The 2018 Formula 2 season is ready to kick off this weekend, and despite only being a junior category or motorsport, it is a great alternative for a bored F1 fan, especially if the F1 season meanders into a one horse race.
Normally we’d say something like the Formula 2 Championship would be a Poor Man’s F1, but having followed the series for the past few seasons, it is one that not only rivals F1, but in pure racing enjoyment terms, occasionally kicks its arse.
Sure it doesn’t have the big names, and some of the best motor racing drivers of all time, but it has provided a finishing school for some of the big names and F1 Champions, and the lack of big names is half the charm.
You can enjoy being impressed by a particular driver and start following their progress, or that because of the drivers are never going to hit F1 that the lack of quality tends to lead to a lot of on track action and the occasional prang.
One driver that fits the latter category that will be missed in 2018 is Sergio Canamasas, as big jerk on a tracetrack and we’ve seen for ages.
Who is driving in this year’s championship, and why they are interesting is listed below.
One great thing that Formula 2 has that is has a different format with the two split races. Although, we’d rather not see it in F1, it works for Formula 2.
The best part of that format is seeing the grid set for the second race from race 1 results, and then the top 8 order is reversed. It usually sees some inspired driving from far back.
But racing is at the heart of why Formula 2 is good. They don’t care about two or three wide into a corner, nor any distance behind car for an overtake. There’s no reputations, just racing in a more pure form. And if these guys can’t overtake and race, than the circuit really is rubbish.
There’s also the refreshingly different commentary duo of Alex Jacques and Davide Valsecchi. Alex Jacques is a great lead man, and no one does genuine excitement like Davide Valsecchi. A man who commentates like it is the only hours he’s allowed out of a dark room a week.
Formula 2 is different, and the 2018 Formula 2 season will be worth keeping an eye on, as sometimes it provides the only decent races of the weekend. What’s a little less sleep for an F1 fan.
For those with less than passing interest, we have the briefest of details about calendar, teams and drivers.
WHEN ARE THE 2018 FORMULA 2 SERIES RACES ON?
This season sees the calendar expanded to 12 races, and all are run on F1 weekends on the same tracks. There are two races per weekend, providing twice the fun.
| Round | Circuit | Feature race | Sprint race |
| 1 | Bahrain | 7-Apr | 8-Apr |
| 2 | Azerbaijan | 28-Apr | 29-Apr |
| 3 | Spain | 12-May | 13-May |
| 4 | Monaco | 25-May | 26-May |
| 5 | France | 23-Jun | 24-Jun |
| 6 | Austria | 30-Jun | 1-Jul |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 7-Jul | 8-Jul |
| 8 | Hungary | 28-Jul | 29-Jul |
| 9 | Belgium | 25-Aug | 26-Aug |
| 10 | Italy | 1-Sep | 2-Sep |
| 11 | Russia | 29-Sep | 30-Sep |
| 12 | Abu Dhabi | 24-Nov | 25-Nov |
WHO ARE THE 2018 FORMULA 2 SERIES DRIVERS TO FOLLOW?
Since there are no Australian drivers you have a free choice at supporting any of the great F2 drivers. You could choose via an F1 team alliance, nationality, great sounding name, or taking a punt on an up and comer you can follow in years to come, and all of the above.\
So here’s a quick list of the drivers, with one hopefully mildly interesting thing about them.
