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Mick Schumacher did it: he missed the dramatic sprint race at Sakhir, but still became Formula 2 champion. Jehan Daruvala wins the final race of the season.
Ferrari youngster Mick Schumacher has achieved his goal for the season: after winning the Formula 3 European Championship in the 2018 season, he is now the 2020 Formula 2 Champion. Even before the final in the Sakhir desert (Bahrain) It was clear that the son of racing legend Michael Schumacher will move to Formula 1 next season, as driver of the 2021 Grand Prix for the Haas USA racing team.
The starting position before the last 120,462 kilometers of Formula 2 of a turbulent season said it all for Schumacher: He reached the final with a 14-point lead over title rival Callum Ilott, but the maximum number of points in a Formula 2 sprint is 17 points. – 15 for the victory, 2 for the best lap of the race. So Mick could afford a sixth place regardless of Ilott’s result for the title.
Another advantage for Schumacher: he was able to enter the 34-lap race ahead of his English opponent: third on the grid, Illot fourth. Schumacher was in a good mood, because in the main race he had risen from 18th and had survived some hits with opposing vehicles: “Our race speed was correct, that was one of our best starts of the whole season.”
After a penalty transfer from Nikita Mazepin (Mick Schumacher’s stablemate at Haas 2021), who initially placed second, he came fourth (Robert Shwartzman) and 6 (Mick Schumacher) for Prema, so the Italians secured the classification by Formula 1 teams before the sprint. .
Callum Ilott before the start: “The gap with Mick is big, of course, but it is not impossible to become champion. I’ll give it my all. “
At the start under a cloudy sky (a lot of wind, a lot of sand in the air) Schumacher got away very well, he climbed to second place, but then the German braked twice, what damage would that do to the tires? Further back, Ilott made a spot against Shwartzman, Callum fourth behind Schumacher. At the helm Dan Ticktum before Jehan Daruvala.
Mick Schumacher reported on the radio: “I have a brake plate on the front right.” Would I keep going through without stopping? Would you rather get new tires or take this set of rollers to the finish like raw eggs?
On lap four, Schumacher overtook Daruvala, brake plates or not, with a brave maneuver at Turn 6 that completely surprised the Indian.
A tire change takes 33 seconds in the pit lane, plus six seconds for the stop itself. Mick couldn’t afford this 39-second loss if he wanted to score.
After seven laps, Schumacher slowed down, Daruvala regained second place, Mick thought about the championship and let him go. The on-board camera footage showed the strong vibrations his car was exposed to. Mick now directly in front of Ilott, the Englishman much faster.
Lap 11: virtual safety car phase because a missing air control element in Louis Delétraz’s car had to be removed from the track. A short respite for Mick Schumacher.
Daruvala attacked Ticktum, seeking his first Formula 2 victory, further back, Mick Schumacher led the battle line against Ilott. He wanted to defend himself as long as possible.
Schumacher briefly went off the track on lap 18, but again cheated on the track before Ilott. It became clear that it was only a matter of time before Ilott and the cars behind passed. At the start of lap 18, Schumacher blocked, Ilott blocked the wheels as well, Shwartzman passed Ilott, but only through a few corners, then Ilott regained fourth place.
At the start of lap 19, the two title rivals again side by side, this time Ilott passed, Mick was immediately overtaken by Shwartzman and Zhou – Mick pitted for new tires!
The big questions now: With a pointless Mick, Ilott had to win to make up for the 14-point deficit.
Schumacher fell back to second from below.
But now Ilott was struggling with tire problems and had Mick’s stablemate Shwartzman on his neck. Prema informed St. Petersburg by radio: he had to try to overtake Callum and thus prevent Ilott from saying goodbye to the front.
Ticktum and Daruvala wriggled in their heads, Ilott trailing behind them hoping they would get off the track. Behind Ilott now his UNI-Virtuosi stablemate Guanyu Zhou, who was able to keep his back a bit free. But not by ange: the Chinese was overtaken by Red Bull youngster Yuki Tsunoda, who didn’t care what Ilott was planning: the Japanese wanted to get on the podium.
Lap 25: Daruvala in front again this time, Ticktum slid forward during the fast break at Turn 1. Further back, Tsunoda grabbed Ilott, Callum’s claim to the title fizzled out. A lap later, Ilott also fell behind Zhou on degrading tires, now only fifth.
Mick got the radio message: “Ilott tires are at the end.” Ilott continued to lose ground and a rank to Giuliano Alesi, but that no longer mattered.
First victory in Formula 2 for Indian Jehan Daruvala in a very interesting season, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and Dan Ticktum.
Callum Ilott finished in 10th place, Mick Schumacher was 18 and is the new champion! Mick groaned audibly over the radio: “I have no words, I can only say – thank you.”
Formula 2 Sprint from Sakhir
1. Jehan Daruvala (IND), Carlin
2. Yuki Tsunoda (J), Carlin, +3 561
3. Dan Ticktum (GB), DAMS, +3.902
4. Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Uni-Virtuosi Racing, +5,615
5. Robert Shwartzman (UK), Prema Racing, +7,585
6. Giuliano Alesi (F), MP Motorsport, +9 040
7. Luca Ghiotto (I), Hitech Grand Prix, +11,093
8. Felipe Drugovich (BR), MP Motorsport, +13,878
9. Nikita Mazepin (UK), Hitech Grand Prix, +14,536
10. Callum Ilott (GB), Uni-Virtuosi Racing, +16,023
11. Pedro Piquet (BR), Charouz Racing System, +16,157
12. Christian Lundgaard (DK), ART Grand Prix, +17,051
13. Louis Delétraz (CH), Charouz Racing System, +20,176
14. Marcus Armstrong (NZ), ART Grand Prix, +21,844
15. Roy Nissany (IL), Trident, +23,639
16. Marino Sato (J), Trident, +26,089
17 Sean Gelael (RI), DAMS, +26,759
18. Mick Schumacher (R), Prema Racing, +28,529
19. Guilherme Samaia (BR), Campos Racing, +35,936
20. Artem Markelov (UK), BWT HWA Racelab, +59,769
21. Théo Pourchaire (F), BWT HWA Racelab, +1 Runde
Outside
Ralph Boschung (CH), Campos Racing, Antriebsschaden
Final result after 24 races
1. Schumacher 215
2. Ilott 201
3. Tsunoda 200
4. Shwartzman 177
5. Mazepin 164
6. Zhou 151.5
7. Lundgaard 149
8. Deletraz 134
9. Drugovich 121
10. Ghiotto 106
11. Ticktum 96.5
12. Daruvala 72
14. Armstrong 52
14. Jack Aitken (GB) 48
15. Nobuharu Matsushita (J) 42
16. Vips (EST) 16
17. Alesi 12
18. Markelov 5
19. Nissan 5
20. Piquet 3
21. Sean Gelael 3
22. Sato 1
23. Hughes 0
24. Samaia 0
25. Boschung 0
26. Pourchaire 0
