The situation before the restart: Russell versus Norris, duel in the sun

Like in Formula 1, the start of summer was busy for the Formula 2 championship, with three races in three weekends. France-Austria-Great Britain: a sequence that will undoubtedly remain one of the highlights of this season.

Two weeks later, the 20 drivers of the lineup met at the Hungaroring to wrap up the first part of the season, marked by eight meetings.

The Big Series of Russell

The ART team’s driver benefitted the most from the aforementioned triptych. Coming off a weekend with zero points in the Principality, 4th overall, the Briton first got back on track at Le Castellet by winning the main race on Saturday, after mastering changing weather conditions. He repeated this performance at the Red Bull Ring the following Saturday: George Russell asserted himself as a good manager, waiting for Artem Markelov’s (Russian Time) regulatory stop, who pitted only four laps from the end. The Briton officially took the championship lead the next day during the sprint race, and it was a fine effort. Starting seventh, Russell passed five cars in the first seven laps, notably overtaking his main rival, Lando Norris (Carlin), right from the first corner at the start. He finished in second place behind the winner, Artem Markelov.

. His beautiful series was also completed by a second place in the main race at Silverstone, despite a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, and a botched pit stop by his mechanics, leaving the victory to Alexander Albon (DAMS). Also competitive against the clock, with three poles in these three meetings, this string of good results was the strength of George Russell who scored 108 points on this occasion… compared to 44 for Albon and 35 for Norris, his current pursuers in the drivers’ championship.

On the other hand, the general leader struggled in Hungary, bringing back only a single point, gained during the sprint race. This underperformance is primarily due to mechanical issues, with a clutch failure forcing him to start from the pit lane, leading to his subsequent retirement. He thus remains under threat from his main pursuers, with Norris being the primary one.

Lando Norris remains at a good distance

Yet one of the youngest drivers on the grid (18 years old), the McLaren protégé is nonetheless brimming with talent. Victorious in the inaugural race in Bahrain, Lando Norris draws his strength from his consistency, with 14 points finishes in 16 races, including 7 podiums. By comparison, Russell has only finished in the top 10 on 11 occasions.

However, the Carlin driver complained about some race incidents that prevented him from doing better. He can only blame himself at Silverstone, stalling in the pits, completely ruining his race and his weekend with the reverse grid system.

Second in the main race before that in Austria, Norris nonetheless showcased the extent of his talent in the rain at the Hungaroring, still in the context of the main race.

Sixth on the grid, he demonstrated breathtaking driving and executed some spectacular overtakes. He took the lead in the tenth lap by overtaking Sergio Sette Camara, the poleman, after an offensive across several corners; the switch to dry conditions deprived him of victory. Caught by a stratospheric lap from Nyck de Vries (Prema), Norris maintained his second place amidst the chaos, benefiting from the Fuoco (Charouz Racing)-Camara (Carlin) collision right behind him, in the penultimate corner of the race! The next day, he also gained seven additional points on George Russell. Let’s remember that Norris is just a rookie in the discipline and managed to win right from the first race in Bahrain! This Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, we will even find him in Fernando Alonso’s McLaren during FP1.

A little further down the overall standings, **Alexander Albon** must not lose hope. He also scored big in Hungary, with 25 points. He can aim for the title, in his capacity as an outsider. He benefited from Russell’s penalty in Great Britain to take his second victory of 2018, [after Baku and the main race]( “/gp2/2018/actualite/22652-F2-Azerbaidjan-Alexander-Albon-et-George-Russell-lemportent.html”). After scoring just two points in France, Albon performed in Austria: 16 points, 27 in Great Britain, and 25 in Hungary. Winner of the last race, the sprint at the Hungaroring, the British driver has reignited his championship and that of his team, the French outfit Dams. He is now 30 points behind the leader before the restart this weekend.

Alexander Albon stormed to a dramatic victory in Sunday’s @FIA_F2 sprint race in Budapest

And this was the move that allowed him to grab P1 from Luca Ghiotto late on 👏 #RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/63oPJddM9t

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2018

A trio of outsiders behind

Among the other drivers still lurking, Artem Markelov started his season very strongly, with a third place and a victory in Sakhir. Repeated in Monaco, during the main race, for a second personal victory after 2016! Victorious again during the sprint race at the Red Bull Ring, the Russian must, however, raise his level to aspire to more.

Tied in the overall standings with Markelov (114 points), Nyck de Vries showcased his talent during the last weekend in Hungary. The young Dutchman put on a spectacular performance during the main race. Starting 3rd, he executed a stunning second stint. On a drying track, he closed a 12-second gap and overtook leader Norris, who had passed him in the 8th lap on the wet, to claim his second victory in the category, having already struck at Paul Ricard during the sprint race. The successor of Leclerc at Prema also made his mark in the fastest lap exercise, with 4 honors, sharing this distinction with… Markelov. The Russian could have aspired to more, having led 88 laps, the highest total among the grid’s drivers, sharing this honor with Russell.

Last driver of the trio, Antonio Fuoco has only one victory to his name, but it is prestigious as it was won in Monaco, at the end of the sprint race.

His half-season ended in controversy, with a collision in the penultimate corner of the last lap in Hungary, involving the unfortunate Sergio Sette Camara. Overall, Fuoco secured five podium finishes, including four in main races.

Here is the overall drivers’ standings before the resumption…

*: the Spanish driver is replaced from Spa-Francorchamps by the Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci.

**: the American driver was excluded by his team due to grave unsportsmanlike behavior….

***: he was replaced by the young Italian driver, who made his debut in Hungary.

What is the situation with the manufacturers?

Among the constructors, it’s heading towards a duel between Carlin and ART Grand Prix, with the two teams separated by 33 points. As for the trophy, the advantage is with the French team, with 5 winner’s cups won—four for George Russell and one for Jack Aitken. Further behind, DAMS (at 90 points) and Charouz Racing (at 91 points) will likely play supporting roles. In any case, the Formula 1 feeder series confirms its balance, with 8 drivers having won at least one race this season. Seven out of ten teams have also won, with only Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, and Trident not having had this honor.

The upcoming calendar

The twenty drivers of the field have 4 meetings and 8 races to make a difference. The comeback will be crucial, starting with the high-speed series: Spa and Monza. The Formula 2 field will then head to Sochi at the end of September for the Russian Grand Prix, before a finale in Abu Dhabi, from November 23 to 25, still as a curtain-raiser for Formula 1! In Belgium, drivers will have medium and soft tires. Artem Markelov (feature race) and Sergio Sette Camara (sprint race) will hold the titles of defending winners. See you this Saturday at 16:45, after qualifying, for the first start!

Breaking news: French driver Dorian Boccolacci joins the grid!

Until now in the GP3 Series, Dorian Boccolacci moves into the seat previously allocated to Roberto Merhi within the MP Motorsport team. The young Frenchman (19 years old) was already competing with the Dutch team in the lower category (7th in the championship at mid-season), notably securing a pole position at the Paul Ricard circuit and a victory in Hungary before the summer break. To recall, the last French driver competing in the feeder series to Formula 1 was Norman Nato. The Cannes native has since moved to Endurance racing, with participation in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category.

Really happy to step in @FIA_F2 until the end of the season! 🙈😁
Thanks to @mpmotorsport_ for this opportunity!
New car, New championship, New challenge, same King Kong! 🇫🇷🏁🦍 #Formule2 #FIA #mpmotorsport pic.twitter.com/52PevdWCf8— dorian boccolacci (@DorBoccolacci) 22 août 2018