Formula 2 Championship entry list: 20 youngsters are dreaming about F1

The second season of the FIA Formula 2 Championship, after it replaced the GP2 Series, will start this weekend at Bahrain International Circuit. The season-opening F2 event would be a part of the support programme for the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix.

Same as in the year before, twenty drivers are on the entry list for the highest-grade single-seater ladder series. Among twenty drivers who are dreaming about continuing their careers in Formula 1, just as 2017 F2 champion Charles Leclerc, there are eight rookies and twelve drivers who already spent a season in Formula 2.

Artem Markelov will carry the number 1 in 2018

Last year’s vice-champion Artem Markelov is entering the championship with number 1 on his car, as leading driver of the Russian Time team which captured Teams’ title in 2017. His teammate would be an F3 graduate Tadasuke Makino. Among the rookies, there are all three best drivers from the 2017 GP3 Series –  a champion George Russell, a runner-up Jack Aitken and third-placed Nirei Fukuzumi.

One more rookie who is starting the F2 campaign with the championship trophy in his hands is Lando Norris, who dominated last year in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship. Maximilian Günther, one of his fiercest F3 rivals, also made a step up from F3 to F2. Two more rookies on the grid would be Roy Nissany and Arjun Maini.

GP3 Series champion George Russell is one of eight F2 rookies

On the list of ‘old’ F2 entrants, there are F2 race winners Luca Ghiotto, Nicolas Latifi, Nyck de Vries, Antonio Fuoco and Sergio Sette Camara among others.

Eleven teams were announced for the 2018 F2 season a few months ago but Fortec Motorsports withdrew due to lack of sponsorship. The well-known teams Carlin and Charouz Racing System are newcomers, along with Russian Time, Pertamina Prema Theodore Racing, DAMS, ART Grand Prix, MP Motorsport, BWT Arden, Campos Vexatec Racing and Trident.

Same as new F1 cars, brand new Dallara F2/18 features the ‘halo’ cockpit protection device

A completely new chassis-engine package has been introduced for the 2018 Formula 2 season. Dallara produced an F2/18 open-wheel race car (also known as F2 2018) which has a lower nose, wider and lower rear wing and a more narrow front wing compared to the old Dallara GP2/11.

The design also features the ‘halo’ cockpit protection device. The old Mecachrome four-litre V8 naturally-aspirated engine was replaced by the 3.4-litre V6 turbocharged direct-injected engine, also developed by Mecachrome.

2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship entry list

Photos: Malcolm Griffiths/LAT Images, Formula 2,