Tag: formula2

  • OpenSector Motorsport Prizes 2025

    To commemorate the end of the 2025 motorsport season, I have created different “prizes” to remember this incredible year.

    The criteria for this are mostly based on what they have done in 2025, which is also conditioned by the opportunities they’ve had. For example, Shields has clearly had a worse F2 season than Martí, but his successful F1 testing with Aston Martin puts him ahead of the Spaniard.

    The athletes valued here have to be participants of on-track racing in either motorcycling, formula or endurance racing.

    Alain Prost prize for “Best driver of the year”

    1. Fernando Alonso
    2. Max Verstappen
    3. Marc Márquez
    4. Fabio Quartararo
    5. Charles Leclerc
    6. George Russell
    7. Álex Márquez
    8. Carlos Sainz
    9. Alexander Albon
    10. Lando Norris
    11. Pedro Acosta
    12. Oscar Piastri
    13. Francesco Bagnaia
    14. Marco Bezzecchi
    15. Lewis Hamilton
    16. Pierre Gasly
    17. Nico Hülkenberg
    18. Lance Stroll
    19. Oliver Bearman
    20. Esteban Ocon
    21. Gabriel Bortoleto
    22. Isack Hadjar
    23. Kimi Antonelli
    24. Fermín Aldeguer
    25. Yuki Tsunoda
    26. Brad Binder
    27. Raúl Fernández
    28. Enea Bastianini
    29. Liam Lawson
    30. Franco Colapinto
    31. Jack Miller
    32. Johann Zarco
    33. Luca Marini
    34. Joan Mir
    35. Álex Rins
    36. Jack Doohan
    37. Fabio Di Giannantonio
    38. Franco Morbidelli
    39. Miguel Oliveira
    40. Maverick Viñales
    41. Ai Ogura
    42. Pol Espargaró
    43. Jorge Martín
    44. Augusto Fernández
    45. Takaaki Nakagami
    46. Lorenzo Savadori
    47. Nicolò Bulega
    48. Michele Pirro
    49. Somkiat Chantra
    50. Aleix Espargaró
    51. Álex Palou
    52. Leonardo Fornaroli
    53. Diogo Moreira
    54. Pato O’Ward
    55. Manu González
    56. Luke Browning
    57. Alex Dunne
    58. Jak Crawford
    59. Felipe Drugovich
    60. Frederik Vesti
    61. Paul Aron
    62. Ayumu Iwasa
    63. Arvid Lindblad
    64. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
    65. Victor Martins
    66. Dino Beganovic
    67. Antonio Fuoco
    68. Arthur Leclerc
    69. Cian Shields
    70. Ryo Hirakawa
    71. Kush Maini
    72. Richard Verschoor
    73. Josep María Martí
    74. Joshua Dürksen
    75. Sebastián Montoya
    76. Gabriele Minì
    77. Antonio Giovinazzi
    78. Robert Kubica
    79. James Calado
    80. Alessandro Pier Guidi
    81. Yifei Ye
    82. Phil Hanson
    83. Miguel Molina
    84. Nicklas Neilsen
    85. Oliver Rowland
    86. Nick Cassidy
    87. Pascal Wehrlein
    88. Scott Dixon
    89. Taylor Barnard
    90. Kyle Kirkwood
    91. Christian Lundgaard
    92. Felix Rosenqvist
    93. Colton Herta
    94. Antonio Félix Da Costa
    95. Jean-Éric Vergne
    96. Jake Dennis
    97. Nyck de Vries
    98. Edoardo Mortara
    99. Dan Ticktum
    100. Celestino Vietti

    Sepang prize for “Best race of the year”

    1. Formula 1 Australian GP
    2. MotoGP British GP
    3. MotoGP French GP
    4. Formula 2 Monaco GP
    5. Formula 1 Spanish GP

    Jacques Villeneuve prize for “Rookie of the Year”

    1. Gabriel Bortoleto (F1)
    2. Isack Hadjar (F1)
    3. Kimi Antonelli (F1)
    4. Fermín Aldeguer (MotoGP)
    5. Nicolò Bulega (MotoGP)

    Emerson Fittipaldi prize for “Best Young Athlete” (23 and under by 01/01/2025)

    1. Pedro Acosta (MotoGP)
    2. Oscar Piastri (F1)
    3. Oliver Bearman (F1)
    4. Gabriel Bortoleto (F1)
    5. Isack Hadjar (F1)

    Jean Todt prize for “Team Principal of the Year”

    1. Andrea Stella (F1)
    2. Davide Tardozzi (MotoGP)
    3. Toto Wolff (F1)
    4. Laurent Mekies (F1)
    5. Christian Horner (F1)

    Brabham prize for “Team of the Year”

