Formula 2 F2 2018

[F1Brits_90]

F2 2018 starts this weekend a series which i cant recommend higher to watch because you get to see the next generation 1st before anyone & also it mostly has really entertaining, wheel to wheel racing, i said mid 2017 that F2 was in danger of being the highlight of weekend over main attraction F1. But 2018 will be 1 of the biggest overhauls probally in the series history. As we have new engines, new cars & many new drivers. Class of 2018 will be racing with 1st new car since 2011 which looks relatively similar but instead which instead has the halo that is fitted now to most motorsport. But the main change is that instead of Mecachrome 4.0 litre V8 normally-aspirated engine that been raced since inaugral GP2 Series in 2005 . Been swapped to a V6 3.4 litre turbo charged Mecachrome engine.​

on the home front, 3 British drivers will be racing in 2018. Lando Norris McLaren's reserve driver will race for Carlin, George Russell Mercedes development driver & Jack Aitken Renault's reserve driver will be team-mates at ART. Other Drivers Changes outside of brits are as follows

Leaving the series​

• Reigning drivers' champion Charles Leclerc left the series to join Sauber in F1​
• Oliver Rowland; moved to the WEC with Manor LMP1 team​
• Nobuharu Matsushita, returned to Japan to race in the Super Formula​
• Gustav Malja, who raced for Racing Engineering in 2017, moved to the Porsche Supercup​
• Norman Nato's moved to the European Le Mans Series​
• Jordan King, has left to compete in the IndyCar Series​
• Nabil Jeffri, who raced for Trident in 2017, left the team moved to the WEC​
• Álex Palou left the team to compete in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship​

Moving teams​

• Sérgio Sette Câmara left MP Motorsport to join Carlin.​
• Sean Gelael, who left Arden to join Prema​
• Partnerned by de Vries, who drove for Rapax & Racing Engineering in 2017​
• Ralph Boschung left Campos Racing to join MP Motorsport​
• Alexander Albon left ART Grand Prix to join DAMS​
• Luca Ghiotto left Russian Time after a single season to join Campos Racing​
• Louis Delétraz & Antonio Fuoco joined Charouz Racing System. Moving from Rapax (after the team withdrew from the championship), & Prema respectively although Fuoco left as part of an agreement with Ferrari's driver development programme. which i doubt will last long as he will be told to fuoco off after being battered last year by team mate leclerc​

New & returning drivers​

• Arden 2 rookie drivers Nirei Fukuzumi who came 3rd in GP3 last year
• joined also by Maximilian Günther who finished 2nd & 3rd in last 2 FIA Euro F3 seasons​
• Roy Nissany from World Series Formula V8 3.5 has joined Campos Racing​
• Santino Ferrucci Haas' development driver has returned to Trident for a full season after the 2nd half of 2017​
• To be partnered by Indian Arjun Maini, who was promoted from the GP3 Series finishing 9th & winning a race​
• Nicholas Latifi, who remained with the DAMS team for a 3rd & assuming final year​

2018 F2 calendar
April 6-8: Sakhir
April 27-29: Baku
May 11-13: Barcelona
May 24-26: Monaco
June 22-24: Paul Ricard
June 29-July 1: Red Bull Ring
July 6-8: Silverstone
July 27-29: Hungaroring
August 24-26: Spa
August 31-September 2: Monza
September 28-30: Sochi
November 23-25: Yas Marina

what ever happens last season champion will take some beating as charles leclerc was outstanding as a rookie he took 9 provisional poles out of 11 & 5 feature/2 sprint races out of 22races. Winning title with 3 races left. onto 2018 predictions so i look foolish in November it is hard to pick a champion, because 12 months ago i didn't really know who Charles Leclerc was although he soon changed all that very quickly. but the contenders i would guess would be
​

Lando Norris who at 18 is successor to Alonso it seems, after very impressive 2015, 16 & 17 winning many championships

Artem Markelov, Russian who over the last 4 years has developed into a very talented driver & aggressive overtaker from slow beginnings in 2014 (when he really should've been in GP3) & finished runner up in 2017

George Russell GP3 reigning Champion & Mercedes Development driver who could be in 2019 force india if Ocon makes the step to Mercedes

although i know 1 thing it wont be Sean Gelael who in last 2 seasons has been painfully slow or Sergio Canamasas who has finally left the series, although the driver who made Maldonado look like a saint has dropped off the face of the earth​

 

[F1Brits_90]

Full Driver Lineup

comparision between old & new GP2/F2 cars

 

[RasputinLives]

Great write up. Great race. I'd love to see Markalov in F1 by the way, not because I think he'd be a contender but because he is so fun to watch.

Norris doing exactly what I expected him to do because he is the real deal. Great return to the series.

We should devise an F2 drinking guy. First one, - every time David Valsechi says "yeah you're right" in commentary you do a shot.

Where is Canamasas this year? I miss him.

 

[dinsdale]

Markelov was amazing. Moved 14 positions up. The late braking to take third place was outstanding, no tyre smoke. A bit Verstappenish! And the drama of the fight for 2nd place in the last few laps was great to watch. The move to the inside by Camara to block Markelov near the end was superb.

For the last few years the GP2 has often been a better race than the main attraction. Did miss the sound of the V8 though today.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Where is Canamasas this year? I miss him.

