Saturday, December 11th, 2021
Formula 2 title has disadvantages
Schumacher’s successor has a problem
If you win Formula 2, you switch to Formula 1 – at least that’s how it was recently with Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Mick Schumacher. For the new F2 champion Oscar Piastri, however, there is no place in the premier class.
Oscar Piastri follows in the footsteps of Mick Schumacher, several times over. Because the Australian has not only taken over the cockpit of the closely related Ferrari racing team Prema this season, which was vacated by Schumacher’s move to Formula 2, but also his title. In the third last race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Piastri finished third, making it the new champion of the top junior class ahead of schedule. However, that also means that the 20-year-old is facing an uneventful 2022 season.
Because Formula 2 has set itself the goal of training pilots for the highest classes. In order to accelerate this ascent, a title defense is excluded by the regulations. In other words, if you win Formula 2, you have to compete in another racing series the following year. And while the champions of 2016 (Pierre Gasly), 2017 (Charles Leclerc), 2018 (George Russell) and 2020 (Mick Schumacher) rose to the top class of motorsport as new regular drivers after their victories in the drivers’ championship, Piastri’s path is blocked . Because all 20 cockpits have been assigned for the coming Formula 1 season, the Australian is not intended for any of them.
Although the 20-year-old is part of the Alpine support program and is also intended to be a test and substitute driver for the French racing team, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon are seated. It is conceivable that Alonso will end his remarkable Formula 1 career at the end of 2022 at the age of 41 and after 20 seasons – but the Spaniard regularly proves his extra class and is considered one of the strongest drivers in the field despite his supposedly advanced age.
Rapid ascent as an obstacle?
For young drivers, on the other hand, it is generally considered important to sit in the car as much as possible, to learn and develop. A season without a regular cockpit is anything but ideal. Piastri is perhaps a little too fast for the plans Alpine has for him. He won the Formula 3 title last year as a newcomer to the series, and he is now able to do the same in Formula 2. Piastri won five of eight qualifying sessions, with five race wins more than any other driver, including ten Podiums are top marks.
But now the Australian talent is there for the time being without regular appearances. Alpine will certainly let him collect Formula 1 kilometers at several Friday training sessions, but most of the time he only has to work in the simulator. That was the last time Nyck de Vries went, the F2 champion of 2019. The Dutchman was initially a test driver at Mercedes, but at the same time drove at least in the fully electric Formula E. After an inconspicuous first season, de Vries drove to the title there in his second year now call themselves world champions. For Piastri, however, that should not be an option. Because unlike Mercedes, Alpine does not have its own Formula E team.