INDIA in F1

Category: F2

  • Jehan Daruvala focuses on long runs, clocks 76 laps

    Jehan Daruvala focuses on long runs, clocks 76 laps

    “`Yas Marina (Bahrain), 3 March 2020: Yesterday, was my first day but I am getting more and more comfortable in the care. I am very pleased to be linked up with the team. I am very happy. It is one of the best moments of my career to have this opportunity to be associated with such a good Formula 1 team,” said Jehan Daruvala on Monday, the second day of testing.

    On the final day on Tuesday, rookies may have ruled days one and two of pre-season testing, but it was experience which took the plaudits on the final day, as Luca Ghiotto claimed the fastest time overall. The Hitech Grand Prix racer beat out Felipe Drugovich and Jack Aitken for top spot, ahead of the new season.  

    Jehan logs 71 laps on final day of testing. Photo by FIAF2

    Jehan Daruvala picked up from where he left off on the final day, beginning the session at the top of the timesheets, touring around the increasingly warm track at 1:43.428. Giuliano Alesi and Yuki Tsunoda were the men closest to the Indian.

    The morning was heavily focused on long-runs and race simulations ahead of the season opener here later this month, with the majority of drivers all posting upwards of 30 laps.

    The leaderboard wouldn’t change as the penultimate session came to a close. Daruvala finished on top with the time he set early on in the morning. Alesi and Tsunoda followed behind him in the order, with Artem Markelov and Louis Deletraz completing the top five.

    With the sun beginning to set on the Sakhir desert, the drivers fed back onto the circuit for the final session and Robert Shwartzman immediately posted the fastest time of the day, to take an early lead with 1:43.028.

    The Russian was pipped by his teammate just moments later, as Mick Schumacher took us below 1m 42s for the first time on Day 3. This sparked a two-way battled between the duo to go fastest, with Shwartzman briefly usurping the German, before Schumacher once again went top.  

    2019 race winners Ghiotto and Aitken had shown sparks of quality throughout testing but were yet to truly dominate. At the halfway mark, the duo punched in quick times to take P1 and P2 in the standings, with the Italian setting the fastest time overall in testing.

    Rookie Drugovich nipped in-between the two of them to take second fastest, with Schumacher and Nobuharu Matsushita taking fourth and fifth. Nikita Mazepin, Shwartzman, Deletraz, Sean Gelael and Callum Ilott completed the top ten.

    The next time we hit the track will be for the opening race of the 2020 campaign here in Bahrain. With two new faces and one returning favourite topping the times across the three days, the season is set to be as competitive and as compelling as ever.

    2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship – Pre-season tests, Day 3, morning session

     DRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS
    1Nikita MazepinHitech Grand Prix1:43.82519
    2Luca GhiottoHitech Grand Prix1:43.83029
    3Artem MarkelovBWT HWA RACELAB1:43.88223
    4Guanyu ZhouUNI-Virtuosi1:43.97831
    5Jack AitkenCampos Racing1:43.98636
    6Giuliano AlesiBWT HWA RACELAB1:44.98732
    7Marino SatoTrident1:45.25137
    8Callum IlottUNI-Virtuosi1:45.57829
    9Felipe DrugovichMP Motorsport1:45.63629
    10Guilherme SamaiaCampos Racing1:45.86728
    11Louis DeletrazCharouz Racing System1:46.99739
    12Mick SchumacherPREMA Racing1:47.23138
    13Pedro PiquetCharouz Racing System1:47.24241
    14Nobuharu MatsushitaMP Motorsport1:47.57337
    15Sean GelaelDAMS1:47.59043
    16Sergey SirotkinART Grand Prix1:47.60133
    17Robert ShwartzmanPREMA Racing1:48.00338
    18Dan TicktumDAMS1:48.03637
    19Marcus ArmstrongART Grand Prix1:48.85242
    20Yuki TsunodaCarlin1:48.85745
    21Jehan DaruvalaCarlin1:48.93845
    22Roy NissanyTrident1:49.20735

    2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship – Pre-season tests, Day 3, afternoon session

     DRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS
    1Luca GhiottoHitech Grand Prix1:41.25231
    2Felipe DrugovichMP Motorsport1:41.32427
    3Jack AitkenCampos Racing1:41.56830
    4Mick SchumacherPREMA Racing1:41.61131
    5Nobuharu MatsushitaMP Motorsport1:41.61226
    6Nikita MazepinHitech Grand Prix1:41.63429
    7Robert ShwartzmanPREMA Racing1:41.65533
    8Louis DeletrazCharouz Racing System1:41.86418
    9Sean GelaelDAMS1:41.91127
    10Callum IlottUNI-Virtuosi1:41.94329
    11Pedro PiquetCharouz Racing System1:42.09720
    12Dan TicktumDAMS1:42.14027
    13Guilherme SamaiaCampos Racing1:42.39936
    14Guanyu ZhouUNI-Virtuosi1:42.44836
    15Roy NissanyTrident1:42.87820
    16Marino SatoTrident1:43.92215
    17Yuki TsunodaCarlin1:44.49632
    18Jehan DaruvalaCarlin1:44.65331
    19Sergey SirotkinART Grand Prix1:44.67923
    20Artem MarkelovBWT HWA RACELAB1:45.55240
    21Giuliano AlesiBWT HWA RACELAB1:45.67546
    22Marcus ArmstrongART Grand Prix1:48.5773
  • Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala fastest on Day 2: F2 Testing

    Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala fastest on Day 2: F2 Testing

    Sakhir (Bahrain) 2 March 2020: A rookie driver went fastest for the second day running of pre-season testing at Sakhir, Bahrain, as Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala beat out the experience of 2019’s best debutant, Guanyu Zhou, and fellow F3 graduate, Pedro Piquet, for top spot in the standings.

