F2: Schumacher new championship leader

Today’s Formula 2 Feature Race was certainly unpredictable and it was not the best race of the season for the Ferrari Driver Academy drivers. Two Safety Car periods affected the outcome, with the differing tyre conditions playing a crucial role in the end. Mick Schumacher had started from 15th after a difficult qualifying, but he powered up the order in a very tricky race. He started on Hard tyres, saving the Softs for the closing stages. It paid off as Mick was able to get into the top and then as high as fifth at the flag.

Leading the championship. Mick picked up 10 points which puts him on 153 to take the lead in the championship, helped by difficulties for Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman. Ilott had a complicated race after a poor start saw him tumble down the order from third on the grid to seventh. He began to move up until he was fighting for the podium places but in the restart after the first Safety Car, he was involved in a collision that meant he had to pit again to change the front wing. The Englishman rejoined 18th and managed to get to 12th at the flag.

Robert. Robert Shwartzman was also very unlucky. The Russian suffered from a lack of balance in qualifying and also made a few mistakes on his quick lap, so he had to settle for ninth on the grid. Robert didn’t get the best of starts but he was still in with a chance of points as he had a strong pace in the first third of the race. That all came to nothing though on lap 16 when a technical problem meant he had to retire. The same fate befell Giuliano Alesi who, on lap 22, had park his car at the side of the track when his engine cut out, prompting the first Safety Car.

Marcus. Marcus Armstrong is back in the points, ninth at the chequered flag. The New Zealander had a steady race, moving up to fourth after the start. During the first Safety Car period, his ART Grand Prix team called him in for a second pit stop which meant he brought home a good result after several unlucky weekends.

Tomorrow. With the usual reversed top eight on the grid for tomorrow’s Sprint Race, Schumacher will start fourth with the aim of picking up more points. The same goes for Armstrong, who starts ninth, while Ilott, Shwartzman and Alesi will all face an uphill battle.