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Ferrari junior Mick Schumacher has yet to make it: with seventh place, but thanks to the best lap in the race, Mick does not lose a point to Callum Ilott. The victory at Sakhir goes to Red Bull Junior Yuki Tsunoda.
Formula 2 leader Mick Schumacher entered the final main race of the season with a fourteen-point lead. In the short in Bahrain, qualifying was completely in the pants – there was no free lap caught, then he collided with Roy Nissany, only 18th on the grid, his worst qualifying position in two years of Formula 2! Mick’s goal: to distance Ilott by four points, that would secure the title.
The 2021 Ferrari Junior and Haas GP driver said: “It was a disappointment. I was so hopeful after a good free practice session. But everything went wrong in qualifying. My only consolation is that we know that our running speed is correct. I want to finish before Callum Ilott. “It is not an easy task, because his toughest rival for the English title was nine places ahead of Mick in Sakhir’s 48-lap race. Ilott received the radio instruction:” Drive your race Don’t overthink Schumacher. “
Tsunoda got away well at first, but Mazepin edged out the Japanese at the first turn, and Robert Shwartzman slipped in too. Good start for Ilott, the Briton was immediately seventh, Mick Schumacher came out of the first lap in 16th. The German was fortunate to remain in the race after touching several vehicles at the first turn and also on the way to Turn 4.
On lap 2 Schumacher advanced further, while Ilott lost a place to Chinese Guanyu Zhou. Mick, who drove on the tough Pirelli, won a place on almost every lap. The Ilott smooth roller, on the other hand, was trapped behind Zhou. On lap 7, Mick overtook young Frenchman Theo Pourchaire, now in 12th position.
Mazepin continued, Tsunoda increased the pressure on Shwartzman, on lap 13 Red Bull Junior took second place. Further down, Ilott lost another place, Mick Schumacher won one, leaving the German just two places behind 10th. Title rivals.
It was clear: Ilott is wasting too much time on the soft tires, when would he pick up the hard rollers? On lap 17, Schumacher passed Marcus Armstrong and was therefore directly behind Ilott. Before there was an attack, Callum pitted to change tires on hard. Yuki Tsunoda got in too, and got back on the train before the Russians Mazepin and Shwartzman!
Mick Schumacher now fourth behind Felipe Drugovich, Guanyu Zhou and Dan Ticktum. In the match for 12th place, Tsunod lost ground to Mazepin and Shwartzman on cold tires. Callum Ilott only 14th after his stop. Schumacher was instructed that he had to drive ten more laps on this first set of tires. Mick cool: “Got it.” Ilott couldn’t get past the Indian Jehan Daruvala.
At halftime, the top six were still unchanged: Zhou, Ticktum, Schumacher, Armstrong, Pourchaire and Ghiotto. In seventh place, the first man to buy fresh rubber, Mazepin, followed by Shwartzman, Tsunoda, Drugovich, Daruvala and Ilott.
Leader Zhou pitted on lap 27 and Mick Schumacher was the new leader. Further back, Ilott finally got rid of the pesky Daruvala.
On lap 30, Schumacher picked up new tires, so his soft Pirelli would have to last 18 laps. The stop went well, Mick now 13th, Ilott 6th.
Lap 34: Schumacher overtakes Louis Delétraz, eleventh. A lap later he passed Artem Makelov, tenth, plus the best lap in the race, which is worth two points in Formula 2.
Later on, Tsunoda finally passed Shwartzman, Mick profited from a mistake by his former Formula 3 rival Dan Ticktum, now ninth, and next year’s Haas driver also passed Pedro Piquet. So that eighth place, which results in pole position for each sprint race.
With five laps to go, Yuki Tsunoda took the lead in the first turn, trailing Nikita Mazepin, the Muscovite now under pressure from Drugovich and Zhou, the Chinese slipped but charged with a five-second penalty (too fast in pit lane).
Third win of the season for Yuki Tsunoda, 2nd place for Zhou (despite his penalty), 3rd place for Mazepin. Ilott’s sixth place, Schumacher seventh at the end, so Callum did not lose any points, because he had secured two points for the best lap.
Formula 2 main race at Sakhir
1. Yuki Tsunoda (J), Carlin, 52: 59,396 min
2. Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Uni-Virtuosi Racing, +5.613 seconds
3. Nikita Mazepin (UK), Hitech Grand Prix, +6,280
4. Felipe Drugovich (BR), MP Motorsport, +6 655
5. Robert Shwartzman (UK), Prema Racing, +7,438
6. Callum Ilott (GB), Uni-Virtuosi Racing, +8,143
7. Mick Schumacher (R), Prema Racing, +10,339
8. Jehan Daruvala (IND), Carlin, +11,818
9. Dan Ticktum (GB), DAMS, +14,648
10. Pedro Piquet (BR), Charouz Racing System, +17,511
11. Marcus Armstrong (NZ), ART Grand Prix, +17,789
12. Louis Delétraz (CH), Charouz Racing System, +19,374
13. Artem Markelov (UK), BWT HWA Racelab, +31,999
14. Ralph Boschung (CH), Campos Racing, +34,388
15. Giuliano Alesi (F), MP Motorsport, +35,082
15. Luca Ghiotto (I), High Tech Grand Prize, +38,113
17. Marino Sato (J), Trident, +39.059
18. Théo Pourchaire (F), BWT HWA Racelab, +41,719
19. Sean Gelael (RI), DAMS, +45,847
20. Roy Nissany (IL), Trident, +50.305
21. Christian Lundgaard (DK), ART Grand Prix, +59,292
22. Guilherme Samaia (BR), Campos Racing, + 1 Runde
Status after 23 of 24 races
1. Schumacher 213
2. Ilott 199
3. Tsunoda 186
4. Mazepin 177
5. Shwartzman 169
6. Lundgaard 149
7. Zhou 143.5
8. Deletraz 134
9. Drugovich 117
10. Ghiotto 104
11. Ticktum 84.5
12. Daruvala 55
14. Armstrong 52
14. Jack Aitken (GB) 48
15. Nobuharu Matsushita (J) 42
16. Vips (EST) 16
17. Alesi 8
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
