so I will try and carry this momentum into Silverstone.”

The next round on the 2021 Formula 2 calendar will see Hitech compete at the iconic Silverstone Circuit in their home race on 16 – 18 July.