    File photo of Jehan Daruvala
    File photo of Jehan Daruvala with Prema Racing in 2019. Photo Prema Racing

    The field were fast out of the shutters in the first session of the day, with all bar Jack Aitken getting out there in the opening 15 minutes. Of those, it was Zhou who went fastest, testing the water on a sandy track with a tour of 1:46.041.

    There was red flag period as Nikita Mazepin stopped on track, before order resumed and Callum Ilott replaced his teammate at the top of the chart. The Briton was swiftly pipped by Artem Markelov, as the Russian took the times below 1m 44s for the first time. Shortly after, he was joined in the top two by his new teammate Giuliano Alesi, as newcomers HWA RACELAB started to find their feet.

    Impetus switched to longer runs and garage work for the next hour, as Markelov remained untouched at the top of the order. Aitken and Luca Ghiotto both enjoyed spells propping up the Russian, with similar times, while undertaking more than 100 laps between the three of them.

    There was a late flurry of laptimes as the session drew to a close, with Mazepin roaring round in 1:43.825 to take the morning’s fastest lap with less than 10 minutes to go. Ghiotto got within 0.005s of his tour, ahead of Markelov, who only missed out himself by 0.057s. Mazepin picked up from where he left off as the cars returned to the windy circuit for the afternoon session, with the sun setting on the Sakhir desert. The Russian took less than half an hour to beat the fastest time from the morning, as they dropped below 1m 42s for the first time on Day 2. He was backed up by the continually impressive Daruvala, thriving with Carlin on just his second day in F2 machinery.

    Robert Shwartzman had been quiet in the opening day and a half of testing, but made his maiden appearance in the top three of times early during the afternoon, as he began to get to grips with his PREMA.

    The rookies were running the show at this point, as teammates Daruvala and Yuki Tsunoda jumped to first and second on their 10th tour of the track this afternoon. Experience made a comeback though, as Aitken, Ghiotto and Sean Gelael stole the top three places in one fell swoop, by slashing the times to below 1m 42s for the first time in testing.

    Shwartzman managed to squeeze his way back into that three as he continued to show what he is capable of in an F2 car. Sergey Sirotkin (ART) then came to the fore, as the session entered its final half hour; the Russian nudged ahead of Zhou in the standings, going just 0.075s quicker.

    The script was yet again re-written in the very final moments, when Daruvala thundered around the track to set the fastest time and further solidify his growing confidence. The Indian racer set 1:41.260 on his final tour, before diving into the garage to cap off a successful day’s work.

    Zhou, Piquet and Mick Schumacher also all set fast laps on their final tour of the Bahrain International circuit, to complete the top four places, pushing Sirotkin down to fifth. Aitken, Ilott, Nobuharu Matsushita, Felipe Drugovich and Shwartzman completed the top ten.

    FIA Formula 2 Championship 2020 – Pre-season testing, Day 2, morning session

    DRIVER TEAM LAPTIME LAPS
    1 Nikita Mazepin Hitech Grand Prix 1:43.825 19
    2 Luca Ghiotto Hitech Grand Prix 1:43.830 29
    3 Artem Markelov BWT HWA RACELAB 1:43.882 23
    4 Guanyu Zhou UNI-Virtuosi 1:43.978 31
    5 Jack Aitken Campos Racing 1:43.986 36
    6 Giuliano Alesi BWT HWA RACELAB 1:44.987 32
    7 Marino Sato Trident 1:45.251 37
    8 Callum Ilott UNI-Virtuosi 1:45.578 29
    9 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:45.636 29
    10 Guilherme Samaia Campos Racing 1:45.867 28
    11 Louis Deletraz Charouz Racing System 1:46.997 39
    12 Mick Schumacher PREMA Racing 1:47.231 38
    13 Pedro Piquet Charouz Racing System 1:47.242 41
    14 Nobuharu Matsushita MP Motorsport 1:47.573 37
    15 Sean Gelael DAMS 1:47.590 43
    16 Sergey Sirotkin ART Grand Prix 1:47.601 33
    17 Robert Shwartzman PREMA Racing 1:48.003 38
    18 Dan Ticktum DAMS 1:48.036 37
    19 Marcus Armstrong ART Grand Prix 1:48.852 42
    20 Yuki Tsunoda Carlin 1:48.857 45
    21 Jehan Daruvala Carlin 1:48.938 45
    22 Roy Nissany Trident 1:49.207 35

