After securing a solid third place at his home Grand Prix in Klaipeda,
Lithuanian Edgaras Riabko travelled to Brindisi, in the heel of Italy’s boot,
with high ambitions for the second round of the 2026 UIM Circuit Formula 2 World Championship. His weekend could hardly have gone any better.
Among the sixteen drivers who made the journey to Brindisi, Riabko
quickly demonstrated that he had the pace needed to excel on the waters of the
Adriatic Sea. A first place in the first qualifying session and a top six finish
in Q2 sent him to Q3, where pole position for Sunday's World Championship Grand
Prix would be decided.
Competing against the sibling pairings of Mathilda and Hilmer Wiberg,
Peter and Nelson Morin, and Monegasque-licensed Giacomo Sacchi, Riabko produced
a stunning best lap of 39.210 seconds to claim pole position by a narrow margin
over Peter Morin.
In front of a large crowd gathered along the shores of the Italian port,
Riabko maintained his impressive form in Sunday's race, converting pole
position into victory in the Grand Prix of Italy. Holding on to the lead at the
start despite strong pressure from Peter Morin, he gradually pulled away from
the rest of the field to claim victory and, in the process, take the
lead in the World Championship standings. Frenchman Peter Morin finished
second, while Sweden's Hilmer Wiberg completed the podium in third.
Attention now turns to Viverone, Italy, which will host the standalone
F2 European Championship event before the Formula 2 World Championship resumes
in San Nazzaro, Italy.
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