FORMULA 2

The 2023 F2 season is going to be exciting to watch with high-level drivers

Published

2 months ago

26/01/2023

The 2023 F2 season promises to be exciting with strong competition among talented and experienced drivers.

There will be a great rivalry between established drivers and newcomers, all determined to win. The performances and skills of each driver will be closely analyzed to see who will make a lasting impression and emerge as the leader of the competition.

F2 seasons can launch multiple future big names into Formula 1, but some seasons are dominated by a single standout talent. Some seasons are better remembered for their star rookies rather than the champions who did not progress to Formula 1.

The current grid is stronger compared to the previous seasons. The top junior categories tend to have a pattern of strong and weak line-ups similar to waves, and it appears to be nearing the peak of one such cycle.

Although it is unfortunate to see some drivers remaining in the category for extended periods, which goes against the purpose of a pyramid-like structure, the current mix of drivers provides both depth and high-quality competition.

There are drivers with F1 connections and experience such as Theo Pourchaire, Jack Doohan, Frederik Vesti and Dennis Haugher, who have credible aspirations for Formula 1 due to their youth and not being in their fourth or fifth season of Formula 2.

Additionally, a strong group of F3 drivers moving up to Formula 2 has brought in some talented rookies, such as Oliver Bearman, Isack Hadjar, F3 champion Victor Martins, and new Red Bull junior Zane Maloney, who is a noteworthy addition.

In my opinion, this is one of the strongest Formula 2 grids in recent years. Upon examining the lineup, it is difficult to identify drivers who will not be able to compete for podiums, wins, and the championship. There are very few of them.

I have great expectations for Pourchaire. His improvement from finishing fifth as a rookie to second in 2022 implies that he is likely to make a serious bid for the championship in his third year in the series. His potential may make him a top contender for the championship, however, he will be under pressure to deliver and secure an F1 seat with his supporter Sauber in 2024.

Despite this, it would be unwise to underestimate some of the rookies for 2023. Bearman, Martins, Maloney, and Hadjar are drivers that Pourchaire and others should keep a close watch on.

Formula 2 is still searching for its next standout driver, and it is unlikely to find one in 2023. None of the current drivers appear to have the same level of talent as Charles Leclerc, George Russell or Lando Norris (many tend to overlook how exceptional Norris’s junior career was).

The closest driver to that level of talent is Bearman, winning the 2023 F2 title would put him on par with Oscar Piastri and likely earn him a seat on the Formula 1 grid.

For the majority of the other drivers, it would take exceptional seasons to increase their chances of promotion to Formula 1. For example, Pourchaire would have to dominate the competition by a significant margin in order to make his F1 aspirations a reality.

However, it is also likely that a driver like Doohan will have a good chance – he appears to be comfortable with high-powered machinery. Additionally, his benefactor Alpine, would likely want to justify funding a place for Doohan on the grid in 2024, with the long-term goal of having him surpass Piastri’s performance in the McLaren team.

If Red Bull chooses to end the Yuki Tsunoda project or discontinue the Nyck de Vries experiment after one year, Ayumu Iwasa is likely the preferred choice for promotion, though rookies Hadjar and Maloney will also be in contention.

In general, it is a enjoyable and strong grid. However, it might be a bit too consistent in terms of the advantages for individual drivers.

This grid feels uncertain. Pourchaire stands out as the most notable name, and he could have already been in F1 by now, but his opportunities have been limited by Zhou Guanyu taking his place at Alfa Romeo and Drugovich stealing the spotlight. I believe Pourchaire is deservedly the top pick heading into the season, with Doohan and Iwasa following closely.

I worry that there isn’t a top-tier (Russell, Norris level) prospect among this current group, the kind of one-and-done superstar that would grab the attention of many. Given the high level of talent in F1, it seems like that might be the level needed to make a big impact.

I’m also curious to see how some of the less well-known drivers like Hadjar, Bearman and Maloney perform. I believe they could be the ones more likely to take advantage of the state of the F1 driver market in the next few years.

This Formula 2 season has the potential to be a standout one with some highly-regarded new drivers and returning drivers who have a realistic opportunity to move up to F1 – unlike in previous seasons where experienced drivers were mainly competing for professional (and still very reputable) Formula E, IndyCar or sportscar drives.

I would pay special attention to the F1-team-supported rookies, Bearman (Ferrari) and Hadjar (Red Bull), who demonstrated a lot of F1 potential in F3 last year.

Hadjar is one of six Red Bull drivers in the field and could be one standout F2 season away from taking Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri seat, along with 2021 FIA F3 champion Dennis Hauger (now with the MP Motorsport team that took Drugovich to the title) and Iwasa.

If Pourchaire can dominate in his third year with ART, it may not be too late for him to convince Sauber to include him as part of the team’s transition towards Audi.

The 2023 F2 season promises to be exciting with a lineup of highly skilled drivers, including Alpine juniors Doohan and Martins, Pourchaire’s new teammate and last year’s F3 champion, and Mercedes’ top-ranked junior Vesti. These drivers have the potential to make a strong case for promotion if they have a standout performance, and it is expected that at least a few of them will do so.