    1. McLaren (F1)
    2. Ducati (MotoGP)
    3. Mercedes (F1)
    4. Gresini (MotoGP)
    5. Red Bull (F1)

    Ayrton Senna prize for “Overtake of the Year”

    1. Alonso on Hadjar; Singapore (F1)
    2. Marc Márquez on Álex Márquez & Bagnaia; Americas (MotoGP)
    3. Verstappen on Piastri; Emilia-Romagna (F1)

    Alfetta prize for “Best vehicle”

    1. McLaren MCL39
    2. Aprilia RS-GP 2025
    3. Ducati Desmosedici GP24
    4. Ducati Desmosedici GP25
    5. Mercedes W16

    Best feeder driver

    1. Leonardo Fornaroli (F2)
    2. Diogo Moreira (Moto2)
    3. Manu González (Moto2)
    4. Luke Browning (F2)
    5. Alex Dunne (F2)

    Surprise of the year

    1. Aprilia (MotoGP)
    2. Álex Márquez (MotoGP)
    3. Nico Hülkenberg (F1)
    4. Oliver Bearman (F1)
    5. Fermín Aldeguer (MotoGP)

    Disappointment of the year

    1. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
    2. Aston Martin (F1)
    3. Ferrari (F1)
    4. Maverick Viñales (MotoGP)
    5. Ugo Ugochukwu (F3)

    Best veteran driver (35 and over by 31/12/2025)

    1. Fernando Alonso (F1)
    2. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
    3. Nico Hülkenberg (F1)
    4. Johann Zarco (MotoGP)
    5. Michele Pirro (MotoGP)

    Best European driver

    1. Fernando Alonso (F1)
    2. Max Verstappen (F1)
    3. Marc Márquez (MotoGP)
    4. Fabio Quartararo (MotoGP)
    5. Charles Leclerc (F1)

    Best American driver

    1. Lance Stroll (F1)
    2. Gabriel Bortoleto (F1)
    3. Franco Colapinto (F1)
    4. Diogo Moreira (Moto2)
    5. Pato O’Ward (IndyCar)

    Best African driver

    1. Brad Binder (MotoGP)
    2. Darryn Binder (Moto2)
    3. Ruché Moodley (Moto3)
    4. Kevin van der Linde (DTM)
    5. Mika Abrahams (GB3)

    Best Asian driver

    1. Alexander Albon (F1)
    2. Yuki Tsunoda (F1)
    3. Ai Ogura (MotoGP)
    4. Takaaki Nakagami (MotoGP)
    5. Somkiat Chantra (MotoGP)

    Best Oceanian driver

    1. Oscar Piastri (F1)
    2. Liam Lawson (F1)
    3. Jack Miller (MotoGP)
    4. Jack Doohan (F1)
    5. Nick Cassidy (Formula E)

    Best signing of the year

    1. Carlos Sainz (F1)
    2. Pedro Acosta (MotoGP)
    3. Marco Bezzecchi (MotoGP)
    4. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
    5. Nico Hülkenberg (F1)

  • What is F2 looking like for 2026?

    This image was originally posted to Flickr by Jen_ross83 at https://flickr.com/photos/69527563@N05/43025503924 (archive). It was reviewed on 6 January 2019 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

    With Formula 2 heading to Azerbaijan for its twelfth round of the season, this weekend marks the third to last time we will be seeing the silver division in 2025. And whilst the championship is far from over, many have been setting their sights on the following year.

    MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor, who sits at 3rd and is 30 points off leader Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta), has confirmed his departure from F2 regardless of him clinching the title or not. The Dutchman, now in his 5th (4th complete) season, is the veteran of the category and has stated to Formula Scout’s Jacob Awcock that 2025 will be his “last season for sure”.

    Another confirmed departure is the champion’s. The Formula 2 title holder has always been required to leave the category the following year, and this year will be no exception. Whilst Verschoor is already out for 2026, one of the title challengers will have to follow suit. It seems like this honour might be fought for by only two drivers however, as Fornaroli and Hitech’s Luke Browning (1st and 2nd with 174 and 153 points respectively) outscore outsiders like the Dutchman (3rd, 144 points), DAMS’ Jak Crawford (4th, 137 points) and Rodin’s Alex Dunne (5th, 124 points) by quite a big margin at this late stage. The only way that all of the youngsters mentioned in this paragraph feature in next year’s grid is for Verschoor to finally win the whole thing.

    Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov, recently crowned Formula 3 vice-champion, has made the step up to Formula 2 for next year and is the second officially confirmed driver after AIX’s Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. It is yet to be seen who will partner Alonso’s protégé at Campos, however, as rumours surround three of the four Red Bull-controlled seats in Formula 1.

