2021 Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Weekend Recap

Arguably the most entertaining motorsport category in the world – Formula 2 kicked off their 2021 season off at Bahrain with the F1 teams with a new three race format. We introduce our Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Weekend Recap to cover the second tier category this season, which certainly isn’t second best for action.

Our Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Weekend Recap has a short description on each race and some overall thoughts of the weekend as a whole.

Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Weekend General Points of Interest

• If F2 can’t pass at Bahrain then no one can, and race one certainly felt more F1 than F2.
• Was Oscar Piastri the most impressive rookie for the Bahrain GP weekend. Piastri did well to outqualify his experienced team mate at the first attempt, and then doubled down with victory in the second race. Third race, well that didn’t quite work out but he was a factor. Australians have a real talent to follow this year.
• Undecided on three race system. And continual reversing of the grids. With an extra race will drivers always take the first race more seriously, as in taking fewer risks because there’s another two races.
• At least the Feature race is decided on a qualifying session and not just a gimmick.
• Two Red Bull liveried cars but different teams reminds of Alfa v McLaren in the 1980’s. Especially 1982 when going back to the Clive James narrated F1 season review.
• Is Dan Ticktum one of motor racing’s best personalities? A John McEnroe without the titles.

Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Race 1

Here’s the summary of stuff that happened by lap.

LAP 1 –  Liam Lawson best start in any category at Bahrain this weekend.

LAP 1 – Prema cars battling.

LAP 1 – Dan Ticktum crashed into Verschoor with a preview into his season. Penalty too. Surprised there was no radio blow up.

LAP 3 – VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR – Armstrong stopped on track. Ralph Boschung stopped on track. The two being related as they clashed as Armstrong slowed.

MIDDLE LAPS – Little movement between the top drivers, as they raced in F1 formation – around a second apart. Turn 10 causing troubles for braking as it does in F1. Hopefully this is just drivers taking it conservative and not a sign of zero overtaking potential with this season’s car.

LAP 15 – Daruvula catching Lawson for first. 0.5 seconds on lap 16.

LAP 18 – Lawson hung on extremely well against Daruvala battling with his tyres finished. The duo were just over 9 seconds  in front with three laps to go.

LAP 21 – Piastri tries again vs his Team Mate Shwartzman.

CHEQUERED FLAG – Lawson wins on debut. Holding off a faster, more experienced Daruvala for nine laps.

MOMENT OF THE RACE – Liam Lawson’s start was the major point of the race. His storming start from the second row saw him sail out in front for half a race, and have just enough to hold on ion the second half of the race when under pressure.

BEST MOVE – LAP 11 – Daruvala on Beckmann on Turn 4. Piastri channeled his inner Ricciardo for a late braking move on Lundgaard.

HARD LUCK STORY – Théo Pourchaire losing second place om Lap 13 with a car failure.

RESULT

Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Race 2

Another race and another first time winner from the other side of planet as Australian Oscar Piastri takes a Formula Two win in just his second start after some magic overtaking on his way to victory.

The second sprint race had a little bit more action than the first offering earlier in the day as the drivers loosened up a little.

QUICK RACE RECAP

LAP 1 – Accidents a plenty at the first corner which brings out the full Safety Car. Getting a taste of his own Race One medicine for Dan Ticktum, he was wiped off at the first corner by an ambitious Robert Shwartzman . Ticktum had stayed wide on the first corner waiting for the first two to clash, a fast starting Shwartzman couldn’t slow up in time and smashed into Ticktum’s right rear. Retirements for both. The radio message saw Ticktum back to his angry best. Not forgetting that Ticktum did the exact same thing in race one.

The crash saw many changes of position as drivers took evasive action. Some driver benefiting massively. Others not so lucky.

Aside from the crash. Yuri Vips held onto his reverse grid pole.

LAP 4 – Safety Car exits. Vips remain in front. Usual mad battles behind.

LAP 5 – Zhou takes the lead a lap after stealing second. Race One winner Liam Lawson up to third. Lundgaard and Piastri battling for sixth. Mad overtaking moves behind. All happening.

LAP 12 – Top drivers or so settling down a bit. Racing close enough but not too close. All about tyre tactics right now at the halfway mark.

LAP 15 – Liam Lawson is turfed out of third by Daruvala, just after both were passed by Lundgaard. Safety Car comes out. A bunch of drivers take the chance to put on a set of soft tyres for the last seven laps. This includes Yuri Vips and Oscar Piastri.

