Lawson P4 in another solid Monza drive

Another healthy tally of points has kept Liam Lawson in the Formula 2 championship hunt as the Kiwi finished in fourth in the second race at Monza.

Lawson spent almost all of the 21 laps buried among a DRS train of cars, which extended from just outside the podium positions to the bottom reaches of the top ten.

He moved into P5 on the opening lap, and after a brief virtual safety car period, began to attack his teammate Juri Vips.

But stout defence by Vips meant Lawson couldn’t get past. Soon, Robert Shwartzman had reeled in Lawson, and the Prema driver made a move into fifth at the first chicane.

Shwartzman was quick, and he made easy work of Vips moments later, which in turn opened the door for Lawson to have a go at his Hitech stablemate.

Vips covered the inside line on the run down to the Ascari chicane, but a daring lunge by Lawson around the outside elevated the Kiwi driver back to fifth.

Up front, race leader Jehan Daruvala was running away with the victory. Though further back, there was action for second place.

Bent Viscaal was pressuring David Beckmann, and Beckmann eventually locked his inside front at the first chicane.

Beckmann re-joined the circuit from the runoff directly in the path of Viscaal, who had to quickly reposition himself on the outside of turn three to get past.

Viscaal would finish behind Daruvala in second, while Beckmann slipped back on his wounded tyres.

First Shwartzman then Lawson blasted past the Campos driver, though he would cling on to take P5 at the chequered flag.

Daruvala’s first win of the year came in dominant fashion, leading Viscaal home by over six seconds.

Lawson’s P4 adds to his P5 finish in race one, giving him confidence for this evening’s final feature race. He will start that affair on the second row.

For most of the race, Marcus Armstrong was running comfortably in 11th.

However, the second Kiwi in the field would eventually be classified in 15th.