    Auto Hebdo reports that there are “little doubts” that Isack Hadjar will join Red Bull in 2026, leaving a vacant seat at Racing Bulls. Whilst one of them would be occupied by one of Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda however, the other could very well be taken by current Campos F2 driver Arvid Lindblad. The French outlet reports that the Brit making the big jump to Formula 1 is a “very high possibility”.

    This would come at the cost of fellow Red Bull junior and Campos team-mate Pepe Martí. The Spaniard, currently an outsider for the title at 6th with 112 points, is the other confirmed departure for 2026. Martí confirmed to Cadena COPE that this is his last season in the category, stating that he doesn’t “consider a third year in F2”. With his signing as Cupra ambassador confirmed, the Cupra Kiro Formula E rumours seem logical. As for who will replace him at the Spanish F2 team (if not Tsolov himself if Lindblad stays), Campos’ link to Red Bull does also spark rumours of a Tim Tramnitz jump to F2 with the Valencians.

    Aston Martin junior Mari Boya, who just finished his 2025 Formula 3 campaign with Campos, has announced he has left the team. Whilst it would make sense that the third-placed driver of last year’s F3 season makes the jump to Formula 2, it is not confirmed yet if he will do so. Whether he makes that logical step or not, the Campos-Boya link will not continue in 2026.

    The predictable signing of 2025 Formula 3 champion Rafael Câmara to the silver division was confirmed by himself immediately after his mathematical clinching of the title at the Hungaroring. And, although a team for the Ferrari junior is yet to be announced, recent F2 juggernaut Invicta (as reported by outlets such as Fórmula BR) seems like the logical choice for somebody who will surely be in title contention for 2026.

    The shock move is, however, quite obviously, Colton Herta’s. The Californian, who was IndyCar’s vice-champion in 2024 and is one of the stars of the American category, has been confirmed by Cadillac F1 as their first ever reserve driver and part of the 2026 Formula 2 grid. A future first team seat has been speculated by everyone including Formula 1 themselves, but not before at least going through the silver division.

    Whether or not he will replace either Sergio Pérez or Valtteri Bottas in 2027 however, will surely somewhat depend on the F2 team Cadillac chooses to partner with. A deal with the historic Prema, who has recently been on a bit of a downwards spiral, seems to be “confirmed” according to English journalist Bobby Parsons. However, this choice of machinery might not be the most effective for someone who surely hopes to conquer Formula 2 after following this unusual path from IndyCar.

    And whilst the Toyota link does seem to put Ritomo Miyata (currently at ART) closer to a Hitech seat, there have been no more credible or consistent rumours surrounding transfers for the following season of Formula 2. Whatever happens at the Baku City Circuit, however, will surely impact it.   

  • Câmara confirms F2 drive: “next year”

    This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Lukas Raich.

    It seemed like the logical step, but Rafael himself has confirmed it: Câmara will be stepping up to Formula 2 in 2026… or earlier.

    The 2025 FIA Formula 3 champion, fresh off his Feature Race win in Hungary that sealed the title, confirmed on DAZN Spain that he is soon becoming a driver in the silver division. “Next year I’ll be in Formula 2”, declared the Brazilian.

    The Ferrari junior will be joining fellow countryman Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. in the second tier of the F1 ladder next year. The son of the legendary Emerson Sr. became the first driver to be announced for the 2026 F2 season when the news of his signing for AIX broke, but will Câmara debut before him?

    “I don’t know yet”, said the Trident driver to Brazilian news outlet Band about the possibility of entering the final few rounds of Formula 2. After the F3 season finale in Italy on September 7th, the silver division still has a good three months until its very own last race in Abu Dhabi (December 7th), and the possibility of entering said weekend, as well as the Azerbaijani and Qatari rounds, seems appealing to Câmara. “It would be good to get experience”, declared the 2024 FRECA champion to the São Paulo-based channel.

    The last two FIA F3 champions, Gabriel Bortoleto (2023) and Leonardo Fornaroli (2024), both decided to sign for Invicta after their successful seasons with Trident. And with the Italian leading the F2 championship and the Alonso protégé winning it, it seems like the British outfit has been a good choice for the stars of the future. With the possibility of signing for the best project possible surely on his mind, Câmara also spoke to Band about his future team. “I have an idea, but I can’t talk about it”, stated the 20-year-old in a playful tone. “After Monza I will focus totally on Formula 2”.

    What is more important, however, is the possibility of making it to F1: now-Stake driver Bortoleto, who was a McLaren junior during his F2-winning campaign in 2024, is already a multiple-times points-scorer and is fairing fairly well against veteran Nico Hülkenberg. Câmara has been a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2022 and surely hopes the Scuderia will, at least partially, guide him to the brilliant future he is expected to have.