Title Formula 2: Only a 16-point gap before the last race of the season
The Abu Dhabi Formula 2 Grand Prix will be a highly anticipated event this Sunday. During this race, the F2 champion, Rookie of the Year, and the winner of the constructor's championship will be decided. Théo Pourchaire, leading the championship, will start from 14th position. His rival will start from 9th position.
Compared to the 2022 season, with Felipe Drugovich securing the championship title in the penultimate round, anything can still happen in this final stage of the 2023 Formula 2 season. Three drivers can still contend for the championship title.
Théo Pourchaire is not guaranteed to win
Today’s sprint race was supposed to set the tone for the season finale, which will take place this Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit. A race that further tightens the competition between the two title contenders, French leader Théo Pourchaire and Danish runner-up Frederik Verti.
The points gap at the top of the leaderboard has been reduced to 16 before Sunday’s race, which means Vesti must finish in the top two positions to have a chance of winning the crown. However, Pourchaire can secure the title by finishing fourth, regardless of the result Vesti is able to achieve.
Victor Martins vs Ollie Bearman for Rookie of the Year
Another head-to-head battle between ART GP and PREMA Powerteam, but this time it will be for the Rookie of the Year title. Victor Martins and Oliver Bearman are the competing duo, and the points gap between them is incredibly small. Martins from ART is currently fifth in the drivers’ championship with 131 points. Bearman is sixth for PREMA, with 130 points.
Both of them experienced a rather slow start to the season, but after finding their groove, they showed great speed. Bearman then made a real breakthrough as he dominated the Baku round, winning almost all the available points. The pole position, sprint race victory, and feature race victory propelled him up the standings, but Martins has been incredibly consistent, giving him this slight advantage.
ART GP for a first title since 2015?
It’s not just the drivers’ title that will be played out in Abu Dhabi. PREMA is aiming to reclaim the team championship after MP Motorsport’s success in 2022, by battling it out with ART Grand Prix.
It is the French team that is leading the pack with 322 points ahead of PREMA with 296, although the latter has won both the Sprint and Feature Race victories in Monza, and especially the Sprint race in Abu Dhabi earlier in the day, with Frederik Vesti.
During the last three seasons, the championship-winning driver has driven for the team that won the title, two of which were with PREMA. Will ART maintain this trend, or will PREMA be able to play the spoiler?
