Formula 2: rounding the halfway point

All the drivers look forward to Spa-Francorchamps. The appeal of the Belgian track has never wavered and it’s always a thrill at the wheel of a Formula 2 car. Belgium marks the mid-point of the season with the seventh of 12 rounds, with the final one recently confirmed for Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit. As usual five Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) students are on the entry list this weekend.

Leader. Callum Ilott arrives in Spa as the series leader, on 121 points. The 21 year-old Englishman is going through a good patch at the moment, driving well, showing maturity in making the best of his opportunities. He won the Feature Races in Spielberg and Silverstone, reading the races well, but he still has a long way to go. 

Robert and Marcus. Robert Shwartzman is second in the classification, 18 points off his FDA colleague. The 20 year-old Russian got off to a cracking start but then had a difficult time in qualifying, which was sorted in Barcelona to bring him to Spa on the back of a wave of good results in Spain. Marcus Armstrong hopes to get back on form in Belgium, after a difficult patch has seen him fail to score points. The New Zealander has gone well at Spa, winning here in Formula 3 last year and he hopes to return to that sort of performance with a more consistent second half to the season. 

Mick and Giuliano. Mick Schumacher also has special memories of Spa, as it was here he took his first Formula 3 win in 2018, a very special victory which laid the groundwork for his winning the European championship that year. He is currently fifth in the championship, consistently in the points, missing out just once out of the last eight races and he now has his sights set on his first win of the year. Giuliano Alesi is in search of consistency. After starting the year off with two top 10 finishes, he has struggled more than expected in reaching the level he had expected. 

Clear goals. “After a weekend without racing, we now have another triple-header”, said Marco Matassa, head of the FDA technical department. “In the case of Formula 2, that coincides with the mid-point of the season. For the Ferrari Driver Academy, the results of the first half of the year have been positive, but we still face many challenges in a season that goes all the way to December. Each one of our drivers knows what his goals are and I think they have all they need to work calmly on getting everything out of themselves. Spa will be an important round to show which of them is on the right track”.

In memory of Anthoine.  Returning to Spa-Francorchamps, the FIA Formula 2 championship is back at the track which marked the worst day in the history of the series, when last year, Anthoine Hubert lost his life in Saturday’s race. It will be a very emotional moment for all the drivers at the track and there will be many tributes in memory of the talented French youngster.