Round 7 of the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship takes us to the Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain, with the weekend marking the first weekend of the second half of the season. The first half concluded last weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, but do not expect any let-up in the racing, with more excitement expected in the Northamptonshire sunshine.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME OUT IN GREAT BRITAIN?
Charles Leclerc secured his fifth victory of the season, and his third consecutive Feature race triumph on Saturday, despite smoke coming from the back of his Prema Racing machine around mid-distance. The Monegasque racer survived that to clinch the win ahead of Norman Nato, while Oliver Rowland completed the podium.
Nicholas Latifi finally took his first Formula 2 victory in the Sprint race on Sunday ahead of Luca Ghiotto, with Artem Markelov completing the podium. Rowland was on course for the position only to be penalised for pushing Markelov onto the grass earlier in the race, and he lost out on a points finish all together after being deemed to have illegally backed the pack up on the restart following a safety car period.
You can check out last year’s race reports here: Feature Race | Sprint Race | Rowland Penalty
Charles Leclerc won the Feature race in 2017 – Credit: Malcolm Griffiths/FIA Formula 2
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK OUT FOR THIS YEAR?
Brits continue to lead the way in the Championship standings, but for the first time in 2018, George Russell will head into a race weekend on top, having overtaken long-time leader and countryman Lando Norris at the Red Bull Ring last weekend.
Russell took his fourth win of the season in the Feature race and followed that up with a second place in the Sprint to put his ART Grand Prix machine at the top of the standings, ten points clear of Norris, who could only take a second place in the Feature before tumbling out of the points-paying positions on Sunday.
ART Grand Prix and Carlin Motorsport have both shown themselves to be strong each weekend in 2018, with Russell and Jack Aitken both victorious for the former, while Norris and Sergio Sette Câmara have more often than not been contenders for wins and podiums, and it would be a surprise if that is not the case once more at Silverstone.
Artem Markelov sits third in the championship after his third win of the season last weekend in Austria, but the Russian Time racer will be looking to turn around his disappointing performances in Qualifying in 2018 that often leave him with a mountain to climb in the races. His tyre management is probably the best in the championship, while his final lap in the Austrian Feature race was superb, passing four drivers to claim eighth place and pole position for the Sprint race, which he went on to win.
Alexander Albon is also showing himself as a regular threat in 2018 for DAMS, while the team showing good speed whilst still finding their feet in the championship is the Charouz Racing System outfit, with both Antonio Fuoco and Louis Delétraz both contending for podiums in recent races.
A year ago, Charles Leclerc was victorious in the Feature race, and Nyck de Vries will be eyeing another victory for Prema Theodore Racing at the circuit, although team-mate Sean Gelael will have a much tougher weekend, heading into it with a three-place penalty for the Feature race for causing a collision with Delétraz in Austria.
Other drivers who could contend for points and potentially podiums include the likes of Maximilian Gunther, who will be hoping to sort out his tyre management issues to return to the top ten for BWT Arden, while Campos Racing’s Luca Ghiotto and MP Motorsport’s Roberto Merhi have often shown flashes of pace.
Last year’s Sprint race winner Nicholas Latifi will be eyeing for some luck this weekend in the second DAMS, while Ralph Boschung will be eager for a top ten finish after a dreadful run of luck at late, which has seen him retire six times in the past eight races.
Trident duo Arjun Maini and Santino Ferrucci will be looking for points as well, as will the Japanese duo of Nirei Fukuzumi (BWT Arden) and Tadasuke Makino (Russian Time) and Israeli racer Roy Nissany (Campos Racing), the latter is still seeking his first point of the season, the only driver on the grid yet to break into the top ten on Saturday or top eight on Sunday in the opening six rounds of the year.
Artem Markelov won the Sprint race in Austria – Credit: Zak Mauger / FIA Formula 2
WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEKEND?
FRIDAY 6TH JULY
Practice: 11:55 BST
Qualifying: 16:10 BST
SATURDAY 7TH JULY
Feature Race: 15:45
SUNDAY 8TH JULY
Sprint Race: 09:20
WHERE CAN I WATCH FIA FORMULA 2 IN GREAT BRITAIN?
You can watch all session lives from the FIA Formula 2 championship on Sky Sports F1 throughout the weekend in the UK and Ireland. Re-runs of the races will be shown over the week. Live timing is also available on the official FIA Formula 2 website.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF THE ACTION OVER THE WEEKEND?
The Checkered Flag will provide the latest news and updates from 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship this weekend and throughout the season.
George Russell now leads Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship – Credit: Zak Mauger / FIA Formula 2
