After a break of almost two months, Robert Shwartzman and Marcus Armstrong are donning their helmets and race suits once again for one of the most eagerly anticipated race weekends of the year at the Monza circuit.
After a long seven week break, the Formula 2 championship is back in action this weekend at Monza, for the fifth of eight rounds this season. Ferrari Driver Academy students Robert Shwartzman and Marcus Armstrong now face a busy final part of the year with the championship battle still wide open.
The standings. With two wins in Baku and Silverstone, Shwartzman is third in the classification, 17 points off the lead. Robert had a slightly more difficult start to the season than expected, but he is in good shape and hopes to demonstrate that right from the first race of the Monza weekend. Armstrong is currently 14th in the standings, but he secured an important second place at the previous round at Silverstone just before the summer break and hopes to build on that British result with a strong second half of the season.
Restart. “It won't be so easy for the drivers to be back on track after such a long break,” commented the head of the FDA, Marco Matassa. “Using the simulator helps, but everything has to feel second nature again as quickly as possible. Free practice will be very important to blow the cobwebs away and then, immediately after that, in true Monza tradition we can expect slipstreaming to play a not inconsiderable role. Robert has to continue the good form he showed in the last few races if he’s to stay at the top end of the classification and Marcus has to carry on where he left off with that Silverstone podium.”
Programme. The action gets underway on Friday with a 45 minute free practice session at 11.20 followed by qualifying at 16.50. Formula 2 action gets the day started on Saturday with the first Sprint Race at 8.50, followed by the second one at 14.45. The Feature Race ends the weekend, starting on Sunday at 10.25.