    FIA Formula 2 Championship 2020 – Pre-season testing, Day 2, afternoon session

      Driver Team Lap time LAPS
    1 Jehan Daruvala Carlin 1:41.260 23
    2 Guanyu Zhou UNI-Virtuosi 1:41.377 29
    3 Pedro Piquet Charouz Racing System 1:41.491 24
    4 Mick Schumacher PREMA Racing 1:41.531 33
    5 Sergey Sirotkin ART Grand Prix 1:41.602 31
    6 Jack Aitken Campos Racing 1:41.706 21
    7 Callum Ilott UNI-Virtuosi 1:41.758 25
    8 Nobuharu Matsushita MP Motorsport 1:41.784 15
    9 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:41.807 20
    10 Robert Shwartzman PREMA Racing 1:41.972 29
    11 Dan Ticktum DAMS 1:41.976 24
    12 Sean Gelael DAMS 1:42.069 20
    13 Marcus Armstrong ART Grand Prix 1:42.098 25
    14 Luca Ghiotto Hitech Grand Prix 1:42.156 27
    15 Roy Nissany Trident 1:42.355 20
    16 Yuki Tsunoda Carlin 1:42.393 23
    17 Nikita Mazepin Hitech Grand Prix 1:42.557 23
  • Rookie Jehan Daruvala, returning after an injury, makes impressive F2 debut in third

    Rookie Jehan Daruvala, returning after an injury, makes impressive F2 debut in third

    Bahrain, 1 March 2020: Experience wasn’t a barrier on the first day of pre-season testing, with rookie Pedro Piquet the fastest man in Sakhir, Bahrain. The Charouz driver was the only man to break 1m 42s, finishing ahead of Nobuharu Matsushita and fellow rookie Jehan Daruvala.
    It didn’t take Piquet long to get to grips with the new Pirelli 18-inch tyres either, as the Brazilian set an instant impression amongst the new-look F2 field with the morning’s first fast time, taking the lead with 1:44.331.
    A large chunk of the field opted to remain in the garage for much of the early stages, with a flow of short runs providing the teams with valuable data to work on. Matsushita was the man to take control of those runs, thumping around in less than 1m 43s to claim an early advantage, with Felipe Drugovich lining up behind him in the second MP Motorsport machine.
    Louis Delétraz is known for his invaluable ability in testing and had dominated the post-season sessions in Abu Dhabi with Charouz. He continued in the same vein in Bahrain, overtaking his former teammate for top spot with a tour of 1:43.583.
    According to personal injury law firm located in Sugar Land, TX, returning for the first time from a leg injury sustained in training at the end of last year, Jehan Daruvala impressed in his debut F2 stint, propping up the leading duo in third, half a second behind. Nimmons Malchow Johnson – Personal Injury Lawyers give the best guidance and assistance regarding how to deal with injuries legally. The Mike Massey Law – Personal Injury Law Firm in Houston can be of legal assistance. For any kind of pains, like pains from injuries, QC Kinetix (Asheville) doctors can help with their relief.
    At the start of second session, it was once again the dominant force of Delétraz who set the early standards, before being usurped by Callum Ilott in the UNI-Virtuosi machine. Their running was briefly halted as Nikita Mazepin spun on track and caused a red flag, after battling for track position with Dan Ticktum.
    When they resumed, Marcus Armstrong broke the quickest time from the morning to take control of the standings, but Delétraz simply upped his game and retaliated by taking the times below 1m 43s for the first time.
    For much of the grid, focus shifted onto long runs and Delétraz was left on his own out in front. Squeezing in between him and ART Grand Prix substitute Sergey Sirotkin in the top three was Carlin rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who impressed in his first pre-season tests.

    File photo of Jehan Daruvala in action during Race 1 at Monza F3 in 2019. Photo by James Gasperotti

    With 45 minutes to go, faster laps began to pile in and Delétraz was usurped by Matsushita in his new MP Motorsport machinery. The Japanese racer nearly broke the 1m 42s barrier, running just seven-tenths over. Armstrong didn’t quite reach the duo in first and second with his next fast run and sat third behind them, as Tsunoda fell to fourth.
    Their fast laps were followed by the continually impressive Daruvala, whose time was good enough for second, ahead of Sean Gelael. These were broken up by a red flag as Luca Ghiotto stopped on track.
    When the running recommenced, Piquet ended the day as he started it, at the top of the times. The Brazilian was the only racer to break the 1m 42s mark and finished ahead of Matsushita, Daruvala, Roy Nissany and Armstrong. Just behind them was Tom Dillmann, who replaced Marino Sato for the afternoon session. Delétraz, Artem Markelov and Tsunoda completed the top ten.
    After an intriguing first day of testing and exciting first run on the 18-inch rims, teams will return for Day 2 even stronger, packed with more knowledge and expertise, when the morning session begins at 11.45am.

