The MP Motorsport driver led from lights-to-flag to safe his third collection victory however his first since transferring to the reigning championship-winning staff for 2023.
Regardless of a mid-race security automotive and additional rainfall, Hauger was capable of maintain off Jak Crawford and Kush Maini, with the 2 rookies finishing the rostrum for Hitech and Campos Racing respectively.
A wet-to-dry observe and intermittent showers ended a number of drivers’ races prematurely, with Enzo Fittipaldi and Ralph Boschung each out on the reconnaissance lap having been caught out by moist patches.
Fittipaldi spun at Flip 9, crashing into the barrier, earlier than Boschung had an analogous destiny, albeit stalling quite than making contact, with each drivers unable to begin the race.
Maini additionally spun on the way in which to the grid, however was capable of maintain going and line up third behind poleman Hauger and Crawford as the beginning was delayed by 5 minutes to retrieve Fittipaldi’s stricken Rodin Carlin automotive.
Hauger held agency off the road, with motion additional again as Prema rookie Ollie Bearman handed former team-mate Arthur Leclerc (DAMS) for fourth.
Flip 9 noticed a number of tussles, with Crawford trying to take the lead earlier than backing out whereas Leclerc made it again previous Bearman and Martins took benefit to brush into fifth.
The next lap, Ayumu Iwasa had an enormous lock up into Flip 1 in his DAMS-run automotive, struggling a puncture and forcing him into the pits.
Rodin Carlin driver Zane Maloney made it previous System 3 rival Bearman for sixth at Flip 11 on lap 4, with Leclerc trying to make a transfer on Maini for third on lap 5 earlier than holding his place.
The Monegasque driver took his likelihood three laps later, making it previous the Campos driver at Flip 10, however Maini bought again previous the next nook to carry his podium place.
A fierce four-car battle got here on lap 13, with Maloney, Martins and Hadjar combating over fifth whereas the Prema pair scrapped over the ultimate points-paying place. Maloney emerged forward in fifth, with Martins, Hadjar, Vesti and Bearman shut behind.
The protection automotive was deployed on lap 14 after Juan Manuel Correa tagged house favorite Jack Doohan from behind at Flip 1, sending the Virtuosi driver right into a spin from which he was unable to recuperate.
The Van Amersfoort Racing driver, who returned to F2 this season, was handed a 10-second penalty for the incident.
A number of drivers gambled on pitting for moist tyres below the security automotive as rainfall was reported in some areas of the circuit, Martins and Theo Pourchaire amongst them.
The intermission wasn’t with out motion, with Correa spinning in an analogous incident to that he prompted with Doohan, and because the security automotive was about to finish, Brad Benavides headed into the wall at Flip 13 in his PHM Racing by Charouz automotive, extending it for an additional lap.
The protection automotive ended on the penultimate lap, with Correa making it previous 2022 runner-up Pourchaire for twelfth on the restart.
The pre-season favorite struggled to adapt to his moist tyres on a drying observe, sweeping throughout the gravel at Flip 1 and dropping down the order earlier than retiring.
Bearman handed Vesti for seventh at Flip 9 on the ultimate tour, with Martins claiming fifteenth from Stanek.
Leclerc completed in fourth, with Maloney and Hadjar in fifth and sixth forward of the Prema pair of Bearman and Vesti, who rounded off the factors.
