Top 5 F2 drivers to watch out for in 2020
F1 News
Despite the F2 season not commencing until June at the earliest, we decided which five drivers you should watch out for once the five lights go out.
1. Jack Aitken
Somewhat of an F2 veteran in comparison to the rest of the grid, Aitken is embarking in his third season in F2 after finishing fifth for Campos Racing in 2019. The Anglo-Korean, who has been signed onto the Williams drivers after leaving Renault, has stuck with Campos for 2020 and will partner rookie Guilherme Samaia.
Aitken was stunningly quick in most of the races last season, with certain incidents such as Monaco and Russia ruling him out of a potential title push. But with new 18-inch tyres debuting this season, if Aitken can adapt to them the quickest, then a title will be on the horizon ahead of a big 2021 for him.
2. Dan Ticktum
A seriously fast driver with a blotted CV, Briton Ticktum has proved that he has the potential and speed to compete with the best young drivers, having pushed Mick Schumacher to the 2018 F3 Championship. A former Red Bull junior driver, Ticktum was dropped after a controversial period in Japan, lasting only three rounds of the Super Formula season before being dropped. A two-time Macau Grand Prix winner, if he can keep his head throughout the season, then he will be able to mount a serious push for the title for teams champion DAMS.
3. Guanyu Zhou
Proved to be seriously quick but rather inconsistent in his first season of F2, Renault junior driver Zhou comes into this season having, alongside ex-teammate and Hitech Grand Prix's Luca Ghiotto, pushed Uni-Virtuosi into championship contention in their first season in the sport. If Zhou can, like the other drivers on this list, mount a serious title challenge, then a promotion to F1 looks a real possibility and Zhou can potentially be the first Chinese F1 driver come 2021.
4. Callum Ilott
Zhou's new teammate at Uni-Virtuosi, Ferrari Academy driver Ilott moves up the grid from Charouz, having made his debut with the Czech team in 2019. The Briton took a while to bed into the series, whilst showing glimpses of speed, and finally announced himself to the grid with a stunning pole at Monza, mastering the tricky wet conditions. People will be expecting Ilott to push on this season and with Uni-Virtuosi, the Brit is expected to form a formidable line-up come the start of the season.
5. Mick Schumacher
There were so many talented drivers that could have been picked for this top five, but Mick Schumacher makes this list because he is the only other driver on this list to have won a race in the series, alongside Aitken and began to show immense pace towards the end of the season, after struggling to adapt at the start of the season. Son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael, Mick is being touted for the Alfa Romeo seat in 2021, so will need to hit the ground running for a chance in the big time.