Nobuharu Matsushita survived a dramatic ending to the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race to take his first win of the season in Barcelona.
The Japanese driver started way back in 18th place on the grid on the alternative Prime/Option tyre strategy but came through the field to claim victory in a scintillating encounter.
The race sparked into life from the outset as three of Ferrari’s juniors – Callum Ilott, Robert Shwartzman and fast-starting Mick Schumacher – jostled for the lead into Turn 1, with Shwartzman grabbing the initiative.
Ilott eventually worked his way past Shwartzman while Schumacher, who ran the alternative tyre strategy, inherited the lead when both of his Option-shod rivals pitted.
Schumacher pitted shortly before Giuliano Alesi was tipped round at Turn 10 by Sean Gelael and with his HWA Racelab beached on the kerb the Safety Car was caled.
Matsushita, who had not pitted by this point, took advantage of the opportunity to pit for the Option tyres and re-joined in third position, behind Yuki Tsuonda and Ilott, as most of the erstwhile front-runners also took on fresh tyres due to the high rate of degradation.
Ilott challenged Tsunoda for the lead at the restart but opened the door for Matsushita to move down the inside of the Brit into Turn 6 and was through into second.
Matsushita shortly lined up a move on the race leader with DRS to put himself into first place and on course for his first win in the championship since Austria last year.
A lapped Roy Nissany triggered another Safety Car period when he piled into the Turn 3 wall but there was just enough time remaining on the clock for the field to have a one-lap shootout to the chequered flag.
Matsushita calmly controlled the final lap to claim victory, ahead of Shwartzman, who demoted Tsunoda to return to the podium after a tricky time at Silverstone.
Guanyu Zhou was third at the expense of Nikita Mazepin, after the Hitech driver picked up a five-second time penalty for going off the track at Turn 1 and not going round the yellow bollards when obliged to do so.
Tsunoda crossed the line fourth, ahead of a frustrated Ilott in fifth, after some frantic battling through the final stages.
Schumacher’s off-set strategy failed to pay off due to the Safety Car timing as he took sixth, with Matsushita’s MP Motorsport team-mate Felipe Drugovich in seventh.
Luca Ghiotto was classified eighth and will start on pole for the Sprint Race while Dan Ticktum and Louis Deletraz rounded out the top 10.
Ilott’s title advantage was reduced to 17 points amid the chaotic finale, with Shwartzman now his nearest opponent, as erstwhile challenge Christian Lundgaard had a low-key run to 11th.
The Sprint Race starts at 10:10 BST on Sunday morning.
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