LAP 18 – Safety Car in and the drivers go two and three wide into corners just behind the leader who remains Zhou. Vips up to third. Piastri (now up to 4th) nails another great move on the first lap of action. Those on the fresh new tyres are slicing through the field like the proverbial hot knife. Four laps to go and Zhou is still 2.4 seconds from Vips and another three seconds back to Piastri.

LAP 20 – Virtual Safety Car – Aessio Deledda’s car has broken down – Zhou’s lead down to one second to Vips in second and one more second to Piastri in third.

LAP 21 – Green flag racing. Zhou and Piastri on new tyres hassling first placed Zhou. Vips car slows back through the pack.

LAP 23 – Piastri overtakes Zhou for first but is almost is overtaken by Lundgaard at the same time. 

CHEQUERED FLAG – Australia’s Oscar Piastri takes the win, making it two rookie wins so far in 2020.

MOMENT OF THE RACE – LAPS 18 TO LAP 23 –  The Safety Car leaves the track which all the drivers start going berserk with loads of reshuffling and charging until the very end. Especially at the front. But especially the last lap.

BEST MOVE – Lap 23 – Oscar Piastri for the win on the last lap of course. But plenty more in race two.

HARD LUCK STORY – Lap 15 Race One winner Liam Lawson punted out by Daruvala OR Lap 21 Vips car breaks down with two laps to go and a shot at victory easily achievable.

BEST QUOTE – OSCAR PIASTRI – “Oh My God. If you don’t love F2 you do now. Holy sh!t.”

RESULT

Formula 2 Bahrain Grand Prix Race 3 – Feature Race

The weekend’s longest feature race was won by Guanyu Zhou. Tyre management and tactics were the key.

QUICK RACE RECAP

LAP 1 – All clear through the first few corners for the feature race – it appears – but not quite. Except for Roy Nissany who spins at turn one. Cars struggling for grip in the dusty conditions already. Safety Car deployed to retrieve Nissany’s car. Alessio Deledda also fails to make it through the first lap. Robert Shwartzman appears to cause the first corner collision again after his race two punting of Dan Ticktum.

LAP 4 – Drugovich takes the lead at the restart from Lundgaard. But Lundgaard retakes the lead a few corners later. Piastri nails Zhou for third into Turn 10 and is up to third on the soft tyres. Making hay….Piastri gets Drugovich not long after.

EARLY LAPS – Not a great deal of movement as the tactics of tyre choice takes over. 

LAP 12 – Piastri closes in on Lundgaard and battle it out for first place. Drugovich is there close in third too.

LAP 13 – Piastri nails Lundgaard. Around the outside of turn one but inside of turn two. good enough to stay in front thereafter. The top three are on the soft tyre.

LAP 17 – Piastri pits, just beating the Virtual Safety Car, and rejoins in a net lead. Better to be lucky than good. But he is both. Now a full safety car is deployed.

LAP 19 – Safety Car leaves the track. Cars go three wide into the first corner. Oscar Piastri trumps them all and drives into first. Soft tyre crew making the moves.

LAP 20 – Richard Verschoor takes Piastri for first. Drugovich and Zhou move up to third and fourth. Drugovich gets a five second Safety Car penalty.

LAP 27 – The turning point for tyre strategy was coming, and a fascinating end to the race was coming. The top three of Zhou, Verschoor and Piastri start really battling for the lead. Zhou takes the lead on lap 28.

LAP 29 – Firebrand Dan Ticktum joins the party attacking Piastri for third. Race one winner Liam Lawson also ready to pounce. The top five covered by a table cloth.

LAP 30 – Ticktum take Piastri for third on the inside of turn one, Piastri comes back on the inside of turn two and is forced into a spin by Ticktum and retires.

LAP 31 – Ticktum nails Verschoor for second place. Although we’ll see about a penalty but he should be right.

LAP 32 – First race winner Liam Lawson steals third too.

CHEQUERED FLAG – Zhou wins from a fast closing Ticktum

BEST MOVE – Lap 4 Piastri on Zhou. Lap 19 After Safety Car.

HARD LUCK STORY – Lap 30 – Piastri and Ticktum collide and the Australian is out.

MOMENT OF THE RACE – Zhou getting the tyre strategy just right.

FEATURE RACE RESULT

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