• F2

Dean Stoneman dominates race 1 at Brands Hatch

ESPNF1 Staff
July 17, 2010 « Yamamoto replaces Chandhok | »
Dean Stoneman closed the championship gap to just five points © Sutton Images
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Dean Stoneman cruised to a dominant eight second victory in the opening Formula Two race of the weekend at Brands Hatch, the Briton closing to within five points of Jolyon Palmer in the championship standings in doing so.

Starting from pole, Stoneman made a good start and soon established a gap between himself and second placed Jack Clarke, where he remained for the duration of the race.

The Englishman was three seconds clear by the end of the third lap and extended his to more than 13s before he backed off for the last two laps.

Stoneman's fellow front-row man Sergey Afanasiev did not get away as well and Clarke made a superb move around the outside at paddock Hill to snatch second on the first lap.

He then gained some breathing space when Will Bratt's attempted pass on Afanasiev pushed the Russian's car wide, allowing Ivan Samarin and Tom Gladdis through on the inside.

Clarke extended his cushion to Samarin by a couple of seconds, the Russian having to withstand consistent pressure from Bratt to secure his maiden podium. Bratt finished fourth ahead of Gladdis, Afanasiev and Nicola de Marco but it was a race to forget for championship leader Jolyon Palmer, who finished back down in eighth.

Championship standings

Driver Points
1 GBR Jolyon Palmer 186
2 GBR Dean Stoneman 181
3 GBR Will Bratt 92
4 AUT Philipp Eng 89
5 BEL Benjamin Bailly 82
6 LTU Kazim Vasiliauskas 77

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