  • Sette Câmara clinches pole at Yas Marina

    Sette Câmara clinches pole at Yas Marina

    The Brazilian will start at the front of the grid in tomorrow’s Feature Race, ahead of Ilott and Delétraz

    Sergio Sette Camara (BRA, DAMS). An F2 photo

    Yas Marina, 29 Nov 2019: Sérgio Sette Câmara continued his hot form from Free Practice to score his second pole position of the 2019 season, in Qualifying at Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi. The Brazilian puts his DAMS’ side in a strong position to secure the Teams’ Championship in tomorrow’s Feature Race, but will face stern competition from Callum Ilott in P2 and Louis Delétraz in third.

    Jordan King was the first out on track, setting the initial time at 2m 11s, while Nyck de Vries and Jack Aitken were amongst five drivers to remain in the pitlane when the lights went green. Delétraz set the first fast time of the evening, racing around in 1:50.128, but was swiftly displayed by Ilott, who beat him by less than a hundredth of a second.
    De Vries, Nicholas Latifi and Aitken all headed out as the rest of the field began to feed back into the pits for fresh rubber. The Canadian quickly went to work and leapt up to fourth, with three green sectors.
    De Vries managed fifth on his first flying lap and improved to fourth the next time around, which would have been higher had he not locked up in the final sector.
    Sette Câmara took control of the session from here, storming around to steal provisional pole from Ilott. The Briton, along with Delétraz, attempted to react, but the duo could only manage second and third. Behind them, Guanyu Zhou rose from 10th to fifth with a powerful tour of the circuit.
    There was frustration for Sean Gelael, as he clipped the curb and spun into the middle of the straight, bringing out a yellow flag. This brought a halt to the session and ended a number of push laps.
    This saw Sette Câmara hold on to first ahead of Ilott, Delétraz, Nobuharu Matsushita and Zhou. They were followed by De Vries, Latifi, Aitken, Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, who completed the top 10.
    The DAMS ace will be fighting for his second win of the campaign in the Feature Race tomorrow, when lights go out at 6.45pm (local time).
    2019 FIA Formula 2 Round 12 – Qualifying provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    LAPTIME
    LAPS
    1
    Sergio Sette Camara
    DAMS
    1:49.751
    10
    2
    Callum Ilott
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    1:49.840
    10
    3
    Louis Deletraz
    Carlin
    1:49.931
    9
    4
    Nobuharu Matsushita
    Carlin
    1:50.157
    10
    5
    Guanyu Zhou
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    1:50.190
    9
    6
    Nyck De Vries
    ART Grand Prix
    1:50.288
    8
    7
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    1:50.303
    9
    8
    Jack Aitken
    Campos Racing
    1:50.520
    8
    9
    Nikita Mazepin
    ART Grand Prix
    1:50.618
    5
    10
    Mick Schumacher
    PREMA Racing
    1:50.652
    7
    11
    Luca Ghiotto
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    1:50.858
    10
    12
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:50.920
    10
    13
    Jordan King
    MP Motorsport
    1:51.174
    10
    14
    Artem Markelov
    BWT Arden
    1:51.412
    10
    15
    Matevos Isaakyan
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    1:51.522
    10
    16
    Marino Sato
    Campos Racing
    1:51.829
    10
    17
    Sean Gelael
    PREMA Racing
    1:51.884
    8
    18
    Christian Lundgaard
    Trident
    1:52.140
    10
    19
    Tatiana Calderon
    BWT Arden
    1:52.412
    10
    20
    Mahaveer Raghunathan
    MP Motorsport
    1:53.363
    6
  • De Vries storms to Championship title with Sochi Feature Race victory: FIA F2

    De Vries storms to Championship title with Sochi Feature Race victory: FIA F2

    Dutchman beats out Latifi and Delétraz for fourth win of 2019

    Nyck De Vries wins F2 Championship on Saturday. An FIA F2 image

    Sochi, 28 Sept 2019: Four wins, 11 Podiums, 254 Points, one Championship title and a season of utter domination. Nyck de Vries sealed the 2019 FIA Formula 2 title in style, with victory in the Sochi Feature Race, ahead of his main challenger, Nicholas Latifi. The Canadian had to settle for second on the day, and now faces a fight for the same spot in the drivers’ standings.

