The FIA Formula 2 Championship, will have Back-to-back rounds in as we head to the Silverstone Circuit for round eight out of 13.
Austria proved thoroughly entertaining, although the track limits saga, which affected Formula 1 and Formula 3 as well, somewhat tainted proceedings. Mixed conditions for the Sprint and a four-way battle for the win in the Feature Race meant fans were kept on their toes for pretty much the entire weekend.
But what can be expected from the Silverstone F2 round, and what are the main points of conversation leading up to the weekend? The F2 Report investigates.
Title charge whittled down to three?
Of course, the season is still very long and theoretically every driver on the grid can still win the Drivers’ Title. But the current top three in the Standings have opened up a decently-sized gap to the rest of the field.
Frederik Vesti extended his lead in the Championship in Austria, and now holds a 20-point advantage over second-placed Theo Pourchaire. Ayumu Iwasa is just four points behind the Frenchman on 101 points, making him the last driver over three figures.
Consistency has been the name of the game for this trio of drivers, who have time and again scored big in the Feature races with the occasional win. It’s no coincidence that they are all in at least their second year in the feeder series. Where the rookies are disappearing from the picture on the odd weekend, the top three are bringing in the points week in, week out. But who do you think will ultimately prevail? Let us know in the comments.
British hopes lying on Bearman
20 points down on Iwasa lies 18-year-old rookie sensation Oliver Bearman. He currently sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship and will be keen to turn in an eye-catching performance at his home Grand Prix.
Speaking to Motorsport Magazine, Bearman weighed in on his debut season in the F1 feeder series. He said: “It’s not a case of just performance, there’s a lot of extra stuff happening. So my goal is just to perform enough to keep improving and whatever comes after that would just be as a result of performing well.”
Already near the top of the Standings as the youngest driver on the grid means the British teenager is on course for a seat in F1.
But Bearman prefers to focus on the present: “Of course, the goal is to get to F1, I wouldn’t be on the grid if I didn’t want to get to F1. Now, theoretically, I’m one step away. But in reality, it’s a lot more difficult than that. It looks close, but it’s really not.
“You need to really prove yourself, and my goal is just to do that. I don’t set a target or anything like that,” he concluded.
With the chances of a British victor in F1 seeming incredibly slim, the home fans in attendance will be rooting for Bearman to carry the Union Jack and listen to “God Save the King”.
The Silverstone Circuit
F2 returns to the iconic Silverstone Circuit. The first ever official F1 race took place at the location in 1950, though it looks a lot different now to how it did back then.
The modern track is an all-encompassing affair, with a mixture of tight bends and sweeping corners taken almost flat-out. Overtaking is relatively simple at Silverstone, especially with the help of DRS.
This makes for some exciting battles, as we saw in last year’s F2 round. Jack Doohan won the Sprint Race in tricky wet conditions, while current Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant took the chequered flag first in the Feature race.
Rain is expected on both Saturday and Sunday, so we may see some wet weather racing over the weekend. Those who managed to afford the incredibly expensive tickets for this year’s Grand Prix weekend: make sure to bring your umbrellas and ponchos!