After a two-month break, the FIA Formula 2 championship returns for its season finale with back-to-back races in Bahrain over the next two weekends.
In a closely-contested season that has seen both Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman lead the standings, it is Mick Schumacher that heads into the final two rounds on top, with as many six drivers still realistically in with a chance of taking the crown.
We look at how these six contenders have fared this season and assess their chances of winning the title.
Mick Schumacher (Prema) 191 points
He hasn’t been the outright fastest driver in the field, with a pair of third places his best qualifying efforts of the season, but Mick Schumacher’s unrivalled level of consistency has been key to him arriving in Bahrain with a 22-point lead in the championship.
Schumacher has only qualified outside the top nine on one occasion this year and has regularly been the best starter off the line. That combination has seen Schumacher often at the sharp end in the feature races, and he has also scored more points than any other driver in the reversed-grid sprint races. His ten podium finishes is also the most of any driver this year. Schumacher’s first win of the season didn’t arrive until the eighth round at Monza, but his second win last-time out at Sochi was most impressive during his strongest weekend of the season in which he also outpaced his rivals.
If Schumacher can continue his form from Sochi into the final rounds, the F2 title – and a Haas Formula 1 drive next year – will be on the cards.
Callum Ilott (Virtuosi) 169 points
Like fellow Ferrari junior Schumacher, Callum Ilott has really stepped up in his second F2 season. With four pole positions and having only qualified outside of the top-six on one occasion, Ilott has been the fastest driver overall in the field.
That form has helped Ilott win two feature races this season – in addition to one sprint race victory – but he could have won more races on Saturday afternoons without bad luck. Ill-timed safety car periods have hampered Ilott on two occasions when in dominant positions, and stalling the car at both Silverstone and Monza cost him shots at wins too. Spinning out of second place in the British Grand Prix sprint race also was a costly mistake.
If Ilott can combine the form he has shown all season with drama-free races during the Bahrain double-header, then he still has a realistic chance of overhauling Schumacher for the crown.
Yuki Tsunoda (Carlin) 147 points
Yuki Tsunoda’s first F2 season got off to a slow start this year, only scoring points once in the first six races. Those points came in the Styrian Grand Prix feature race, when Tsunoda was denied a maiden win from pole position by a radio issue that caused him to stay out too long before his pitstop, having to instead settle for second place.
This has summed up his season: blistering quick on his day, but also very inconsistent. Despite scoring three pole positions, Tsunoda has also qualified outside the top ten on three occasions. He has put in some strong performances in the races too, notching up two wins, but a number of incidents and reliability issues have cost him on several other occasions.
The Honda and Red Bull protege needs a top four finish in the championship to gain enough superlicence to secure a rumoured step up to F1 next year with Alpha Tauri. If he can produce his best form in Bahrain, that should be easily achievable, and could still take the title if Schumacher and Ilott both slip up.
Christian Lundgaard (ART) 145 points
After competing in FIA Formula 3 in 2019, Christian Lundgaard’s F2 season has been similar to Tsunoda’s: very quick on occasion but also very inconsistent. Lundgaard has comfortably outpaced ART team-mate and 2019 FIA F3 runner-up Marcus Armstong, taking a pole position and qualifying on the front-three rows seven times. And he has also shown strong form at times in the races with two wins and three podiums.
His performance at Mugello was his most impressive, looking the strongest driver in the field all weekend. But incidents in the feature races in Hungary and last time out at Sochi resulting in him scoring no points at either round, and a mid-season dip in form left him well down the field in Barcelona and at Spa. Like Tsunoda, he needs to bring his best form to Bahrain and hope his rivals hit trouble in order to win the championship.
Robert Shwartzman (Prema) 140 points
After winning the FIA F3 title in 2019, Robert Shwartzman burst onto the F2 scene with two victories from the first three feature races, making him an early favourite to take the crown. Three more podium finishes, including a sprint race win at Spa have followed, but his qualifying performances over the season – only making the top-six three times – have often left him too much to do in the races.
A spin in the Styrian Grand Prix sprint race, being taken out of the lead by team-mate Schumacher at Silverstone and mechanical woes at Mugello have also cost Shwartzman crucial points, and a pointless weekend in his home event at the last round leaves him as an outsider for the title.
Nikita Mazepin (Hitech) 140 points
Nikita Mazepin is another driver heavily linked with an F1 seat next year, at Haas. Driving for F2 debutants Hitech, he has shown great form on his day, but not enough consistency.
Like Shwartzman, he has often started too far back to be a consistent threat for top positions in races, qualifying in the top six on only four occasions. But he has often raced well, as evidenced by his maiden F2 win in the Hungary feature race, where he used an alternate strategy to come from behind to come out on top, as others hit tyre trouble.
A second win came in the feature race at Mugello, before a collision with Hitech team-mate Ghiotto in the sprint race that followed. He also scored solid points at Sochi, but he may have too much work to do to win the title.