Ah yes Valsecchi the most exicted man in sporting commentary. Sounds like be has has 1000s of e numbers 5 mins before the race

But on canamasas as i said literally has dropped off the face of the earth. Because i was researching this friday because me & dad had the same conversation. But nothing. His Wikipedia has nothing, on his social media has only been updated once since 23rd august, that was picture with his dad a month ago. His website im assuming as Dont speak Spanish is advertising a competition to go 2017 F2 spanish round. Although an interesting fact that in his 9 year lower formula career. He had 175 races In Spanish F3, Euro F3, FR 3.5 & Gp2. He won 0.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Qualifying results from f2, in the irony that albon getting pole because his teammate spun at turn 7

 

[RasputinLives]

Quite a lofty start slot for Santino Ferrucci and I see we have Markalov coming through the field again to look forward too!

 

[F1Brits_90]

Yeah markelov always entertaining coming through the grid as proved in Bahrain. But qualifying might not be ultimate case of pecking order as alot have just bankers because the last 80 seconds were void because of latifi spin which would have ruined alot of people final lap

But yes Looking forward to tomorrow Baku always brings fantastic racing in last 2 years

 

[F1Brits_90]

I would love to sum up the feature race. But so much happened & so much controversy. I dont know where to start
Highlights well worth a watch

Spoiler

but yes 1 of those if you thought that it was from pole easy win couldnt be further from truth for albon.

As George Russell had the win under control as much as you can in the lottery of baku. But de drvies impatience on cold tyres ruin both their races by locking up. & under huge competion from Norris may have said goodbye to his alonso seat if he leaves

Found the secret to making the podium in f2 start from the pit lane like aitkin & markelov

& Fuoco somehow ended up on the podium. Dont ask

 

[dinsdale]

Watched the whole race - interesting race!

Norris and Russell were very unlucky. As was Ghiotto.

 

[dinsdale]

Just watched the 2nd one - very good race with close following and back and forth position swaps especially between Russell and Sette Camara. Great drive by Russell to win from 12th on the grid.

 

[RasputinLives]

Just caught up with both races. Very exciting stuff. We have a very close field this year and there are a number of drivers who could mount a title challenge. The obvious ones are Norris and Russell. Very impressed with George's pace and Lando's maturity to get out of it and turn 1 rather than have an accident so he could live to fight another day (were you watching Max?).

You have to include Albon, De Vries, Aitkin, Latefi and Sette Camara as potential challengers though. Albon and Aitkin have always been under rated, De Vries is finally showing the pace he promised, Latefi seems on it and Sette Camara's form will have Red Bull pondering if they desposed of him too quickly. You have to think he would at least be as good as Hartley.

 

[F1Brits_90]

alright races at cataluya but then circuit doesnt give good racing. At least drivers could get closer. But a nice double british winner from George Russell who is my title favourite now & a superb drive in tricky conditions jack aitken. Who could find grip that no one else could

Also in F2 Jean Todt had a big interest in this because we had an accident on lap 6. He says proved the halo. For me it was no different to coulthard wurz crash in austraila. But it helped

 

[RasputinLives]

Yeah all the focus is in Norris and Russell but Jack Aitkin should not be underestimated. He has had a superb junior career and just because Russell got the better of him last year doesn't mean he will this.

Along with those three I've been very impressed by Albon and Sette Camara as well. I certainly think they are the front 5. Sette Camara is a former member of the Red Bull juniors and I think Red Bull might regret that as he is shaping into a driver who would certainly be a good replacement for Hartley. Same can be said about Callum Illott in GP3 too.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Yeah albon is nice change. That a f2 team that took talent over budget hope he does well, because f1 has gone downhill a bit when size of the wallet was far more important than the size of the talent. Sette camara is symptom of red bull drought because they get rid of alot promising drivers after 1 yr in gp3

 

[F1Brits_90]

Terrible qualifying session for the brits at monaco & 1st/3rd in the championship. Lando Norris on his way to lap time that could have seen him on 2nd or 3rd row (weird way qualfying is. With A & B) but hit wall at exit of the swimming pool could only end up on the 9th row (17th) with front wing hanging off. Then russell on his 1st visit, found that real life monaco is much tougher than the mercedes simulator as he also on 9th row (18th) 1.2 secs off the B group pole

Although sette camara despite being 4th on grid. Might not race as at end of session he crashed at sainte devote & fears he may have broke his hand

 

[F1Brits_90]

Entertaining F2 race this morning. Far better than 2 weeks ago in spain. So much happened, we had a safety car after a few meters because fuoco shoved ghietto in barrier at the start. Russell binned it into rasscasse trying an overtake but carried to much speed & couldnt turn. Leading pair De dyrves & Albon crashed under that 2nd safety car as albon crashed into him having no regard for the pit lane entry line & made a late cut across who was commited to pit lane entry. Lando Norris pulled out of overtake at Anthony nogues but not enough as still punted boshong into the barriers. & markelov drove fantastically to gap gelael who had already stopped to come out & effectively seal the win with 5 laps to go

Who says qualifying is important at monaco 2nd started 12th, 3rd < 8th, 4th < 14th & Norris came 6th from 17th. After a drive through penalty

 

[Il_leone]

Just seen a shot of one of the best passes in f2 on twitter that would Hamilton and Verstappen sit up. I wonder if the F1 teams are taking note of the British talent in the series

 

[RasputinLives]

Which one? Markalov going past 3 cars? If you get the chance to see the whole race Il_leone then do it. One of the best motor races I've seen in a long long time.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives Yes Markelov's pass was incredible

I will say Mercedes have got a headache in placing their young drivers in the future if they want to stay with their current line up