Tadasuke Makino charges from 14th to win epic F2 Feature Race at the Italian GP

Tadasuke Makino charged from 14th on the grid to win an incredible F2 Feature Race at the Italian GP.

The Russian Time driver started on the medium tyres, the alternative strategy, and had moved up to third by the fifth lap as those starting on the supersofts struggled.

Makino opened up a 43-second lead before making his mandatory stop with three laps to go and the Honda junior driver was able to nurse his supersoft tyres to the chequered flag.

Behind the Japanese driver there was non-stop action, with Artem Markelov and Alexander Albon eventually taking the final podium positions.

There was drama before the race had even started as Sergio Sette Camara was forced to start from the pits rather than second after late drama on the grid. Despite that pitlane start he recovered to finish seventh.

Markelov took the lead at the start, with Albon moving up to second as polesitter George Russell dropped back to third.

Markelov and Albon would battle over the lead in the opening laps, but they were soon caught by the charging Makino as the supersoft tyres dramatically fell away.

As soon as the pit window opened on lap six the pack headed for the pitlane, with Lando Norris losing a bit of ground during the sequence of stops.

George Russell was another to lose ground after the stops as he had his rhythm disrupted by Markelov braking early at Parabolica to let the ART through before passing him again at Turn One. It was a clever tactical move from the Russian.

Norris recovered lost ground by setting fastest lap after fastest lap as he caught championship rival Russell. The fans were then treated to lap after lap of epic wheel-to-wheel racing between the McLaren junior and the Mercedes junior drivers.

Russell would eventually emerge ahead in that battle to take fourth and extend his championship lead, with Norris perhaps paying the penalty for the early quick laps in his stint as Nicholas Latifi passed him on the penultimate lap to take fifth and demote the Carlin driver to sixth.

Antonio Fuoco was eighth and with it the Italian took reverse grid pole for Sunday's Sprint Race, which is live on Sky Sports F1 from 9:50am.