    Louis Delétraz completed the top 3 with his first Feature Race podium in F2, but he left it late, bombing past Luca Ghiotto at the final turn. The Italian had risked the alternate strategy as he went for victory, but in the end couldn’t build a big enough gap between himself and De Vries, before eventually losing out on a podium place.
    The morning’s rain had dried up by the time De Vries lined up on pole at 4.45pm local time and he got off the line smoothly, surging into the distance ahead of Latifi and Callum Ilott. The duo both held on off the line, but couldn’t match the sheer pace, and determination, of the Champion-to-be. Further back, the front 10 remained largely unaltered, apart from the dazzling red PREMA of Mick Schumacher, who had risen up to seventh thanks to a storming start. The German’s overtaking spree was momentarily halted as Artem Markelov pulled off the track and into retirement, bringing out a virtual safety car.
    When racing resumed, Ilott went into freefall. The Briton slowed and plummeted down the order, from third to 12th. This handed Schumacher sixth, which he then turned into fifth with a move on Guanyu Zhou, who was later slapped with a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Out in front, Latifi knew that he would need to pass De Vries to prevent the Dutchman from claiming the title, but his hopes were dashed when Ghiotto lunged down his left hand side for second. The Italian didn’t stop there and daringly sent it down the side of De Vries at the first corner, to complete his charge from fourth to first.
    Unlike Ghiotto, De Vries and Latifi had both started on the supersofts and would pit later that lap, returning in 10th and 11th. This sparked into motion the Italian’s alternate strategy, as he set about maintaining the 27s gap that would be required when he eventually pitted. Behind the Italian, Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin and Nobuharu Matsushita had opted for the same strategy.
    Schumacher’s attempts at making this work were dealt a blow as the Russian passed him, prompting a momentous roar from his home crowd. The rear of his PREMA was then in the eye-line of Matsushita, who overtook the German when he locked up at Turn 13. De Vries and Latifi had already set about closing what was initially a 32s gap to Ghiotto, as they dashed by Marino Sato, and shortly after, Ralph Boschung. At this point, Schumacher was forced out of the race when his PREMA went up in smoke. The Ferrari F1 junior made it back to the pits, but was forced to retire.
    Five laps remained and the gap between De Vries and Ghiotto was now just 26s, but still, the Italian refused to pit. He would devilishly remain out for two further laps, as he looked to make the switch when the front field’s rubber would be at its weakest.
    When the UNI-Virtuosi racer eventually swapped his mediums for supersofts, he returned behind both of the Championship’s top two and Delétraz. Albeit, with fresher, faster tyres. He made light work of the Carlin and began to chase down Latifi. He got within touching distance, but slipped slightly wide and cost himself valuable time. This allowed De Vries to cross the line unopposed and fittingly seal his Championship title with a fourth victory of the year, while Latifi held on for second. Behind them, Delétraz managed to sneak back past Ghiotto on the final turn, as the Italian appeared to lock-up. Sérgio Sette Câmara completed the top five, ahead of Matsushita, Jack Aitken, Mazepin, Ilott and Zhou.
    De Vries secured the F2 Championship with an advantage of 70 points over Latifi in second. Ghiotto is third with 169, ahead of Sette Câmara on 161 and Aitken on 159. In the Teams’ Championship, DAMS remain in first with 345 points, ahead of UNI-Virtuosi on 285 and ART Grand Prix on 264. Carlin are fourth with 200 and Campos Racing fifth with 189.
    De Vries may have been named champion, but there remains everything to play for behind him, with second place still very much up for grabs. Action continues tomorrow at 11.20am local time.
    2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 10 – Feature Race provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Nyck De Vries
    ART Grand Prix
    2
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    3
    Louis Delétraz
    Carlin
    4
    Luca Ghiotto
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    5
    Sérgio Sette Câmara
    DAMS
    6
    Nobuharu Matsushita
    Carlin
    7
    Jack Aitken
    Campos Racing
    8
    Nikita Mazepin
    ART Grand Prix
    9
    Callum Ilott
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    10
    Guanyu Zhou
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    11
    Sean Gelael
    PREMA Racing
    12
    Jordan King
    MP Motorsport
    13
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    14
    Ralph Boschung
    Trident
    15
    Tatiana Calderon
    BWT Arden
    16
    Marino Sato
    Campos Racing
    17
    Mahaveer Raghunathan
    MP Motorsport
    18
    Matevos Isaakyan
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Mick Schumacher
    PREMA Racing
    Artem Markelov
    BWT Arden
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Luca Ghiotto (UNI-Virtuosi Racing) – 1:51.104 on Lap 26
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Luca Ghiotto (UNI-Virtuosi Racing)

