*** ----> FIA Formula 2 Championship to showcase world’s best young racing drivers at Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022 | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

FIA Formula 2 Championship to showcase world’s best young racing drivers at Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Motorsport’s future stars are set to make headlines this weekend at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) as the FIA Formula 2 Championship kicks off its new season in support of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022.

The highly anticipated F1 racing spectacle takes Sakhir by storm this Friday to Sunday at “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, and F2 will be a big part of the gripping on-track action. F2 is the chief feeder series to the top flight, with many drivers having graduated from this category and now starring in F1.

Among them is Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, George Russell of Mercedes, Lando Norris of McLaren, Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi of Williams, Mick Schumacher of Haas, Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri, and Alfa Romeo rookie Guanyu Zhou. This one-make series consists of 22 identical cars from 11 teams, who will all be vying for glory in the first of 13 rounds in their 2022 season in Bahrain.

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The grid is set to be led by defending champions Prema Racing, who feature last year’s Formula 3 champion Dennis Hauger and returning contender Jehan Daruvala in their cars. They are joined by Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan and Marino Sato, Carlin’s Liam Lawson and Logan Sargeant, Hitech Grand Prix’s Marcus Armstrong and Juri Vips, and ART Grand Prix’s Frederik Vesti and Theo Pourchaire.

Also set to compete are the MP Motorsport pair of Felipe Drugovich and Clement Novalak, Campos Racing’s Olli Caldwell and Ralph Boschung, Dams’ Roy Nissany and Ayumu Iwasa and Trident’s Richard Verschoor and Calan Williams.

The field is completed by Charouz Racing System’s Enzo Fittipaldi and Cem Bolukbasi, and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Jake Hughes and Amaury Cordeel. The F2 sessions will get underway this weekend on Friday, 18 March, with Free Practice from 12.35 pm to 1.20 pm.

Qualifying will then be held under BIC’s bright floodlights from 7.25 pm to 7.55 pm, which will set the grid positions for the 32-lap Feature Race on Sunday, 20 March, starting at 1.40 pm. For the 23-lap Sprint Race on Saturday, 19 March, which will be flagged off at 7.40 pm, the starting grid will be determined by reversing the top 10 finishers from Qualifying.

Aside from Bahrain, F2 will also be holding rounds in its 2022 season in Saudi Arabia, twice in Italy, Spain, Monaco, Azerbaijan, Great Britain, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UAE. F2 held their official pre-season tests at BIC earlier this month alongside the FIA Formula 3 Championship.

Both F2 and F3 are part of F1’s support programme in Bahrain, which also includes the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East—making for a non-stop schedule of top-class racing.

Tickets to the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022 can be purchased online at BIC’s official website bahraingp. com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000.

Tickets are also available at the BIC to stand in City Centre Bahrain or at the sales tent located at Sakhir Petrol Station en route to the circuit. Ticket discounts are available for children aged three to 12 years old at 50 per cent off, with reductions also available for students, people of determination and senior citizens.

This year’s F1 extravaganza is set to be a once-in-a-generation event, following the introduction of sweeping new regulations and the huge design evolution of the F1 cars. Fans in Bahrain will have the privilege of being the first in the world to experience the pinnacle of motorsport like it was never before seen.