As Formula Two prepares to kick off their 2021 season in Bahrain this weekend, here are six drivers to watch out for across the season.
Featuring 13 returning drivers alongside nine rookies, this F2 campaign promises to be just as unpredictable as previous campaigns despite a change in weekend format.
We therefore have brought you a roundup of six drivers to watch out for across the 2021 season, beginning with the highest placed returning driver from 2020 as he looks to mount another title challenge.
Robert Shwartzman
As the highest-placed returning driver from 2020, Robert Shwartzman will be looking to mount a stronger title challenge, after mid-season inconsistency cost him last season as questions remain around his one lap pace with no poles last campaign.
Shwartzman however is sticking with Prema who guided his teammate – Mick Schumacher to the 2020 crown and a promotion to F1, so the Russian will be keen to follow in Schumacher’s footsteps and win the title in his second season at this level for the Italian team.
It is therefore fair to say that this season is Shwartzman’s biggest test yet given that three of the last four F2 champions have won the title in their rookie or second seasons, thus earning a move up to F1 which has plenty of available seats for 2022.
Guanyu Zhou
With Alpine committed to making Guanyu Zhou the first Chinese driver to race in F1 from as early as next season, the youngster needs to hit back with a proper title tilt after reliability issues derailed his bid in 2020 as he remains with Virtuosi for a third consecutive season.
Zhou though can take heart from a strong end to last season in which he claimed his first F2 win in the Sochi Sprint, in a run of six points finishes from the last seven races which is the ideal launchpad for him to push on this season towards the front.
Either way, Zhou needs a huge season if he is to stand any shot at a potential F1 graduation next season, especially given the expectation of quality drivers spending 1-3 seasons in F2 if are to eventually make the leap up to F1.
Marcus Armstrong
Having endured a difficult rookie season in 2020 at ART GP, Marcus Armstrong will be hoping to bounce back with a move to DAMS for 2021 after inconsistency proved his biggest issue last season.
DAMS however endured a difficult campaign last season themselves so both driver and team will be looking for a huge step forward, especially with Pirelli tyres often proving their largest issue throughout 2020.
Armstrong will also be boosted by a strong pre-season in which he set the third fastest overall lap time across a three-day test, so we should see Armstrong be more competitive than he was throughout his rookie season.
Juri Vips
Having impressed for DAMS in a four-round guest stint, Juri Vips promises to be a serious contender for the title this season as he switches to Hitech GP for a full season at this level.
I in particular was surprised by how well he adapted to the series mid-season because he finished just outside the top ten in his first three races, before eventually enjoying a breakthrough weekend at Mugello with third in the Sprint Race.
Vips is also part of Red Bull’s Junior Programme and served as Reserve Driver in the final four F1 races last season, so I am expecting him to put that valuable experience to use in F2 this season combined with his raw talent which should put him right in the title hunt.
Vips however has a fellow Red Bull junior in Liam Lawson as his teammate with Lawson continuing with the team that he raced for in F3 last season, so I can’t wait to see how they fare together given that a potential F1 spot at AlphaTauri in 2022 is at stake for whoever performs best.
Christian Lundgaard
Having proven himself as a strong underrated driver when given the right setup in 2020, Christian Lundgaard looks set to be a big contender to watch out for given that Alpine have retained him beyond the usual four-year academy period.
Lundgaard however needs to show more sharp aggression than we often saw last season and also in F3 in 2019, because he has a great adaptable racing style across both single and race lap pace yet seems to lack consistency at times in last two seasons.
Those two seasons however were his rookie seasons at both levels so now he is entering his second F2 campaign, I want to see him push forward with a title challenge off the back of a strong pre-season testing because a potential F1 seat could be available in 2022.
Oscar Piastri
As the reigning F3 champion, Oscar Piastri certainly will be one to watch throughout 2021 following the immediate success of the last five F3 (formerly GP3 until 2018) champions with at least two race wins claimed in their rookie F2 seasons.
Like Shwartzman, Piastri makes the step up as the F3 champion with Prema so this will be a huge chance for the Aussie to test himself against his predecessor, especially with Prema now boasting the last two F3 champions in their F2 lineup for this season.
Consistency however was Piastri’s biggest quality last season in F3 so he certainly will be looking for more of the same if he is to challenge for the title, particularly given how consistency is often key to a F2 title challenge towards end of each season.
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