  • Aitken fires to third F2 win in Monza Sprint

    Campos racer completes British one-two ahead of King and De Vries
    Monza, 13 Sept 2019: An emotional Jack Aitken earned his third win of the season in a thrilling FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race at Monza, dedicating his lights-to-flag victory to fellow Renault Academy driver, and friend, the late Anthoine Hubert. The Campos Racer was harried right to the chequered flag, narrowly finishing ahead of fellow Brit, Jordan King, and Championship leader Nyck de Vries.
    On a still drying track, the polesitter made an astounding start, soaring into the distance unopposed, as those behind him tussled for the final podium spots. De Vries was amongst a collection of drivers to bolt off the line, but traffic into Turn 1 forced him to remain seated in sixth. King and Callum Ilott found the space to blitz past Giuliano Alesi in P2, to emerge in a British 1-2-3.
    Despite his superb start, King soon closed the gap between himself and Aitken in P1, displaying the impressive power of his MP Motorsport machine, on the unique Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit.
    The 25-year-old took a look at the right of Aitken, but opted against the move, instead choosing to bide his time and further reel in the Renault F1 junior. His team urged him to make the move sooner rather than later, and on the next tour of the track, he thundered past the Campos driver down the pit straight. Aitken had an instant answer to King’s speed though and forced himself back down the side of him, but he went wide and had to hand back the position.
    The fight behind them quickly intensified, as Turn 1 continued to prove tricky for the young drivers. De Vries, Sérgio Sette Câmara and Luca Ghiotto struggled with the corner and came together. De Vries was lucky to escape unscathed, but the Brazilian suffered a puncture and Ghiotto lost chunks of his front wing. Sette Câmara was forced to retire, while the Italian pitted for a replacement and returned in last.
    This brought out a Virtual Safety Car and when racing resumed, Aitken sent it down the side of King to reclaim the race lead down the pit straight. De Vries emerged ahead of Alesi for fourth.
    Aitken was yet to put the battle between himself and his fellow Brit to bed and the 25-year-old had another attempt at rounding the Campos racer, but the angles tightened. Aitken went wide, while King was forced to slow around the corner, allowing Ilott to sneak through for second.
    Yet again, Turn 1 proved difficult to master and De Vries locked up on his attack of the corner. He wobbled and flew through the grass, before eventually slowing enough to return safely, behind Nobuharu Matsushita in fifth place.
    The same happened to Ilott on the final lap, who locked up on entry, The Sauber Junior Team by Charouz racer then lost control on the grass and snagged his tyre, when grazing the barrier. This tore up his rubber and heartbreakingly ended his race, from second.
    Meanwhile, Matsushita had been handed a 5s penalty for a VSC infringement, which hauled him back to fifth and allowed De Vries into third, behind Aitken and King, who cruised to first and second at the chequered flag. The trio proudly displayed the French flag on the podium, in honour of Hubert.
    Behind the three of them, was Guanyu Zhou in fourth and Matsushita in fifth. Mick Schumacher, Alesi and Louis Delétraz completed the points’ positions.
    De Vries stretches his Championship lead to 59 points, following a second podium finish of the weekend. Nicholas Latifi remains second on 166, 10 points ahead of Luca Ghiotto in third. Aitken is two points behind in fourth, and Sette Camara two more behind in fifth. In the Teams’ Championship, DAMS lead on 317 points, ahead of UNI-Virtuosi on 270. ART Grand Prix are third with 231 and Campos Racing fourth on 183. Carlin sit fifth with 177.
    De Vries could potentially wrap up the title in Sochi at the end of September, when racing resumes in Russia.
    2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 10 – Sprint Race provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Jack Aitken
    Campos Racing
    2
    Jordan King
    MP Motorsport
    3
    Nyck De Vries
    ART Grand Prix
    4
    Guanyu Zhou
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    5
    Nobuharu Matsushita
    Carlin
    6
    Mick Schumacher
    PREMA Racing
    7
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    8
    Louis Deletraz
    Carlin
    9
    Nikita Mazepin
    ART Grand Prix
    10
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    11
    Marino Sato
    Campos Racing
    12
    Callum Ilott
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    13
    Mahaveer Raghunathan
    MP Motorsport
    14
    Tatiana Calderon
    BWT Arden
    15
    Luca Ghiotto
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Sean Gelael
    PREMA Racing
    Sergio Sette Camara
    DAMS
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Mick Schumacher (PREMA Racing) – 1:35.422 on Lap 4
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Mick Schumacher (PREMA Racing)
  • Mahaveer Raghunathan finishes 10th in feature race; Matsushita wins: F2

    Mahaveer Raghunathan finishes 10th in feature race; Matsushita wins: F2

    Carlin driver wins from fifth, ahead of Ghiotto and De Vries

    Race winner Nobuharu Matsushita (JPN, CARLIN) celebrates in parc ferme on Saturday. An FIA F2 image

    Monza, 7 Sept 2019: Nobuharu Matsushita claimed his second FIA Formula 2 win of the season, in an overtake fuelled Feature Race at Monza. The Japanese driver rose from fifth on the grid and eventually finished 7s ahead of home hero Luca Ghiotto, and Championship leader Nyck de Vries, who completed a sensational drive from last place.

