Drivers to Watch in Formula 2 and GP2
Before drivers are ready for a seat with a Formula 1 team, they need to prove that they can compete and win at a high level. The FIA Formula Two Championship and GP2 Series both give young drivers an opportunity to get experience before advancing to the ultimate level in racing. They are proving grounds for the brightest young talent in racing.
After proving themselves as a star in Formula 2 racing, a driver can expect to get a seat as a test driver with a major team. That’s what happened to 2009 Formula 2 series champion Andy Soucek, who is now a test driver for Virgin racing. GP2 drivers generally are considered to be more “ready” to advance straight into Formula 1 as the cars are more technologically advanced and closer to a Formula 1 vehicle. Nico Hulkenberg won the GP2 championship last year and is now driving for Williams. Vitaly Petrov and Lucas di Grassi finished second and third and parlayed those results into Formula 1 rides in 2010.
So who are some of the names from the feeder series that might be making waves in Formula 1 in the near future? Here are a few young drivers to watch as they progress from Formula 2 and GP2 into the highest level of racing:
Pastor Maldonado: The 24-year-old Venezuelan driver is the runaway early season leader in the GP2 series. He’s won two of the first eight rounds of competition heading into the British Grand Prix to build up a sizeable lead over his rivals. Consistency has been the key to Maldonado’s season – he’s scored podium finishes at every race track the series has visited this season.
Maldonado has won six times in the GP2 series since his debut in 2007. He also won the Italian Formula Renault championship in 2004. He was involved in a controversy while running in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship in 2006. Maldonado finished third in the series standings but would have finished first if he hadn't been disqualified after winning at Misano.
Jolyon Palmer: The British driver is currently leading the Formula Two championship points, using his victory in the first round at Silverstone to propel himself to the series lead. Palmer has won four of the first 10 rounds of the Formula Two season, including sweeping both rounds at Monza. Palmer has also been dominant in qualifying in the early part of the season, claiming a series-best five pole positions through the first 10 rounds.
At only 19, Palmer is on a fast track that is similar to former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton as a young driver. He comes from a racing legacy – his father Jonathan is a former Formula 1 driver and long-time racing commentator. Jolyon Palmer competed for two years in the Formula Palmer Audi series created by his father, winning three times and finishing in third place in 2008.
Dani Clos: At 21, the Spanish driver has already had a heady ascent through the international racing ranks. He currently sits second in the GP2 series standings, having won once in Turkey and earned podium finishes in Spain and Monaco. It’s a great start in his rookie season for Racing Engineering, which won the championship last season.
Despite his young age, Clos has quite a bit of experience in racing. He has worked as a Formula 1 testing driver for Williams in the past. He’s also run in the GP2 Asia series, Formula Renault 3.5 series and Formula Three Euroseries. He began his career in karting, becoming one of the top young drivers in Spain.
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