End of the 2019 season rich in spectacle and emotion

Nyck de Vries, finally champion

This season was all about the title or nothing for the Dutch driver; he announced it at the beginning of the season and it’s clear that he followed through on his words.

Impressive in his consistency, Nyck de Vries managed to accumulate points throughout the season to secure himself from other contenders for the title. By winning 4 races and, more importantly, being on the podium 12 times in 22 races, he logically claimed the Formula 2 championship title.

For the next stage of his career, Nyck de Vries chose not to abandon single-seater racing and turned to Formula E by signing with Mercedes EQ. He is now teamed up with former F1 driver Stoffel Vandorne. The Dutch driver has also committed to endurance racing with the Jumbo Racing Team Nederland and distinguished himself during the 6 Hours of Fuji by winning the LMP2 category.

His success is linked to the team for which he was racing, as the French team ART Grand Prix provided him with a car to fight for the title. The French team has been present in F2 for many years and is considered a favorite almost every year. It should be noted that the team has trained many drivers who are now in F1, such as Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas, and Charles Leclerc…

French team Dams wins constructors’ championship

By winning the constructor’s championship title, a beautiful tribute was paid to the founder of the DAMS team from Le Mans, Jean Paul Driot, who passed away this year. Sergio Sette Câmara secured the title thanks to his victory in the main race in Abu Dhabi.

The British team UNI-Virtuosi takes second place in a ranking completed by another French team, Art Grand Prix.

The battle for 2nd place

It must be acknowledged that there wasn’t really a struggle for the champion’s spot, and Nyck de Vries let the other title contenders fight among themselves for second place.

The battle, however, was tough and intense between three drivers: Canadian Nicholas Latifi, Italian Luca Ghiotto, and Brazilian Sergio Sette Câmara. The battle for the runner-up title in F2 reached its conclusion during the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi. The three drivers were separated by only 10 points at the end of a long 22-race season.

The stakes for this position were high, especially for the Canadian driver. Indeed, he was a favorite to take a spot in the Williams F1 team seat next season. It was therefore important for him to justify this promotion on the track while trying to overshadow the rumors about his family fortune, which allowed him access to F1 through financial compensation. He ends his fourth F2 season in a strong 2nd place.

At the start of his 4th season in Formula 2 as well, Luca Ghiotto was hoping to finally win the title. Although capable of brilliant performances, the Italian couldn’t maintain enough consistency and, rightly so, saw his title hopes slip away. After 4 seasons in Formula 2, he achieved his best season by finishing 3rd in the drivers’ standings, 7 points behind Nicholas Latifi.

Finally, it is the 21-year-old Brazilian driver Sergio Sette Câmara who clinches 4th place at the wheel of his DAMS. Having delivered a solid season, he finishes just 10 points behind Nicholas Latifi’s second place. By finishing 2nd and 4th in the championship, respectively, Latifi and Sette Camara secure the constructors’ championship title for the French team DAMS.

Mick Schumacher, a season of mixed results

The German had been forewarned; all eyes would be on him. Indeed, being the son of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion isn’t easy every day, as the hopes of some and the expectations of others inevitably create a certain tension on Mick Schumacher’s shoulders.

European F3 champion in 2018, the German joined this year as a rookie in a team that was supposed to allow him to shine. But it must be noted that the Italian team Prema, which led Charles Leclerc to the title in 2017, did not manage to make their car work. The German won one race this season and finished in the points zone 9 times, scoring a total of 53 points in 22 races. By finishing 12th in the drivers’ championship, he significantly outpaced his teammate Sean Gelael, his main rival, who was 17th with 15 points.

His season was marked by no fewer than 4 retirements due to mechanical failure, making it a complicated and perhaps disappointing year for those who see Mick Schumacher as the hope of seeing this name at the top of the rankings again. The coming year will be truly decisive for him, as he will be paired at Prema with Robert Shwartzman, also a driver from the Scuderia Driver Academy. The comparison between the two teammates will be direct and the competition relentless.

The waltz of drivers and seats

No fewer than 27 drivers participated in the Formula 2 championship this year, for only 20 seats. Some teams unfortunately had to balance talents and money this year. Despite an encouraging start to the season (30 points in 10 races), French driver Dorian Boccolaci had to give up his spot due to a lack of sponsors. It was the Indian Arjun Maini, followed by the Japanese Marino Sato, who took his place in the Campos, without ever scoring a point in the races.

The same case occurred within the Trident team, which also hired several drivers this season. Alesi teamed up with Swiss driver Ralph Boschung, who was then replaced by Ryan Tveter in Austria, followed by Dorian Boccolacci at Silverstone, and finally by Christian Lundgaard in Abu Dhabi.

Finally, the MP Motorsport team had to employ 4 drivers over the course of this year. Jordan King teamed up with the talented Mahaveer Raghunathan who, sanctioned with a one-race suspension in Austria, had to be replaced by Patricio O’Ward.

Jordan King, engaged in the Indianapolis 500, was also replaced in Monaco by the Russian veteran Artem Markelov.

In summary, the drivers involved in Formula 2 must have a solid financial background or the support of a feeder team such as those established by Renault and Ferrari.

A season marked by the disappearance of a champion

It was at the age of 22 that Anthoine Hubert’s race came to a halt at the top of the raidillon during the Belgian Grand Prix on August 31st. A few weeks earlier, he had just won the sprint races in France and Monaco with flair and brilliance.

Anthoine Hubert, like Jules Bianchi, represented the future of French motorsport. This year, he was entering Formula 2 crowned with the title of Formula 3 champion and supported by the Renault Sport Academy. His future in Formula 1 seemed already written, a French driver at Renault… His accident brutally reminds us of how these drivers face incredible risks for their passion, for our passion.

Juan Manuel Correa, who was also involved in the accident and seriously injured, is slowly recovering at home in the United States and hopes to return to Formula 2 one day.

« Anthoine was a good friend, but I now feel that I must return, not only for myself but also for him. » stated the American driver recently.