    It was an emotional afternoon for the F2 field and each car adorned touching tributes to the late Anthoine Hubert who tragically passed in last weekend’s race at Spa and Juan Manuel Correa who was injured in the horrific collision. The entire Formula 2 family was Racing for Anthoine, and race winner Matsushita later dedicated his win to the Frenchman.
    Correa’s teammate Callum Ilott started on pole for the first time in his career and cleanly got away off the line, fending off a challenge from fellow rookie Guanyu Zhou. The third of the three rookie frontrunners wasn’t as lucky: Nikita Mazepin struggled at the entry to Turn 1 and went wide, which dragged him down the order.
    Zhou suffered the same fate as his Russian rival a lap later, going wide at the tricky Turn 1 which threw him down to fifth. Behind him, Louis Delétraz spun on the same corner which ended his race, and De Vries went wide as well.
    The struggles of those in front of him had handed Matsushita second, with the Carlin driver perfectly manoeuvring the corner and setting the fastest lap behind race leader Ilott. The Japanese began to hone in on the Brit and by lap 5, he was within DRS range. The duo went side-by-side down the pit straight and the Sauber Junior Team by Charouz racer clung on by the skin of his teeth. Matsushita was unrelenting and eventually forced himself ahead of Ilott, who couldn’t fight off the DRS enthused Carlin any longer.
    Further back, Ghiotto had fired past his teammate as those on the soft tyre began to feed into the pits. Matsushita was amongst those on the prime stint to pit last and returned sixth, narrowly ahead of Ilott in seventh. The lead was handed to Ghiotto who was on the alternate strategy.
    The Italian had 30s on Matsushita – who was running fresher tyres – and was pushing his UNI-Virtuosi machine to the limit of its powers, in an attempt to stretch the gap even further. Behind them, a coming together between Nicholas Latifi and Zhou left the latter with a puncture to his rear right tyre and he was eventually forced to retire from the pits. Latifi pitted for a new front wing, which dumped him to last.
    Ghiotto eventually pitted with a 20s buffer between himself and Matsushita, but a slow stop from his UNI-Virtuosi team dropped him down to seventh and wounded his dreams of a home victory – not that he would let that stop him trying.
    As the rest of the cars on the alternate strategy began to pit, Matsushita took the race lead and began to put air between himself and Ilott. De Vries passed Sérgio Sette Câmara for third, with a 3s deficit to close for P2. He quickly set to work and within two laps had swept passed the Ferrari F1 junior down the pit straight.
    Despite his troublesome pit stop, Ghiotto had somehow managed to force his way back to third, having followed De Vries past Ilott a lap later. The Italian had the fresher tyres of the two and added another scalp to his growing list of overtakes, thundering past the Dutchman to the tune of a roaring Italian crowd. With just a lap remaining, there was too much ground to cover for first, leaving the Italian wondering what might have been.
    Sette Câmara scrambled past Ilott on the final lap for fourth, before Matsushita crossed the line for first. He was followed by Ghiotto and De Vries, who completed the podium. At the request of the drivers, the French national anthem was played during the podium celebrations in honour of Hubert.
    Sette Câmara and Ilott were fourth and fifth, but the Brazilian was handed a 5s time penalty for gaining track advantage earlier in the race which resulted in Ilott classifying ahead of Sette Câmara. Jordan King finished sixth ahead of Giuliano Alesi, who scored his best finish in F2. Jack Aitken, Sean Gelael and Mahaveer Raghunathan – who also scored his highest finish – were the final men in the points’ positions.
    With Latifi out of the points, De Vries stretches his Championship lead to 49 points with yet another podium finish. The Canadian follows in second on 166, ahead of Ghiotto on 155 and Sette Câmara on 151. Aitken completes the top five with 138. In the Teams’ Championship, DAMS lead the Championship with 317 points, ahead of UNI-Virtuosi on 262 and ART Grand Prix on 221. Carlin are fourth with 170 and Campos Racing fifth with 168.
    Jack Aitken will start on reverse grid pole ahead of Alesi and King for tomorrow’s Sprint Race, at 10.50am local time.
    FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 10 – Feature Race provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Nobuharu Matsushita
    Carlin
    2
    Luca Ghiotto
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    3
    Nyck De Vries
    ART Grand Prix
    4
    Callum Ilott
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    5
    Sérgio Sette Câmara
    DAMS
    6
    Jordan King
    MP Motorsport
    7
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    8
    Jack Aitken
    Campos Racing
    9
    Sean Gelael
    PREMA Racing
    10
    Mahaveer Raghunathan
    MP Motorsport
    11
    Nikita Mazepin
    ART Grand Prix
    12
    Marino Sato
    Campos Racing
    13
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Mick Schumacher
    PREMA Racing
    Guanyu Zhou
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    Tatiana Calderon
    BWT Arden
    Louis Delétraz
    Carlin
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Mick Schumacher (PREMA Racing) – 1:34.632 on Lap 21
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Luca Ghiotto (UNI-Virtuosi Racing) – 1:34.900 on Lap 28

  • F1, F2, F3 extend deepest condolences: #RIPAnthoineHubert

    STATEMENT
    Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3 are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthoine Hubert following a horrific crash at today’s Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, involving three other drivers.
    We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Anthoine’s family, loved ones, and friends. We would also like to send our heartfelt sympathies to the entire Arden team.
    Anthoine has been part of our paddock since 2017. He was a fantastic driver who had a bright future ahead of him. He became GP3 Series Champion last year, and this season, he won twice in Formula 2, taking victories in Monaco, and at his home race in Le Castellet.
    He was kind to everyone, always smiling, and his positive attitude was infectious.
    He will be dearly missed.
    Out of respect, Sunday’s F2 race has been cancelled.
  • Anthoine Hubert dies in high-speed crash at Spa-Francorchamps F2 race

    Anthoine Hubert dies in high-speed crash at Spa-Francorchamps F2 race

    Anthoine Hubert @skysportsF1 twitter handle

    Spa Francorchamps, 31 August 2019: A pall of gloom surrounded the Belgian GP weekend activities and the Saturday turned out to be a dark day in motorsports as Renault Formula 1 Junior and BWT  Arden team driver Anthoine Hubert passed away succumbing to his injuries following a serious accident in the FIA Formula 2 Championship race here on Saturday. The 22-year-old Frenchman is the reigning GP3 champion.

    After the high-speed crash involving three drivers, the Formula 2 Feature Race was red-flagged and later cancelled after just two laps.