| No. | Driver name | From | F1 Alliance | Best Champ Result |
| 1 | Artem Markelov | Russia | Renault | 2017 – 2nd – F2 |
| 1 Interesting thing: Won 5 Races in F2 last year | ||||
| 2 | Tadasuke Makino | Japan | Honda | 2015 – 2nd – Japanese F4 |
| Is a Honda development driver. Could be the new Satoru Nakajima | ||||
| 3 | Sean Gelael | Indonesia | Toro Rosso | 2016 – 3rd – Asian Le Mans Series |
| Got to drive in 2 Practice Sessions for Toro Rosso in 2017 | ||||
| 4 | Nyck de Vries | Holland | McLaren | 2014 – 1st – Formula Renault 2.0 |
| Karting World Champion who was managed by Lewis Hamilton’s father. | ||||
| 5 | Alexander Albon | Thailand | 2016 – 2nd – GP3 | |
| Spent time in Ipswich UK, so knows what mediocrity is like. | ||||
| 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Canada | Force India | 2017 – 5th – F2 |
| Got a Practice drive from Force India at Canadian GP last year. | ||||
| 7 | Jack Aitken | UK | Renault | 2015 – 1st – Formula Renault 2.0 |
| Part of a wave of Bnew British motor racing talent. 2nd in last year’s GP3 | ||||
| 8 | George Russell | UK | Mercedes | 2017 – 1st – GP3 |
| Got a Practice drive from Force India at Brazilian GP last year. | ||||
| 9 | Roberto Merhi | Spain | 2011 – 1st – Formula 3 Euro | |
| Competed in F1 with Manor Marussia for 14 Races in 2015 | ||||
| 10 | Ralph Boschung | Switzerland | 2012 – 4th – Formula BMW | |
| Took 11 points from 20 races in 2017 F2 season | ||||
| 11 | Maximilian Günther | Germany | 2016 – 2nd – Euro F3 | |
| Won 5 races in Euro Formula 3 last season. | ||||
| 12 | Nirei Fukuzumi | Japan | 2014 – 1st – Japanese F4 | |
| Won 2 races in GP3 last season. | ||||
| 14 | Luca Ghiotto | Italy | Williams | 2015 – 2nd – GP3 |
| Got to do post mid season test for Williams last year. | ||||
| 15 | Roy Nissany | Israel | 2016 – 4th – Formula V8 3.5 Series | |
| Son of Former One-Time Minardi Tester Chanoch Nissany. Has tested Sauber in 2012. | ||||
| 16 | Arjun Maini | India | Haas | 2014 – 2nd – BRDC F4 |
| 2nd by 3pts to 2017 GP3 Champ and now F2 driver George Russell in F4 | ||||
| 17 | Santino Ferrucci | USA | Haas | 2015 – 3rd – Toyota Racing Series |
| He’s from the USA | ||||
| 18 | Sérgio Sette Câmara | Brazil | Formerly Red Bull | 2016 – 11th – Euro Formula 3 |
| Won an F2 race in 2017. Has been on podium and scored Fastest lap in Macau. | ||||
| 19 | Lando Norris | UK | McLaren | 2017 – 1st – Euro Formula 3 |
| Has an excellent name. Competed in 2018 Daytona 24 Hours with Fernando Alonso | ||||
| 20 | Louis Delétraz | Switzerland | Renault | 2015 – 1st – Formula Renault 2.0 |
| Son of former F1 plodder Jean-Denis Delatraz | ||||
| 21 | Antonio Fuoco | Italy | Ferrari | 2016 – 3rd – GP3 |
| Won an F2 race in 2017 but blown away by team mate and Champion Charles Leclerc | ||||
WHAT ABOUT THE 2018 FORMULA 2 TEAMS?
Without the cars there would be no drivers, and these teams have their own stories, a lot of them seeing many recent F1 drivers through their teams.
Here’s a brief look at the F2 teams for the 2018 season.
| Entrant | Nation | No. | One Interesting Thing |
| Russian Time | Russia | 1/2 | Won Constructors Title in first season in 2013. 10 wins overall. |
| Pertamina Prema Theodore Racing | Italy | 3/4 | Won Championship with Gasly last season, and runs Ferrari Academy drivers |
| DAMS | France | 5/6 | Co Founded by ex F1 driver Rene Arnoux. Won 3 Driver and 2 Constructor titles |
| ART Grand Prix | France | 7/8 | Won GP2/F2 titles with Hamilton, Rosberg, Hulkenburg, Vandoorne |
| MP Motorsport | Holland | 9/10 | Involved in many junior formula, won a race in 2017 |
| BWT Arden | UK | 11/12 | Co Founded by Red Bull’s Christian Horner, so no surprise sees a lot of Red Bull drivers through the system in a few categories. |
| Campos Vexatec Racing | Spain | 14/15 | Founded by ex Minardi F1 pilot Adrian Campos – won 14 races in a decade at this level |
| Trident | Italy | 16/17 | Won 11 races in over a decade at this level |
| Carlin | UK | 18/19 | Been involved in junior racing forever, has seen Vettel and Ricciardo trough the team. Frist F2 season. |
| Charouz Racing System | Czech | 20/21 | First season in F2 after years in junior formula |
