---
title: "Leclerc snatches F2 sprint victory on final lap"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/11/26/leclerc-snatches-f2-sprint-victory-final-lap/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Kyran Gibbons"
section: "Formula 2"
published: "2017-11-26T11:20:40Z"
modified: "2017-11-26T11:31:44Z"
---

# Leclerc snatches F2 sprint victory on final lap

Charles Leclerc sealed victory in the final Formula 2 race of the season, passing Alexander Albon on the final lap of the sprint race in Abu Dhabi.

Despite Leclerc’s victory delivering 15 points for Prema, Russian Time secured the team’s championship title for the first time since their GP2 crown in 2013.

After climbing to sixth on the opening lap and dispatching Jordan King for fifth place early on, Leclerc preserved his tyres in the opening stages.

First scything past Nyck de Vries on lap 11 of the 22 lap race, Leclerc then passed Nobuharu Matsushita and Nicholas Latifi before catching race leader Albon in the closing laps.

Yellow flags in sector two courtesy of a stricken Louis Deletraz complicated Leclerc’s efforts to take the lead.

On the final lap, with the yellow flags continuing to prevent an overtake with the aid of DRS, Leclerc nudged Albon wide at Turn 7 before a drag race towards the heavy braking zone of Turn 8 decided the race.

Leclerc denied Albon a first F2 victory. The ART Grand Prix driver was forced to settle for second despite having led every lap of the race barring the last.

Latifi finished 3.2 seconds adrift of Leclerc in third. Matsushita survived a late attack by Luca Ghiotto as the pair finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Ghiotto’s fifth and Artem Markelov’s sixth place finishes proved enough to secure the team’s title for Russian Time in what will be their final season of competition at F2 level.

Markelov halted the progress of Oliver Rowland throughout the second half of the race. Rowland, who was disqualified from victory in Saturday’s feature race, started the sprint from 20th and last.

His recovery to a seventh-place finish included a dramatic first lap in which he climbed to 13th.

Despite starting fifth, de Vries struggled with tyre wear mid-race and dropped several positions in the closing stages. He eventually finished ninth and outside the points.

King, who started from pole position, was forced into retirement after sustaining a puncture while battling Markelov on lap 6. It was King’s final race in F2.

Lando Norris ended his first weekend in the series with 13th, despite being handed a five-second time penalty by the stewards for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.