    Many cars were caught up in a crash at Raidillon, with Juan Manuel Correa hitting Anthoine Hubert at high speed after the Frenchman had already hit the barrier. Medical car and the crew reached the scene of the accident immediately.

    Correa was taken to Liege hospital and is said to be in a stable condition in an FIA statement. Alesi has been released from the medical centre.

    Indian driver Mahaveer Raghunathan was not involved in the crash. Mahaveer expressed his shock and deep condolences to the family and team of Hubert.

    FIA confirmed the death of A Hubert. May his soul rest in peace.

    FIA statement:

    The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) regrets to advise that a serious incident involving cars #12, #19 and #20 occurred at 17:07 on 31/08/19 as a part of the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, round 17 of the season.

    The scene was immediately attended by emergency and medical crews, and all drivers were taken to the medical centre. As a result of the incident, the FIA regrets to inform that the driver of car #19, Anthoine Hubert (FRA), succumbed to his injuries, and passed away at 18:35.

    The driver of car #12, Juan-Manuel Correa (USA), is in a stable condition and is being treated at the CHU Liège hospital. More information on his condition will be provided when it becomes available. The driver of car #20 Giuliano Alesi (FRA) was checked and declared fit at the medical centre.

    The FIA is providing support to the event organisers and the relevant authorities and has commenced an investigation into the incident.

    Statement from Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal, Racing Point:

    “It’s almost impossible to find the right words at moments like these, but we are all devastated to hear the tragic news from today’s Formula 2 race. Anthoine was a wonderful person and a tremendous racing talent who had already enjoyed great success in the sport. We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and supporters.”

     

  • De Vries tops red hot Qualifying session: F2

    Dutchman secures pole ahead of Sette Câmara and Aitken
    Nyck de Vries delivered on his Free Practice form with Pole position in FIA Formula 2 Qualifying, to strengthen his grip at the top of the Driver’s Championship and set himself up for a potential fourth win of the season. The ART Grand Prix man will start ahead of DAMS’ Sérgio Sette Câmara and Campos Racing’s Jack Aitken, following an early end to the session, after a late red flag.
    Sette Câmara was the first out on track in hot conditions and the first to top the timesheets, thrashing his machine around the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in 2:23.620. Callum Ilott was one of seven cars yet to set a time when his Sauber Junior Team by Charouz machine came to a halt on track and forced the session to a brief stop, with a red flag.
    When they returned, De Vries and Nobuharu Matsushita swiftly went to work and both set purple sectors in their battle for pole position. It was the Dutchman who came out trumps, beating the Japanese driver by as little as 0.0.17s for P1.
    With 15 minutes left on the clock, the grid headed in for fresh rubber and when they returned, De Vries and Matsushita continued to dominate. The in-form duo shattered their own times to remain 1st and 2nd, ahead of Guanyu Zhou and Louis Delétraz.
    Four minutes of the session remained when Sean Gelael slid off the circuit and slammed into the walls, bringing out the second red flag of Qualifying. Sette Câmara and Aitken were fortunate to cross the line in time to clock their laps, and their tours of the circuit were good enough for P2 and P3, which put them ahead of Matsushita.
    The session ended under the red flag, leaving the order otherwise unchanged. De Vries remained on top, ahead of Sette Câmara, Aitken, Matsushita and Delétraz. Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin, Jordan King, Zhou and Luca Ghiotto completed the top then.
    With De Vries’ main title rival, Nicholas Latifi, languishing back in 11th, the Dutchman will sense a massive opportunity in the fight for the Championship when action resumes tomorrow, at 4.45pm local time.
    FIA Formula 2 Round 9 – Qualifying provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    LAPTIME
    LAPS
    1
    Nyck De Vries
    ART Grand Prix
    1:58.304
    8
    2
    Sergio Sette Camara
    DAMS
    1:58.576
    8
    3
    Jack Aitken
    Campos Racing
    1:58.785
    8
    4
    Nobuharu Matsushita
    Carlin
    1:58.832
    8
    5
    Louis Deletraz
    Carlin
    1:58.910
    8
    6
    Mick Schumacher
    PREMA Racing
    1:59.141
    7
    7
    Nikita Mazepin
    ART Grand Prix
    1:59.142
    8
    8
    Jordan King
    MP Motorsport
    1:59.366
    9
    9
    Guanyu Zhou
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    1:59.425
    7
    10
    Luca Ghiotto
    UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    1:59.614
    7
    11
    Nicholas Latifi
    DAMS
    1:59.747
    7
    12
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:59.961
    8
    13
    Anthoine Hubert
    BWT Arden
    2:00.005
    7
    14
    Ralph Boschung
    Trident
    2:00.030
    7
    15
    Juan Manuel Correa
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:00.250
    9
    16
    Sean Gelael
    PREMA Racing
    2:00.327
    6
    17
    Marino Sato
    Campos Racing
    2:01.185
    10
    18
    Mahaveer Raghunathan
    MP Motorsport
    2:01.226
    10
    19
    Tatiana Calderon
    BWT Arden
    2:03.224
    8
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Callum Ilott
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    1