Top Five F2 Drivers of 2020

As we approach the end of 2020, it’s time to reflect on a memorable 2020 Formula Two season with a countdown of the five top drivers. 

With plenty of thrilling races across 12 rounds in 22 weeks, five different pole-sitters and 12 different race winners on top of a title fight that went to the wire, 2020 has been a belter of a season in Formula Two.

Throw in a variety of stand-out drives for different reasons then picking out five top drivers certainly is a tough task, so here are my top five picks from a pulsating seasons plus five who are worthy of mentions for their achievements.

 

Dan Ticktum

Having enjoyed a solid proper rookie campaign after his guest appearance at the 2018 finale, Dan Ticktum has quietly adapted well to F2 this season.

Whilst he has retained his fiery personality which was evident on team radio albeit taken out of context on occasions, Ticktum has shown real progress across the season in terms of speed despite the fact that DAMS “have struggled to understand the tyre…” this season.

Four podiums of which one rostrum was a home victory though is a strong achievement for Ticktum in a team that experienced a rare disappointing season, mixed with bad luck of losing his Monza Sprint win through a fuel tank issue.

Ticktum though has shown that on his day in the right car, he can be tricky to beat which we must give him credit, given his fighting performance in the season finale at Sakhir, Bahrain.

Hopefully we will see Ticktum back on the grid next season if his post-season test with Carlin is a sign of things to come in 2021, where he should hopefully be able to mount a stronger challenge.

 

Felipe Drugovich

I won’t be the first to admit that I thought Drugovich didn’t deserve a F2 seat based on his F3 form last season, yet this young Brazilian has been one of the surprise drivers of this campaign.

From putting his MP Motorsport second on the grid in his maiden F2 race in Austria to winning the Sprint race that same weekend with dominant control and fastest lap, Drugovich certainly proved that his F3 form was simply a blip and he would be one of watch this season.

Drugovich then showed impressive consistency throughout the campaign from his maiden F2 pole at Silverstone to a clinical Spanish Sprint win, to even recovering from a blip across Spa Francorchamps to Sochi rounds to collect his first Feature Race victory in Bahrain with a superb tyre strategy.

We also must mention that he did collide with then teammate, Nobuharu Matsushita in Spa but he handled himself professionally in the aftermath, whilst also continuing to show his raw talent en route to ninth in the championship and a top UNI-Virtuosi seat for 2021.

If Drugovich can continue to make strides going forward then I can genuinely see him in contention for a F1 seat within the next two to three years, because he definitely has the skillset and tyre management ability to be like a new Sergio Perez if reaches F1.

 

Callum Ilott

If there is one driver that united even the most neutral of fans this season then it is Callum Ilott who has enjoyed a fabulous season, even slightly disappointing by his high standards.

Ilott this season has shown incredible raw speed across one lap pace with more pole positions than any other driver but strategy and silly errors ultimately cost, him with just one of five poles converted into a Feature Race victory.

Race pace however wasn’t quite there with Spanish Feature Race being one which he should of won if safety cars hadn’t gotten in the way, costing him time as his tyres just struggled upon restarts against a brilliant charge by eventual winner – Nobuharu Matsushita.

There however were also silly mistakes in Sprint Races like his spin at Club in second Silverstone Sprint and a race-ending tangle with Tsunoda at Spa on lap one, which combined with an unlucky collision in Mugello Feature Race cost him valuable points and perhaps the title plus a F1 seat for 2021.

I however feel that Ilott definitely lost the title in the Bahrain Sprint with that silly lunge into Turn 10, when he could of perhaps held back as Schumacher locked up and got him on the back straight instead, although the lunge was probably better given speed difference on entry from another viewpoint.

Overall, 2020 has been a great season for Ilott but one that could of been cleaner at times and possibly with a title too, hence why he is third in our top five drivers of 2020.

 

Mick Schumacher

Consistency has been key to Mick Schumacher’s title success because he has been absolutely on it all season with a stunning 15 race run of points finishes before luck fell his way on the final weekend in Sakhir, Bahrain.

Compared to last season, Schumacher showed excellent tyre management and race attack but his qualifying does need work, because he is the first champion in current F2 era to claim the title without taking a single pole position.

His race pace though has been excellent all season and aided by rocket starts compared to his rivals, especially in Sochi Sprint Race when he cleverly took the tight inside line and leap from eighth on entry to fifth just by simple driver instinct and finished third at time of a race-ending red flag.

Admittedly he lucked in with his two Feature Race victories courtesy of a pit stop error for Ilott in Monza and tyre management issues for Yuki Tsunoda in Sochi, although those wins shows how Schumacher is capable of taking his chances when they come along which is often key to having a long F1 career.

I however am still dubious as to whether Schumacher is the real deal because if he is to emulate his father in F1, he needs to get his qualifying sorted otherwise he is unlikely to win titles without pole positions because race pace alone won’t be enough and is why he is number two on this list.

 

Yuki Tsunoda

What a season for Tsunoda who blasted onto the scene as a rookie who has enjoyed a brilliant campaign to earn himself third in the drivers’ standings, Anthoine Hubert Award and a confirmed F1 seat for 2021.

Tsunoda made a slow start with five non point finishes in the first three rounds whilst he lost what would of been a dominant maiden win from pole in Styria, Austria, to a radio failure around his pit stop window which can be forgiven given that he is a rookie and wouldn’t of been used to pit board signalling in F2.

He however cracked on from Silverstone despite a blip across both Italian rounds with some stunning drives, especially at Silverstone where he kept pressure on the Prema duo and waited for a collision which came to gift him the Sprint win..

Tsunoda’s race pace coupled with four poles overall this season therefore has been simply incredible for a rookie following that slow start, with Bahrain Feature Race showcasing Tsunoda’s progress in tyre management and attacking from back of grid skills after a two-month break following Sochi.

Throw in praise from AlphaTauri in early November after a private Imola test before that stunning double podium in Sakhir round, it is therefore easy to see just how talented this Japanese driver is in terms of learning and adaptability to challenges on top of his racing instincts plus skills.

If we are to also compare Tsunoda to Carlin teammate, Jehan Daruvala then it is noticeable how well he adapted to F2 compared to Daruvala who struggled for much of this season.

Now the challenge for Tsunoda is to take everything that he has learned this season in F2 and apply it to F1 next season, because if he can continue to mature his racing in terms of speed, attack and tyres then he could well be amongst the next generation of F1 title contenders once Hamilton retires.

 

Notable Mentions

• Robert Shwartzman – Excellent drives to take four wins but qualifying also needs to improve if he is to mount a proper title challenge next season, should he stay in F2.
• Guanyu Zhou – Hit by rotten luck throughout campaign because should of been fighting for the title otherwise, although he managed his first F2 win in Sochi to soften a disappointing season.
• Louis Deletraz – Consistent performer in a midfield Charouz with a triple lot of third placed finishes en route to an impressive eighth in standings and highest persona points tally in F2 yet.
• Jehan Daruvala – Struggled for much of season but began to find his feet towards end of season with a win in final race and is well placed to kick on and improve further next season if stays with Carlin.
• Juri Vips – Stood in for eight races but managed to show admirable race pace in his guest stint with a podium to boot, which stands him in good stead if he joins full-time next season.