FORMULA 2: Matsushita wins as de Vries snatches podium

Nobuharu Matsushita soared to a second Formula 2 win of the season in an overtake-filled Feature Race at Monza.

Carlin man Matsushita impressed with a drive from fifth, but it was Nyck de Vries who caught the eye, stretching his Championship stranglehold to 49 points, with a sensational race from last to third.

Home hero Luca Ghiotto was equally as outstanding, but he was left wondering what could have been, when a slow stop from his UNI-Virtuosi team returned him in seventh, from first, on the alternate strategy. Despite the troublesome stop, the Italian clawed his way back to second, powering past de Vries in the dying laps.

Ghiotto's slow change handed Matsushita, who had already pitted, the race lead and he was able to fire to a 7s lead, as de Vries and Ghiotto made late and successful dashes to the podium.

At the request of the drivers, the French national anthem was played during the podium celebrations, in honour of the late Anthoine Hubert.

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